State cricket bodies have got a lot
of money flowing into their coffers. And it is largely thanks to the money the BCCI
is raking in these days. With the position paper set to be passed, BCCI will
probably be surrounded with far more money thanks to its bigger share in the
surplus money.
It also means that state bodies have
a lot of cash to spend on the local and district cricket. But just as they’ve
got money, so have everyone in the Capital, it seems.
With money everywhere and cricket
becoming very popular in its T20 format, and space coming at a premium these
days, the grounds have jacked up their prices.
They know the corporate bodies can
pay as much as 15-20,000 a day to hire a ground, so why not exploit it.
Resultantly, the grounds are now out
of reach for the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) that wants to
host the league games on Saturdays and Sundays.
A lot of parents have spoken to Delhi
Cricket and they complain the kids usually play on the weekdays and often
neglect their school and studies. “Why can’t they host matches on Saturdays and
Sundays?” complained one.
They were upset when they got to
know the reason.
“We are told that we can’t hire grounds
on weekends, which is why you’ll say most of our league games on weekdays. On
the weekdays, many of the youngsters keep off,” said a member of the current
sports committee.
