MCA president Rohit Pawar believes that the competitive bidding seen among franchises is a good sign of interest in the MPL, and hopes that from next year, 50% of the central revenue created through various sources will be shared between all stakeholders. will be distributed equally among File photo | Photo Credit: Vivek Bendre
Rohit Pawar took charge of the Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) in January. He has taken full advantage of his powerplay. His government has not only revived the Maharashtra Premier League (MPL), but also awarded five matches in the 2023 ICC Men’s World Cup to Pune, the MCA headquarters.
In this open conversation held on the sidelines of the MPL final, Mr. Pawar, who is also a third-generation MLA from the Baramati bastion, spells out his vision for the MCA and responds to allegations of dynasty politics. Cricket Administration.
edited excerpts
What is more gratifying to you? Have you staged the Maharashtra Premier League, or is Pune going to host five World Cup games later this year?
I would say that creating a platform for cricketers always matters more. MPL is a platform where promising cricketers from middle class families get to experience tournaments at par with international level. Also, when you host a big event like the World Cup, when these young cricketers watch the action from the gallery, watch great cricketers in action up close, they feel like “I just played MPL, now I want to go ahead and play IPL, more importantly play for India.” Therefore, both of these achievements are significant for the association and we are proud to tick both boxes.
What inspired you to revive MPL in such a short span of time?
Our Apex Council consists of professionals who are experienced in various fields. We have lawyers, entrepreneurs – I am involved in politics and business, some experienced administrators, bankers. So, when we discussed whether we should do MPL and everyone gave a positive answer, we decided to share the responsibility. We engaged a competent (event management) agency and started planning the event. Luckily, BCCI and IPL supported us wholeheartedly. It is said that true effort, strong will and clear intention lead to success. The same applies to MPL which is achieving stupendous success in such a short span of time.
BCCI has a rule that no state association will be allowed to organize T20 league till 15 days after IPL. Do you think it needs to be relaxed, especially for the western (and central) region’s federations?
Together we will try to discuss with the BCCI whether the rule can be relaxed a bit. Even if the window could be extended by 10 days – ideally to the end of May – it could help us all. Despite dealing with so many issues including World Cup preparations, BCCI gave us the go ahead for this season. It shows that it is positive and I am sure it will support this request in future as well.
Very few people know about your involvement in cricket, especially in Baramati. So, when you took over as MCA president in January, it obviously triggered a discussion on dynasty politics. How do you look at it and what was your motivation behind entering cricket administration?
See, every Indian is a cricket lover. Some play, some don’t; One wants to play but cannot play. I am also one of them. I watch less but love to play cricket. I’ve been organizing big tournaments for some time now, especially in tennis-ball cricket, so at some point I was wondering if I could contribute to the leather-ball cricket circuit and this opportunity came my way by accident .
As far as dynasty is concerned, everyone talks about it at the beginning of one’s journey or the other. And the discussion of dynasty will remain forever considering the work of our elders. We are involved in politics anyway. Also, Pawar saheb has been the president of BCCI and ICC, so it makes sense to start with the dynastic parallel. But ultimately, when our methodology and our methodology is seen, all these things vanish.
For example, when I entered politics, the same topic came up. But I started from ground zero, Zila Parishad. And once I became an MLA, it subsided; Now nobody talks about it. Similarly in cricket, the way the MCA Apex Council has functioned so far and based on our functioning, I am sure these whispers will die down with time. If I want to put an end to these rumours, my only job is to keep up the good work. that’s all I can say.
The Maharashtra Cricket Association has faced severe financial crisis in the last decade. What is your vision for the association as things have started turning better since you took over?
Even the previous apex councils have worked hard to keep things going. We appreciate their excellent work in difficult times. Not all problems are resolved and the challenges are now greater. We have already increased the number of men’s teams competing in invitational tournaments from 36 to 48 and we are planning to expand it to 72. When the number of teams increases, it creates a bigger pool of players and gives opportunities to many talented players. To showcase your talent and stake claim for selection. In girls also we have increased the number of teams.
Our next endeavor is to try and help the district associations to improve the infrastructure in their area. We also plan to organize MPL in two-three cities to expand our fan following and involve the local people more and more in the tournament. We are also looking at upgrading the gym at the MCA International Stadium. We have some other plans as well and we are grateful that BCCI is supporting us wholeheartedly.
How does MCA plan to make MPL financially viable for the owners and ensure that it does not fail?
First and foremost, while awarding the franchise, we had open bidding and we saw that 19 bidders came in, so it shows that it was an attractive proposition. We saw competitive and aggressive bidding, so all six owners are passionate about the game and know the financial side. The first year was always going to be a challenge for everyone, but from the next year onwards, the revenue sharing model will take shape, be it with respect to broadcasters, sponsorships and attendance.
It is bound to increase with each passing year. We have copied the IPL revenue share model, so from next year onwards, 50% of the central revenue created through various sources will be distributed equally among the franchises.
With annual subvention and additional financial benefits to MCA through MPL, do you think the time has come to introduce player contracts?
Players’ contract is the ultimate goal but before that there are many smaller goals to be achieved. Firstly, to improve the infrastructure at the district level. Then to ensure that the players are taken care of whenever they travel to represent Maharashtra. Earlier, only boys were allowed to avail five-star accommodation facilities. Now, we have decided to extend the same policy to all our girls’ teams. The next step is to improve the remuneration of the selectors and coaching staff of all our teams. They diligently dedicate so much time to our cause, so they deserve to be compensated well. Once we tick all our boxes, we will be able to expand the MCA umbrella and this will inspire a lot of young kids to start playing competitive cricket. And then, possibly, we will look at the players’ contracts.
There is one more issue worth noting. We have many former cricketers who have created a legacy for Maharashtra cricket but are now facing financial crisis. BCCI gives them some help but our effort is to support them for their medical help. We have to look into all these issues first.