The cricket industry in India is looking up to the Indian Premier League in the UAE with a great degree of hope. Months of the lockdown and the competitive game suspended since March have seen the fantasy sports flourishing.
The sports goods industry is full of optimism that the next two months will see their business getting back on track.
England is the case study. Lockdown during the peak summer cricket season in the United Kingdom had resulted in a 75% deficit in the cricket business. Resumption of international and competitive cricket during July, even behind closed doors, has helped the industry make up for their lost opportunities in the next two months.
As India’s biggest cricket event gets underway in the UAE tomorrow, Saturday, SportzFront spoke to Paras Anand, Marketing and Sales Director, SG Cricket, to understand the sentiment of the cricket industry in the country.
SportzFront: As a cricket industry insider how do you look up to the Indian Premier League, even if it could not be staged in India.
Paras Anand: This undoubtedly is the best thing to have happened to the sport of cricket. The IPL will boost the morale of sports fans. It will instill confidence that with the right precautions and protocols cricket can be played despite the pandemic threat.
It will inspire active players to hit the ground. This is also expected to lead to the start of competitive cricket at the corporate or club level. Albeit, by adhering to protocols and only in safe zones.
That extreme fear of novel coronavirus has already subsided. People are learning that living with masks and sanitisers is a new normal.
SF: You talked about safe zones. Can such zones be found in India?PA: Even today cricket is being played in Rajasthan, Chandigarh, Punjab and some parts of UP. We hope that India has already seen the peak of the pandemic. If the situation starts improving from here, cricket will open gradually in more parts of the country.
We are expecting the number of cases will start dropping by October. Incidentally, IPL will also hit the feverish pitch around them.
SF: How did the COVID-19 pandemic hit your industry?
PA: The grounds were closed. there was no cricket. The business was severely dented. Not just the goods producers, but coaches, groundsmen and other allied service providers were all rendered jobless.
There has been no business during the lockdown. April-May was absolutely zero. The business opened in the second week of June. The export business has been near normal. But top-end cricket gear business in the country suffered the most.
SF: You said top-end cricket business suffered the most. How did other segments fare?
PA: Surprisingly, the tennis ball cricket gear has done better in comparison to the past few years. That is a recreational segment. People were confined to their localities. So, tennis ball cricket emerged as a favourite pastime and physical activity. It also doesn’t cost much.
SF: Just like all businesses, it seems this has been the worst phase ever for the entire sports industry.
PA: Not really. The gyms and clubs were closed. That led to a major boost in sales of fitness equipment and products, which have almost gone out of stock as imports and factories were shut.
Immunity and fitness were touted as the key to fight the COVID-19 virus. On the other end, all fitness activity had come to a halt. That led to a sudden spur in the indoor fitness equipment business.
SF: What future holds for your business and industry?
PA: People are more fitness conscious than ever. As the situation improves, they will go for outdoor activities. People are desperately waiting and IPL will ignite that fire further.
People will be opting for playing cricket than going for a movie in the closed, centrally air-conditioned halls.
Also, let us not forget the fact that the Indian cricket market is bigger than the overall world market. IPL alone contributes to around 30% of this business.
SF: Any learnings, any positives from this adversity?
PS: This period has helped us evolve as an industry with a new range of products and new ways of trading. As a company, we have become more versatile. SG Cricket has also added COVID-19 protective gear to its range of products, including a complete travel kit for the players.
CLICK HERE to access and procure COVID-19 travel kit from SG Cricket.
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