Cricket today is on an all time high showing no signs of the depression that is strangling the rest of the world.India,the economic powerhouse of the game is also now finally the super side of the game.But there is an inherent charm the game has lost.Cricket was never the beautiful one, that tag enviably belongs to that sport that drives half the world crazy and causes a nine percent increase in chances of a heart failure while watching it,football.But cricket was always the gentler one,the one without the fuss.Batsmen walked when out,on the pitch brawls were seldom witnessed and umpires were never argued with .these are of course trivial facts.But what rattles me is that the game has changed to one of money,mindless hitting and more money.
I was an avid fan of cricket once. Its perhaps technically,physically and mentally the most demanding of sports.In this game there is seldom a reprieve ,its not a team sport; essentially,its a game played by a team of 11 individuals.What i am trying to drive at is the fact that individual performances stand out clearly.You are out for a duck you are gone,there is no another point to come back like in tennis or another attempt at goal.If you drop a catch its almost always over for your side.Its a pressure cooker situation.
But whats spoiling cricket is the fact that the game is being changed into one that caters to a mass audience as a competitor to football.And therein it loses its charm.The game’s beauty lies in he fact that it can be played for five days without a result,the gentle flick of the wrists,the majestic square drives,the dominant strides of a bowler they all make the game click.its like one big jigsaw puzzle and the picture is fascinating only when it is completed.if at all you can give it an epithet you can call cricket an intelligent game. A bowler takes an over and sometimes a spell to set up a batsmen,the batsmen on the other hand must read the difference between a yorker,a slower one or say an away going one each and every time.Its a complex mind game.
But sadly today the game has been reduced to a uni dimensional affair, one of a batsman’s paradise.It was once breathtaking to see Wasim Akram come thundering down the pitch against Lara,Warney mesmerize you against Gatting,Ganguly pick Muralitharan off for a straight six or Tendulkar match wits against that lethal Aussie,McGrath.The era of Alan Donald,Waqar Younis,Anil Kumble and targets of 200 are over.Once upon a time a target of 230-240 was considered good,infact it was not very long ago.Today is the age of heavy bats and Dhonis,Yuvrajs,Sehwag and Pontings. Its great hitting ,awesome display of power,athleticism talent and even skill but you miss the fact that you look around the game and you do not see one fearsome bowler,no seaming tracks and definitely no awe inspiring contests.Cricket is now a batsman’s game.
Public wants to see huge sixes being hit, grand totals and faster games. Commercial swings have ensured that the bowler is left out cold.Perhaps India is to blame for that.Flat tracks and huge totals was a virus we exported and enforced with the help pf sponsors and a powerful board.Today the game no longer accomodates the wizardry of Laxman in its short version or the resilience of Dravid.But i am perhaps one of the very few lamenting such a cause. Most people want fast and furious T-20 s and find test cricket insipid.Today the game has lost its soul to such an extent that the IPL cant wait for general elections and cricketers are willing to risk life and pride for playing in the IPL.Globalization and commercialization is unavoidable the reason why ESPN will telecast EPL over the much more aesthetic La Liga.But who’s complaining?as far the sixes keep coming…
Archive for cricket
Cricket is no longer a gentleman’s game
The Indian Premier League
Yesterday saw the end of season 1 of the IPL , which occupied prime time news and captured much of the nation’s imagination for over 45 days.Here’s an account of the memorable journey.
The concept of a T-20 League
Lalit Modi did not have a brain wave he was true to the tradition of the loaded BCCI, in being a prudent opportunist. The BCCI had long resisted the advent of T-20. after all, a 40 over match generates much less revenue than a 100 over one.All that changed with India’s fairytale triumph at the T-20 worldcup and the ICL.
It was time to cash in and the surrogate brain child of Modi was born.ICC cried that it was not being listened to, ECB and CA made vague irrelevant noises about patriotism and dirty lure of money, but the irresistible attraction to the big stage and big bucks finally won.
