Page 337 - IPL 2

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ETTIENNE DE VILLIERS

When did Lalit get in touch with you about being a part of IPL 2009 ?
I think it was March 22nd, the day he decided to move the IPL to SA. I was there 2 days later!

Had you followed the IPL in season 1 ?
Yes indeed, though i did not have a favourite!

What made you jump onboard ?
Three things: Lalit and I have been friends for so long and you can never refuse a friend when he says he really needs you. Secondly,
it was such a great challenge - virtually impossible - that i just could not resist. And thirdly, I wanted to work in SA with another great
friend Francois, after being abroad for more than 20 years

What was the single biggest challenge you saw for the IPL in South Africa ?
To build awareness and a sense of allegiance amongst SA sports fans in less than 3 weeks in order fi ll stadia at 12.30 on a midweek day
in 8 different locations.

When was it that you fi nally realised that you had a winner on your hands ?
Initially with the Carnival and opening weekend in Capetown and the unbeliveable reception we got amongst all South Africans and
the media. But, probably, fi nally when we got more people to watch Indian cricketers in Bloemfontein than watched their big rigby
team the following day .

Given the time crunch, did all of you pitch in for all the big decisions, or did you have a clearly defi ned role for the tournament ?
We did have clearly defi ned roles but we worked as a team that left their egos at the customs area. Nobody felt threatened by input
from others; everyone worked with a common sense and single objective - to blow everyone away and exceed all expectations.

How did it feel when you saw the packed house on that fi rst Saturday in Cape Town ?
A real sense of pride and overwhelming sense of joy .

francois pineear & ettienne de villiers Tell us about the positivity spread in South Africa by the HEAT initiative.

This was in many ways the most heartwarming and ultimately most enduring legacy of the IPL; and an altruistic gesture that was “
unprecented in South African sports history. A gesture that warmed hearts, and benefi ted countless.

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