CLT20 - Not in a cricket fan's wish list

The fifth edition of the Champions League Twenty20 (CL T20) began with the qualifier between Faisalabad Wolves and Otago at Mohali. Though the organisers would not have expected a large turnout for a match involving two foreign outfits, what followed later would have come as a rude shock for them. The next match, played at an “ideal time”, involving the Indian side Sunrisers Hyderabad, was played before a near-empty stadium.

While the PCA stadium at Mohali has a history of seeing low-turn outs even for high-profile international matches – the last two India-Australia Test matches played at this venue which saw nail-biting finishes stand testimony to this fact – those involved in organizing the CLT20 would certainly have concerned by this. With all the troubles that arose in the aftermath of the match-fixing scandals that shook the IPL , the successful staging of the CLT20 will be high on the wish list of the BCCI. The CLT20, right from its inaugural edition, has not achieved the same level of popularity and has mostly failed to draw the attention of the fans, unlike its parent-tournament, the IPL. A variety of factors may be attributed to this.

Overdose of IPL teams

The tournament was initially supposed to feature the winners and the runners from India, Australia and South Africa – who own the stake in the CLT20 – and the winners from the other participating countries. But the increasing number of IPL sides, this edition features four of them, has made the CLT20 look just like an extension of the IPL, save for the presence of a few foreign teams.

Lack of interest

Cricket, unlike football, has not yet taken to club and franchise based tournaments. Though IPL is a major attraction, it is mainly due to the gala and glitz attached to it. A country vs. country battle often takes precedence, at least in the minds of the fans, and that is where the passions rise high.

Generally around the cricketing world, neutral matches are not supported well – even when it comes to a high profile international tournament like the World Cup – and a tournament like CLT20 involves a lot of matches where the home-side will not be involved. The Champions League in football, from where the CLT20 was derived, takes place throughout the year in a home and away format and this takes away the problem of staging matches in neutral venues.

But, since the cricketing calendar is packed throughout the year with international matches, the CLT20 has to played in a compact window in a single country. This again results in many matches where the home side will not play and this mostly drives the fans away from the stadium. Also, for different reasons, the CLT20 is not being held in the home grounds of the participating teams and even the IPL teams do not get to play in front of their home supporters

Too much of T20 cricket

With the Indian board being the dominant stakeholder in CLT20 and India being the global powerhouse of cricket, which due to its cricket-crazy fans, the CLT20 is being held mostly in India and it comes close at the heels of the IPL. The IPL, in itself, is being seen as an over-kill, evident from the drop in the TRP ratings, and the CLT20 is like killing the rooster for the golden eggs.

Impact of bad economy

The effect of poor economy over the past several years is sure to have had an impact on the turn-outs at cricket stadiums. It is the middle-class who form the crust of the spectators at the stadium, and they surely would have thought thrice before buying the ticket for a CLT20 match.

Boring Venues

India and South Africa are the most preferred venues for the CLT20, as that suits the timing of the Indian viewers, and the television viewers in India are so used to seeing the venues in these two countries repeatedly – with South Africa hosting many International and club tournaments of late. Taking the CLT20 to the other stakeholder, Australia, could change things a bit. This is no major issue but it definitely has an impact on the fans. Though it is highly unlikely that the BCCI will accept, the CLT20 will certainly be a reality check for the Indian board and its dominating administrators and the signs so far are not looking bright.