CHENNAI: Loss of face in the IPL scandal has affected the BCCI in many ways. Even the face-saving exercise is raising eyebrows. In a curious turn of events, the BCCI’s PR firm’s role is being questioned by insiders.
Allegation is that the company hired by former president Anurag Thakur in 2016 is busy managing the image of the CoA and CEO, instead of portraying the BCCI in good light. It’s coming from a section of senior BCCI members, who have been rendered powerless by the CoA.
Handling IPL in the Lalit Modi era, the same company was given a second BCCI stint under Thakur, who wanted a professional agency to better the image of a body scarred by the IPL scandal and in its aftermath. But now, disgruntled BCCI veterans are accusing the CoA headed by Vinod Rai and CEO Rahul Johri of using the company to stay in the good books of the media.
Sources close to the CoA and CEO refuted the charge. They said having a professional PR agency is the norm in every successful company and this agency also does jobs that the BCCI media team can’t handle.
The contract between BCCI and the company (copy in possession of Express) reveals the break-up of services. Other than a monthly of around Rs 12 lakh, the agency charges `2 lakh for organising media conferences and Rs 35,000 for arranging one-on-one interviews.
An interesting figure is Rs 25,000 charged per hour under the category “Crisis Projects”. Many of the old guard of the BCCI have been opposing this, terming it “nothing but leaking confidential information just before a Supreme Court hearing,” which gives a bad press to the BCCI members.
“When Thakur was the president he wanted to improve the BCCI’s brand embroiled in controversies. Even after he vacated the chair, the CoA and the CEO have been continuing with it (Adfactors’ contract was renewed last year). Before hearings there will be stories how members are obstructing the implementation of Lodha panel recommendations. This is only done to project the CoA and Johri in good light,” an official, who opposed hiring the agency, told Express.
The other notable tariffs in the contract include Rs 30,000 for video news release and Rs 3 lakh for website visits and the same amount for conducting media workshops. “For hosting routine press conferences they charge Rs 2 lakh. The BCCI’s media and communications team is capable of handling this. The agency was hired by Thakur for three months, but to our surprise even the CoA has carried on with it. It’s not improving the BCCI’s image, but improving their image,” the official added.
The BCCI treasurer Anirudh Chaudhary raised the issue in a meeting on January 13, 2018, pointing out that the agency had failed in improving the image of the BCCI. In the minutes of the meeting in possession of Express, Chaudhary asks, “In the meeting on 9th of August when this item came up (extension of the contract Adfactors), Mr Johri addressed Mr Rai and said that this has already been decided yesterday to which Mr Rai nodded his agreement.
“At that point, I stated that one was not aware of what was the nature of the work that they were doing and whether they were actually bringing any benefit to the organisation… I had not come across positive stories in the media regarding the BCCI and I had been told earlier that the purpose of their appointment was to ensure that the positives of the BCCI would be covered in the media through their efforts.”
venkatakrishna@newindianexpress.com