Test cricket vs T-20
I am an old fashioned cricket fan , who even after 45 days of mad cricket frenzy happens to believe that test cricket holds the key to cricketing greatness but T-20 is an electrifying and gripping form of game next only to test crickrt. i feel we must do off with 50 overs. it no longer makes much sense. What works for T-20 is that its a highly fast paced ardenaline packed 3 hours. Every ball brings with it a possibility and inspite of the huge cries of luck factor being touted, we have seen over the last month or so, cricketing teams master strategies and implement them to perfection, bowlers coming back strongly, a pattern of consistency emerging and proving to all the sceptics what a great show of talent this can be.
Cricketertainment
The IPL is a heady cocktail of star power,big money and the big quotient of entertainment. it was packaged not as cricket but a form of the game that would entertain a family crowd from 8 to 11 everyday. Thus were skimpily clad cheerleaders imported and bollywood songs blasted across grounds .
I hate this trivialisation of the game. All salivating people not withstanding lets do away with the cheerleaders and ridiculous jigs. Cricket is the greatest enetertainer, you dont need any ungainly embellishments. I find it degrading to the spirit of sport and all the great players who put up a wonderful show. The girls dont even know when to jump and shake, its more like a circus routine!
City loyalties
i often hear people sounding surprised at the intense fan following that some of the teams have generated, This surprises me afterall we are known for the regionalism that thrives along with the national unity. India is a country with so many distinct sects that its easy to relate to your team and back them.
I started watching the IPL for Chennai Supr Kings a team I like as much , if not more than the indian team.
Franchisee owners’ great angst
Mallya has railed and ranted, players have hinted and whimpered about ’ pressure’.The media had many a field day with Rc,SRK,Preity and other tantrum rumours.The question this throws up is , will commercialisation of cricket harm sportsmanship and spirit? Afterall sportsmen are not investment bankers who do the same trusted routine helped with a degree to boost everysame day.Its infact the staright opposite of how a MNC works in some ways. While mangers tend to minimise the unknown factors and the risks to be taken in the process of decision making, a sportsman is always acutely aware of such a possibility and banks on it even.
Form doesnot come at the press of a button, luck plays a huge part especially in T-20,a captain has to chaperone 11 people, each of whose contribution is equally significant. This infact means the number of things that can go wrong only increases. Weather, pitch, form of opposition players are all different on different days.Add to this the mess that umpires can create, it becomes a sticky problem at hand.
Thats why as we saw yesterday, fortune favours the brave more so in sport than in anyother walk of life.There is nothing very routine about such games, everyday is to be begun afresh, a concept that nevertheless seems to perplex filmstars and corporates alike.
Mallya has been despicable and childish even. No one likes to lose. He could have atleast maintained a dignified silence in front of the media. This reminds me of the infamousbootkick from a highly irate fergusson that hit beckham leaving a bloody cut , some years back. People like Dravid and Kumble deserve better but a part of the problem lies also with players who are willing to compromise for money.
VVS laxman relinquishing icon status is admirable, Dravid could take a leaf out of there, when you desire more than you deserve you are answerable to people of much less capability.
Chennai Super Kings
This is the team i came to adore and love with a kind of passion that only Indians are capable of. For me, Dhoni is the best captain out there and chennai the best city, i could not have asked for more. Add muralitharan to it and my incentive to become a true CSK fan is complete. Chennai adored its team, we turned up in huge numbers whether we lost or won.Its a team that revolves around its captain much like its oppopnent in the final.
The following part is for all those people especially guys who have asked me if i do weep, get nervous or wilt under pressure otherwise. Yesterday(Miss Sopay couldnt thwart me seeing the final as most of the pg wanted to do the same) when Ntini was smashed for a four off the last ball of the penultimate over , i knew then the match was over. Hot tears rolled down my cheeks. It susrprised most people around me, but didnt surprise me. I believe in giving went to emotions but try not to get caught.The last time they came down was when Argentina lost to a much loathed Germany in the quarterfinals of the football world cup, and before that when Sampras lost to Federer in Wimbledon. Strangely, i have never been able to fathom why, but tears for me roll down when i am extremely angry or frustarted .It leaves me a bit more calm and composed after that.
The final
It couldnt have been better but for the end result. The best team decidedly won and a ravaged Jaipur so deserves this small consolation.Congrats Warnie.
* image from:http://bp2.blogger.com/_4lEybjSEwmY/SABfjDWcpWI/AAAAAAAABq4/l5jvV28YnUM/s320/superkings.
