Jagmohan Dalmiya - the brain behind over commercialization of cricket, was he a hero or villain?

[sweep_shot]

Jagmohan Dalmiya was responsible for commercializing cricket to the extent we see today. He pretty much sowed the seed.

He also broke the monopoly of England/Australia over cricket and turned cricket into an Indian sport.

How do you view Dalmiya? Do you think he was a hero? Do you think he was a villain?

I consider him as a villain because his actions ruined cricket in the long run. Cricket has become very unappealing due to overcommercialization and petty politics.

Discuss.

 

[DeadlyVenom]

He leaves a positive legacy in cricket.

Ensured a World Cup could be played outside of England.

Helped rehabilitate and readmit South African cricket.

Supported Sri Lanka when countries refused to tour.

Helped Bangladesh attain test status and to host an ICC tournament.


He was a visionary and an ally of the Asian countries.

 

[sweep_shot]

He leaves a positive legacy in cricket.

Ensured a World Cup could be played outside of England.

Helped rehabilitate and readmit South African cricket.

Supported Sri Lanka when countries refused to tour.

Helped Bangladesh attain test status and to host an ICC tournament.


He was a visionary and an ally of the Asian countries.

He probably had the right intention but his actions paved way for modern day BCCICC.

In hindsight, his actions were catastrophic for world cricket in the long run.

 

[DeadlyVenom]

He probably had the right intention but his actions paved way for modern day BCCICC.

In hindsight, his actions were catastrophic for world cricket in the long run.

I dont blame him brother, we can only blame those who ruined the great man's legacy.

 

[Bhaijaan]

He probably had the right intention but his actions paved way for modern day BCCICC.

In hindsight, his actions were catastrophic for world cricket in the long run.

Definitely a villain for letting a learn team like Bangladesh become a full member ahead of Zimbabwe, Kenya both of whom were better back then.

 

[sweep_shot]

Definitely a villain for letting a learn team like Bangladesh become a full member ahead of Zimbabwe, Kenya both of whom were better back then.

I am talking about cricket as a whole. Not just Bangladesh. I am not a blind nationalist like the bhakts.

I concede it was a mistake to give Bangladesh Test status in the late-90's.

Kenya collapsed after 2003. They just didn't have the infrastructure or population. Giving them Test status also wouldn't have been a good idea.

 

[Babeikh]

Good that he broke the hold that England and Australia had over cricket but it should have been done by reforming the ICC into a truly independent governing body rather than a 'council' and instead of just transferring power to India and over commercialising everything. It could have been done in a more balanced way.

 

[Kianig89]

He made the Asian Bloc isn't that true, started Asian Test Championship , Bangladesh got full status during that time , it seems overall his impact was positive for cricket.
BCCI started astray after Srinavasan and Powar , that's when their ego got of steel

 

[sweep_shot]

Good that he broke the hold that England and Australia had over cricket but it should have been done by reforming the ICC into a truly independent governing body rather than a 'council' and instead of just transferring power to India and over commercialising everything. It could have been done in a more balanced way.

I would have England/Australia running cricket over India any day.

Look what cricket has become.

 

[sweep_shot]

He made the Asian Bloc isn't that true, started Asian Test Championship , Bangladesh got full status during that time , it seems overall his impact was positive for cricket.
BCCI started astray after Srinavasan and Powar , that's when their ego got of steel

Asian Test Championship lasted only 2 seasons.

Asian Bloc only benefited India in the long run.

Bangladesh got the full status but cricket as a whole suffered. BCCICC happened.

 

[Bhaag Viru Bhaag]

He also helped Shoaib Akhtar.

 

[Kianig89]

Asian Test Championship lasted only 2 seasons.

Asian Bloc only benefited India in the long run.

Bangladesh got the full status but cricket as a whole suffered. BCCICC happened.

True , but as per history Dalmiya was not a bad guy certainly not egoistic like the many of modern BCCI chairmns

 

[sweep_shot]

True , but as per history Dalmiya was not a bad guy certainly not egoistic like the many of modern BCCI chairmns

That I can agree with.

