Finally, the silly season is almost done. However, when it comes to Indian cricket, the silly season is never over. It has now been six months ever since I started doing cricket commentary on the web. In these six months, I have realized several important aspects of the game, which is no longer being played like a game.
Two very important issues have cropped up in these six months. One has been IPLgate and the other one has been the emotional attyachar of the Indian cricket team in the wake of the poor performance in the World T-20. Now, to add to this confusion, you have match-fixing allegations against Pakistan during their disastrous trip to Australia. However, the main question here is regarding the future of Indian Cricket.
The situation could not have been bleak or dire. Today, we all boast about how we have become the No.1 side in Test Cricket or the No.2 ODI side. So, who cares if we do not do well in the World T20s. All these are worthy achievements indeed, but now they are on very shaky grounds. The shaky ground has been provided by the IPL and there seems to be no stopping this.
What has the IPL given for Cricket as such? In absolute fairness, absolutely NOTHING! A sport that should be played like a sport is now being turned into an absolute corporate creation. The cricket that has been played in the IPLs only suits the high-flying CEOs and of the beleaguered ‘fans’ who think that this is entertainment personified. The kind of cricket that has been played does nothing for future generations to enhance their skills. It is like a Nasha, you get addicted to it and perform for the moment. When the players realize that their form and technique is going for a toss, it is too late to reverse it.
Yuvraj Singh is the classic example. Looking at his performances for the national side over the past couple of months, he just looks disinterested. He is the star of the IPL parties but he was not a star during the recent IPL or in the World T20. Now, his place is seriously under threat and he has only himself to blame for this.
Coming to the IPL, you had a certain Mr. Saurabh Tiwary who said that the IPL platform is the only way by which a player can get into the national side because he will be noticed. All the media attention is towards the IPL and thus any small contribution by a player gets noticed. The IPL has given players an illusion that this is the rainbow at the end of which there is a whole pot of gold. However, legends like Dravid, Kumble, Tendulkar, Ganguly and Laxman had to do the hard strides in Ranji and domestic cricket to be where they are.
A noted columnist on cricinfo.com, Rahul Bhattacharya, had said that the league exists for the sake of the league itself. These glitzy leagues do not enhace performance on a global scale. Take the example of the English Premier Football League. It has the highest brand value and it is followed religiously by millions in Asia, but the England team is yet to win a World Cup for nearly 44 years.
Indian Cricket is going through a rough patch. Although, it may sound alarmist in tone, but one cannot deny the fact that serious introspection is needed in India if we are to achieve Australia like domination in the coming years.
