The Indian Premier League (IPL) is yet to kick off in South Africa but the bills have already started piling up for the franchisees.
Teams have yet to calculate the extra expenses they might incur for shifting an event of this magnitude abroad but first off, they are unhappy with having to pay extra for transporting official and commercial kits to SA.
Airline charges are over Rs 1,000 per kg but since most of the material teams are transporting are in excess of 2000kg, the burdened franchisees might have to shell out Rs 20 to Rs 25 lakh extra just for transporting these kits.
According to sources, some team owners have already written to the IPL asking either for alternative arrangements or a waiver on customs duties. The IPL, though, is yet to reply.
‘‘It’s a small amount but they should at least give us something in writing. Earlier, the suppliers were responsible for transporting the kits but now that the event has shifted abroad, most of them are not willing to bear the costs.
‘‘Every team has a different type of contract and there are a few franchisees who are yet to close their commercial deals. So if IPL can help us in this regard, we can transport all our promotional stuff at a cheaper rate,’’ a team official told TOI on Saturday. There are some teams, though, which are not complaining.
‘‘IPL has done a great job till now. In such a short span of time, they have done enough to organise the tournament in South Africa. We couldn’t have asked for more. We will have to cover all costs and at the end of the tournament we are going to sit with IPL to sort it all out. Right now, it’s all about helping each other stage a successful tournament,’’ another team official said.
Some of the local or fringe players with individual teams have transported their kits but some national-level stars and international players are yet to reach South Africa. ‘‘Some of the players are expected to carry at least 60 to 70kg to South Africa. That is because they are expected to leave for the Twenty 20 World Cup directly from SA,’’ a team manager added.
Source – economictimes.indiatimes.com