Sanjiv Goenka Loses His Cool On The Field
By A Special Correspondent
First publised on 2024-05-10 01:05:31
About the Author
The IPL is
played on a team ownership system. This means that persons or organizations
that buy a franchise often shell out big bucks. They do not do it as charity.
They expect returns. For the returns to come in, the franchise (team) needs to
perform well. Hence, team owners monitor performance with a fine toothcomb. But
whatever the priorities, no team owner can be expected to make a public display
of his ire at the team's performance by lashing out at the captain as Lucknow
Super Giants (LSG) owner Sanjiv Goenka (chairman of the RPSG group) did in
Hyderabad when his team was thrashed by Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Goenka was
seen talking animatedly with K L Rahul near the dugout. It seemed he was angry
at the team's performance (which he had every right to be, as the owner) and
was asking Rahul the reason for such abject surrender. But it was something
which should not have been done on the ground in full public view. These are
internal matters of the team and are best discussed either in the dressing room
or the team hotel. Goenka, as a top corporate honcho, should be aware of this.
Further, to subject the captain, who just badly lost a match, to such
tongue-lashing in public is to completely demoralize him and the team.
The
commentators and the internet rightly criticized Goenka for what he did in
public view. If players can be fined for ugly behaviour on the field for
bringing the game into disrepute, shouldnât there be a fine on owners too for
such behaviour? The BCCI should caution owners and ensure that such incidents
are not repeated in future. For, whatever the relationship between a team owner
and a player, it does not look proper if a celebrated cricketer is scolded in
public by a team owner.