Anyway, it is a lesson for other sports. Do not fix something which is not broken. Change is not always good.

 

[NishanKonar]

Neither hero nor villain

Cricket wud have followed the same path with or without Dalmiya

Sport follows money. Only a matter of time India's rising economy wud make BCCI the central figure in world cricket

 

[Rajdeep]

In 1983 World cup finals, MCC refused to give 2 extra ticket to brown BCCI president Salve. So lets not pretend, cricket was non discriminatory when it was run from London. It is OPs problem

Dalmiya was great administrator. Helped making Asian block stronger, got world cup hosting out of Englands grip, fought for Bangladesh's test status etc.

Modern BCCIs success is due to IPL and Misbah ul Haq.

 

[Hikaru]

What South Asian Cricket needed was a couple of more Dalmiyas in SLC and PCB. What happened instead was other South Asian boards running a clown-show for decades, and then blaming India for the power imbalance.

 

[sweep_shot]

What South Asian Cricket needed was a couple of more Dalmiyas in SLC and PCB. What happened instead was other South Asian boards running a clown-show for decades, and then blaming India for the power imbalance.

Disagree.

What needed to happen was England/Australia continuing to run the game. It could've remained a classy sport like it was before Dalmiya.

Dalmiya's changing of cricket was similar to American invasion of Iraq. It did more harm than good.

 

[IronShield]

What South Asian Cricket needed was a couple of more Dalmiyas in SLC and PCB. What happened instead was other South Asian boards running a clown-show for decades, and then blaming India for the power imbalance.

Sadly true

 

[globetrotter]

He was called as Dal-me-kala-miya.... He played politix in cricket, he backed Saurav Ganguly beyond limits...Ganguly survived long bcoz of him...40 crores scam in 1996 WC..... accused BCCI official and filed cases against them

 

[sweep_shot]

I compare Dalmiya's action to president Nixon's gold standard removal.

President Nixon's decision caused American economy to get worse over the years. American debt has now reached over 38-trillion.

Similarly, Dalmiya's decision turned ICC into BCCICC and cricket became a farce as a result.

What is the lesson? Lesson is never pick short-term convenience over long-term stability. Dalmiya overthrew 300+ years of stable status quo. Cricket world is now paying for his shortsightedness.

Are countries experiencing more discrimination from India than they did from England/Australia? Answer is yes. Indian discrimination is far worse.

 

[Major]

I want to call him a hero because he did not see cricket as India, but as subcontinent. He was fighting for the whole subcontinent.

But in todays world, knowing how indians are when it comes to nationalism, he would had only cared for India and not whole subcontinent.

 

[Major]

In 1983 World cup finals, MCC refused to give 2 extra ticket to brown BCCI president Salve. So lets not pretend, cricket was non discriminatory when it was run from London. It is OPs problem

Dalmiya was great administrator. Helped making Asian block stronger, got world cup hosting out of Englands grip, fought for Bangladesh's test status etc.

Modern BCCIs success is due to IPL and Misbah ul Haq.

So indians used to steal socks and beg for tickets.

 

[BunnyRabbit]

He probably had good intentions and helped Asian cricket grow. It was Pawar, Srinivasan and Lalit Modi who later hijacked it.

 

[LongHorn]

Definitely a villain for letting a learn team like Bangladesh become a full member ahead of Zimbabwe, Kenya both of whom were better back then.

Kenya was not better than Bangladesh in 2000

 

[Romali_rotti]

Disagree.

What needed to happen was England/Australia continuing to run the game. It could've remained a classy sport like it was before Dalmiya.

Dalmiya's changing of cricket was similar to American invasion of Iraq. It did more harm than good.

Either way it wouldn't have matterred when it came to Bangladesh Sweep_shot bro, as the kitty kats were always destined to be terrible with little contribution to the game

 

[Romali_rotti]

They were right, Bangladesh had no business playing test matches ever Afghanistan wouldve put a better output than our nangin break dancers...

One of the greatest tragedies of test cricket, allowing kitty kats the test entry. Dalmiya ruined diminished the game because of it.

