The World Cup was a failure at many levels, but if there is one positive that emerged, it is that cricket at the international level appears to have weeded out the spot-fixing elements. The appearance of a "clean" tournament is a big win for the administrators of world cricket. Yes, there were some hackles raised in a particular Team India match against one of its neighbours that led to protocol lapses within the ICC, but the allegations at no point extended beyond grumblings of a poorly officiated match. "Poor/biased officiating" is a routine barb that the losing team's supporters make, even within the squeaky clean surroundings of scandal-free leagues across the world, so this really shouldn't be much cause for concern for cricket's image.
As if to further hammer home the point that this was a tournament that existed for teams purely on merit, India's semi-final loss to Australia set up a salivating battle royale for the arch-rival host-country neighbours in the finals. Were the World Cup to have been considered a dubiously conducted event that catered only to the powerhouses and large fan-bases, then this would not have been the scripted ending. For all their popularity in world cricket, the combined population of the two finalists was a meagre 28 million people in total, or for context, 45 times smaller than just the population of India. The losing semi-finalists, India and South Africa, had a combined population of nearly 1.8 billion people supporting them. So, although not a ratings bonanza, for world cricket at this time, the tournament's stain-free reputation might just have far greater value.
With this precedent, the IPL should cash in, along with what is an opportunity to further popularise T20 cricket at a time when ODI cricket has not galvanised the fans. Also, cricket fatigue has not set in yet, provided the matches are closely contested and entertaining.
Through the years, the IPL has been steady in its revenue generation, with viewership across the various editions having been somewhat consistently increasing. In a departure from IPL-7, team and central sponsors have initiated or renewed their commitments in a show of support for the league, and the advertisement rates during broadcasts are said to have increased this year as well. Team loyalty should now be setting in, as cities' fan-bases start to associate with their home teams. Gate receipts appear also to be increasing, given the deviation from past practices in India that were dependent on the "complimentary pass" culture and moving towards complementary revenue verticals for the league.
This is a chance for the new BCCI and IPL regime to make a clean break from past indiscretions and a fresh start that focuses on on-field entertainment for its growth and expansion. Thus far, the look and feel has been similar, with familiar faces taking their places once again, reprising past roles at the helm of the IPL's leadership bodies. And the Chennai Super Kings retain the title favourite's tag, in an ode to the Srinivasan era.
It would, however, be a dropped chance if the BCCI doesn't use this windfall opportunity to create a product that is above reproach, and to show the judiciary, the lawmakers and the fans alike that remedial measures are in rapid action mode. It would be foolish to let this sliver of a chance to rectify its image and functioning pass it by. Stranger things, however, have happened.
The writer leads the sports practice at J Sagar Associates. These views are his own