‘If you have happy people who are skilled too, they perform better’

Heading into the Indian Premier League auction, it was the team with the least number of slots available. However, the toll of the exhausting auction was visible on the face of Punjab Kings co-owner Ness Wadia when he sat down for a chat minutes after the proceedings concluded at the Etihad Arena on Tuesday. Delighted at the windfall for the domestic uncapped players, Wadia explained the rationale behind captain Shreyas Iyer’s presence at the auction table and stressed the need for domestic talent to be harnessed and encouraged. Excerpts:

How weird was this experience of being a silent spectator rather than being in the thick of things in an IPL auction?

It was beautiful. It was actually nice. It was relaxing. I must say I was more nervous last night because we needed four players and we had a very small budget and didn’t sleep too well, but it is a good feeling. Having two players retained last year, 21 this year, not even really needing four more players, but then getting good ones — young ones and some experience as well, with Ben Dwarshuis as the pacer. Cooper Connolly is a phenomenal player and the captain and coach are very happy. Shreyas Iyer came with us, so it has just been fantastic the last one year and I am sure it is going to be many, many more years to come.

A captain on an auction table is something that rarely happens nowadays. Was it a conscious decision?

Hundred per cent. It had nothing to do with his injury. A lot of people have said to me, he is injured, therefore he came — nothing at all. We were chatting and I said, “Would you like to come?” And he said, “Sure.” And that was it. And he enjoyed himself. And I am sure he will be coming back for more because eventually he is the captain and the coach who decide who plays. It is difficult when you don’t have the captain or coach. Luckily for us, because Ricky also couldn’t come, Shreyas came. Hopefully, in the big auction, we will have both of them two years from now.

After last year’s auction, you had promised the fans that you will ensure that their faith will be reposed. How pleasing is it that it has all come good in the first year of the rejig itself?

I mean, it is just — it is a dream come true. If I was to write down before the auction last year that we wanted the players we got, from Shreyas, Yuzi [Chahal] to Arshdeep, to so many young guys — (Priyansh) Arya, (Suryansh) Shedge, Shashank (Singh), of course we retained — Lockie [Ferguson] and Marco [Jansen] who did really well for us — it was just a dream. And again, it was all because of the people coming together. One happy family. Ricky (Ponting) is very happy being with us. Shreyas is very happy being with us. We are very happy having them.

So I know it sounds boring and kind of cliche and you know you have heard it before — that it is family and this and that — but it truly is, and that is what it is. We really care for our players. During the brief war with Pakistan, when we had to leave Dharamshala, we had to plan whether to go to Pathankot or Ludhiana. Everyone thought we were going to Pathankot, but we went to Ludhiana. The players went through hell and I spoke to every one of them on the way because they needed someone who was going to care, especially the foreign boys.

And then, during Deepavali this year, small things like writing to everyone — including cricket ops, everyone in the whole company who is Indian — was written to personally by us and thanked, a personal letter, not just “Hi, thanks very much.” It was small moments which created it. So that’s the culture we want to really build. That’s the culture we want to push on the field and off the field. And eventually they come together and everyone is happy. And if you have happy people who are skilled too, they perform better.

Can you spell out the rationale behind letting go of Josh Inglis? It must have been a difficult decision.

We didn’t really let go of Josh. I mean, Josh unfortunately, sadly, only told us at the last minute, which was not very fair given that he had been with us for a while. I think everyone knew when the retention was coming, and we were informed by him 45 minutes before the deadline that he was getting married and needed time to relax and recuperate. He said he was going to be available only for a couple of weeks (three games).

We told him he should have informed us earlier. I don’t think it was very professional of him. I don’t think it is very professional of anyone if they know there is a deadline. You can’t call someone 45 minutes before and say, “Hey, I’m not coming,” especially when he knew that we were retaining him.

But I wish him all the best. He is a good player and I am sure he will do well for Australia. And let’s see whether he plays in the IPL or not. I wish him all the best because he is a fellow human being. But, the manner in which he behaved was not very professional.

Stephen Fleming said that ‘IPL babies’ are coming to the fore. There is a big jump for the domestic uncapped players… how do you see this?

I think it is amazing. We are so happy. In fact, Shreyas and I were discussing today, and he was like, “I am so happy that all the Indian players are getting their due,” and that is what they should be, right? Because it is the IPL. If you have 25 players, seven can be Indians in the playing XI. You can play all Indians, but you cannot play more than four overseas even with the Impact Player rule. This is the IPL and we are just lucky to have international support from across the world to make it an even bigger event. It would not be the same without them. But for the Indian boys, I am so happy because they really work hard. Some of them come from really poor backgrounds and struggle to play. They can barely afford to get a bat and sometimes play with a stick.

So it is just an amazing story to have. I remember when we got (T.) Natarajan as a player — it’s heart-warming. And I think that is what the IPL is about: giving opportunity. Arya, who is our opener, once asked me — we were sitting down after the first game in Ahmedabad, everyone celebrating, a lot of people drinking — and after 45 minutes he said, “Sir, can I ask you a question? Why did you invest in the IPL?” After hearing the whole story, I said, “Because I want people like you to get an opportunity.” And he has taken it with both hands. What more joy can one have than to see other people succeed.

That’s really why I invested in the IPL, and that’s why it makes me so happy today to see even the high prices people went for. There is a lot of worth in Indian cricket.

How critical is it for franchise owners and the BCCI to create a structure where talent is groomed properly?

It is a very good question, because the IPL cannot just be a window where you come, play and leave. It has to be year-round. We monitor players through the year — fitness, nutrition, mental health. In any business, and this is a business, you have to protect and ensure that your assets are maintained to the best possible level.

The BCCI has done a great job ensuring players play domestic cricket. There is a huge amount of talent in India. I truly believe India can field three or four teams and beat some of the best, if they are just allowed to play.

You made the final last year. How confident are you of going one step further this time?

The first step is always to finish in the top four, preferably the top two. Then you need to play your best game. Last year, we were perhaps overconfident against Bangalore and lost the qualifier. Maybe we were also a little nervous in the final.

We had one of the youngest teams. Now it is about keeping those 21 players, adding three or four more, and moving forward. We have an Indian coach now, Sairaj Bahutule, Indian statisticians — it’s a great team effort. It’s about recovery, mental and physical fitness, nutrition. If players are fit and mentally strong, performance follows. Those small things make a big difference to careers.