 

[Hitman]

They were right, Bangladesh had no business playing test matches ever Afghanistan wouldve put a better output than our nangin break dancers...

One of the greatest tragedies of test cricket, allowing kitty kats the test entry. Dalmiya ruined diminished the game because of it.

Possibly his only mistake as a BCCI administrator. But then again you don't really know beforehand that you are feeding milk to a snake.​

 

[Romali_rotti]

Possibly his only mistake as a BCCI administrator. But then again you don't really know beforehand that you are feeding milk to a snake.​

Not just the fact they went feral, my bigger issue is they absolutely sucked from the time they got test status absolutely zero improvements.

 

[sweep_shot]

Possibly his only mistake as a BCCI administrator. But then again you don't really know beforehand that you are feeding milk to a snake.​

I would still make this thread if Dalmiya didn't help BD with Test status. As a matter of fact, I also believe BD didn't deserve the Test status.

I am not a blind nationalist like you bhakts.

I think cricket would've been much better if England and Australia were controlling it. India completely ruined cricket with overcommercialization and petty politics.

 

[Hitman]

I would still make this thread if Dalmiya didn't help BD with Test status. As a matter of fact, I also believe BD didn't deserve the Test status.

I am not a blind nationalist like you bhakts.

I think cricket would've been much better if England and Australia were controlling it. India completely ruined cricket with overcommercialization and petty politics.

Try asking that to any sane ex or current cricketer, on whether BCCI revolutionised the game by bringing in the money factor, or whether they destroyed the game. You'll get your answer.​

 

[BunnyRabbit]

They were right, Bangladesh had no business playing test matches ever Afghanistan wouldve put a better output than our nangin break dancers...

One of the greatest tragedies of test cricket, allowing kitty kats the test entry. Dalmiya ruined diminished the game because of it.

Afghanistan was in tier 4 or lower back then.

 

[Van_Sri]

Villain for Pakistan and Hero for India. T20 Cricket Overcommercialized Cricket and it has nothing to do with India. India generates more money for Cricket as there are more audience compared to other countries but due to strained relationship Pakistan and Bangladesh has with India it is having negative impact on them. Without India Cricket could not have been so popular as it has huge number of viewers compared to any country. England and Australian Cricket Boards were responsible for development of Test Cricket and ODI Cricket but India and Pakistan rivalry in 90s played a huge role in Popularizing ODI Cricket in Asia. T20 Cricket mainly was Popularized by India due to IPL. PCB if it was visionary could have extended its influence to popularize Cricket in Middle East like Persia, Turkey and Afghanistan but due to corruption did not do much to improve the game despite having huge talent pool. 1970s Fast Bowlers Era, 1980s Allrounders Era, 1990s Swing and Spin Bowlers Era (Pakistan role was huge in this era), 2000s Batting Era, 2010s Pinch Hitters Era.

 

[bk19xsa]

He probably had good intentions and helped Asian cricket grow. It was Pawar, Srinivasan and Lalit Modi who later hijacked it.

Yup but even these people were later controlled elements.

Many, don't realize that it's not just money but it's the soft power that gets wielded when you have control over a Billion plus viewers.

Politic ideologies and geopolitical strategies can then be implemented in fa remote efficient and objective ways.

 

[BunnyRabbit]

Yup but even these people were later controlled elements.

Many, don't realize that it's not just money but it's the soft power that gets wielded when you have control over a Billion plus viewers.

Politic ideologies and geopolitical strategies can then be implemented in fa remote efficient and objective ways.

The Ind-Pak tours were scrapped well before BJP came into power I think.
Ind were sitting on a cash cow with over a billion cricket crazy viewers. Sooner rather than later, someone was going to cash on it to gather control over the world of cricket.
Think Dalmiya was fine and had good intentions at heart. It was the changing political landscape that led to India taking control over ICC

 

[HitWicket]

In 1983 World cup finals, MCC refused to give 2 extra ticket to brown BCCI president Salve. So lets not pretend, cricket was non discriminatory when it was run from London. It is OPs problem

Been over this on here before, if politicians want tickets to world cup finals then they should be buying the tickets themselves. Not expecting freebies at the last minute. That's not discrimination, it's good decision making and not giving in to entitlement.

 

[jeeteshssaxena]

Been over this on here before, if politicians want tickets to world cup finals then they should be buying the tickets themselves. Not expecting freebies at the last minute. That's not discrimination, it's good decision making and not giving in to entitlement.

Did they give tickets to Ecb and CA presidents. If yes, then its racism.
Lets not be foolish here, do you think CA and Ecb presidents wont get two tickets from bcci or Pcb?

 

[cricketjoshila]

Jagmohan Dalmiya was responsible for commercializing cricket to the extent we see today. He pretty much sowed the seed.

He also broke the monopoly of England/Australia over cricket and turned cricket into an Indian sport.

How do you view Dalmiya? Do you think he was a hero? Do you think he was a villain?

I consider him as a villain because his actions ruined cricket in the long run. Cricket has become very unappealing due to overcommercialization and petty politics.

Discuss.

He is a villain for ou because he got bd test status, history will tell you England and Australia opposed Bangladeshs test status it was dalmiya who lobbied to get enough votes for Bangladesh


With out dalmiya Bangladesh would still be an associate member

And cricketers would be poorly paid sportsmen

 

[cricketjoshila]

He leaves a positive legacy in cricket.

Ensured a World Cup could be played outside of England.

Helped rehabilitate and readmit South African cricket.

Supported Sri Lanka when countries refused to tour.

Helped Bangladesh attain test status and to host an ICC tournament.


He was a visionary and an ally of the Asian countries.

Likely the greatest administrator cricket ever had

 

[bk19xsa]

The Ind-Pak tours were scrapped well before BJP came into power I think.
Ind were sitting on a cash cow with over a billion cricket crazy viewers. Sooner rather than later, someone was going to cash on it to gather control over the world of cricket.
Think Dalmiya was fine and had good intentions at heart. It was the changing political landscape that led to India taking control over ICC

It doesnt work like that. Politics and democracy are more of a facade. At the highest level, the policies are put into place well before things become organic.

The population growth of Subcontinent was known well before independence and into the early 60s. What was studied was the influence of the game on Subcontinent mindsets. When hockey was not bringing the capital as per the growth of population, cricket was promoted and strengthened to form the basis of main sport revenue generator as well capture of the public mind. 70s saw the Sub Continent push for viewership. 80s brought the Limited Overs pedigree and then with 87 rest is history.

 

[Hitman]

He is a villain for ou because he got bd test status, history will tell you England and Australia opposed Bangladeshs test status it was dalmiya who lobbied to get enough votes for Bangladesh


With out dalmiya Bangladesh would still be an associate member

And cricketers would be poorly paid sportsmen

@Dr_Bassim said it best. Without BCCI revolutionising the game by bringing in the money factor, cricketers would probably be still fixing matches the way they used to do till the 90's.​

 

[HitWicket]

Did they give tickets to Ecb and CA presidents. If yes, then its racism.
Lets not be foolish here, do you think CA and Ecb presidents wont get two tickets from bcci or Pcb?

The BCCI president had already been given multiple free tickets, he wanted more to give out to politician friends.

 

[rpant_gabba]

The BCCI president had already been given multiple free tickets, he wanted more to give out to politician friends.

you are privy to this how exactly?

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

He did alot for Asian cricket, and was both a competent administrator and a strong personality who knew how to get things done. That was a much different time in international cricket politics when Asian countries worked together to counter English-Australian cricket hegemony. Considering where we are today, it doesn't feel like a recognizable time anymore.

 

[CrIc_Mystique]

Jagmohan Dalmiya was responsible for commercializing cricket to the extent we see today. He pretty much sowed the seed.

He also broke the monopoly of England/Australia over cricket and turned cricket into an Indian sport.

How do you view Dalmiya? Do you think he was a hero? Do you think he was a villain?

I consider him as a villain because his actions ruined cricket in the long run. Cricket has become very unappealing due to overcommercialization and petty politics.

Discuss.

Let's be perfectly honest. Remove his Indian nationality & replace with other - read SENA nationality....
U'd be all over like a rash & have ami tumale bhalo bhashi on loop 24/7/365...

 

[CrIc_Mystique]

Let's be perfectly honest. Remove his Indian nationality & replace with other - read SENA nationality....
U'd be all over like a rash & have ami tumale bhalo bhashi on loop 24/7/365...

Just to clarify - I am not his fanboy or cheers leader but i defo don't think he has 'destroyed' cricket, or prevented cricket from reaching ,'greatness' etc like esteemed bro SS wants to give the perception....just my 5c's worth...cheers

 

[HitWicket]

you are privy to this how exactly?

Because it's literally public knowledge that his complaint was that he wasn't given additional free tickets to hand out to his politician friends on top of the tickets he already had.

 

[sweep_shot]

Dalmiya overcommercialized cricket. He turned a beautiful/relaxing British sport into a hectic/discriminatory Indian sport.

As far as I am concerned, Dalmiya is a villain even though he might have had good intentions.

 

[charlie007]

Dalmiya overcommercialized cricket. He turned a beautiful/relaxing British sport into a hectic/discriminatory Indian sport.

As far as I am concerned, Dalmiya is a villain even though he might have had good intentions.

Dalmiya did not “over” commercialize cricket, he just made cricket a viable career option for kids by bringing money into it that it deserved.
That “beautiful/relaxing British sport” was dead and buried in 1933 when Bodyline happened.

 

[Hellion]

Dalmiya moved the power centre of cricket away from England and that was great.

Now we need another visionary leader who can prioritise white ball cricket , de emphasise "Test" status and give all boards equal status and go full football model in cricket.

 

[Sachin fan]

He is a villain for ou because he got bd test status, history will tell you England and Australia opposed Bangladeshs test status it was dalmiya who lobbied to get enough votes for Bangladesh


With out dalmiya Bangladesh would still be an associate member

And cricketers would be poorly paid sportsmen

I think its the most ungrateful country in the world.

 

[cricketjoshila]

I think its the most ungrateful country in the world.

It is no doubt

 

[WengerOut]

This post would never have existed if it was Jamaluddin Jamali instead of Jagmohan Dalmiya

 

[maha3us]

One hard truth of the World if any corporate person becomes successful, some persons will regard him as villain. That is because the successful person makes changes which are seen good for his company and there will be definitely side effects. The same happened in the case of Dalmiya also based on the revolution he did. Indian team as of now is different from what the team was in the last century. Still the question which remains to be explored is why the other Asian teams and West Indies is not doing well. All on a sudden why the fast bowling supply disappeared for West Indies. One reason said is some of the players are taken to baseball and basket ball in USA where they can make more money.

 

[sweep_shot]

Lesson for other sports --> do not allow another Dalmiya to mess up your sport no matter how well-meaning he appears.

Before Dalmiya happened, cricket was all about cricket. It felt like a sport. There was no politics in it. Just pure sport.

Due to Dalmiya's action, cricket has been ruined by overcommercialization and petty politics.

 

[Van_Sri]

Lesson for other sports --> do not allow another Dalmiya to mess up your sport no matter how well-meaning he appears.

Before Dalmiya happened, cricket was all about cricket. It felt like a sport. There was no politics in it. Just pure sport.

Due to Dalmiya's action, cricket has been ruined by overcommercialization and petty politics.

Politics existed when humanity came not because of a Jagmohan Dalmiya. You are fine with Australia dominating Cricket but not ok with India dominating Cricket. You are ok with British Propaganda and not ok with India’s Propaganda. Australia and England doesn’t have enough Population that support Cricket but India has more potential to generate revenue for Cricket. India due to its massive Population can generate revenue more than any other country in Cricket. This was eventually going to happen and you cannot say Cricket has declined. USA has Basketball NBA which is more popular than World Championship in Basketball can you call it over commercialization ? Sports is a Business that is meant for making money and which ever country has better sources to generate Sports revenue will eventually dominate the Sports.