The outward side, who place and profit want,Watch to surprise and labour to supplant;
While those who taste the sweets of present winnings
Labour as heartily to keep their innings.
On either side the whole great game is play'd -
Untry'd no shift is left, unsought no aid;
Skill vies with skill, and pow'r contends with pow'r ,
And squint-eyed prejudice computes their score.
Wondering what is this about?? This is a poem written on Cricket as early as 1756. This is an era where Cricket where played in the lush green plains of England with English nobles pitted against each other. The Cricket as game was always a game of honour and more a Gentleman's game than any other game for long. The players where deemed to be of utmost Gentlemen cadre, polished and sophisticated in their own ranks. More of knighthood than anything else in the world. 
With the ashes and bodyline bowling of the ashes tour things started to sway a bit away from the usual Gentleman's clause. Admid protest and uproar the game kept building and developed and grew in popularity especially in the world where the British Influence was maximum. India the pride of British Empire which ruled the country for more than 400 years, sowed the seeds in this country which today has becoming the breeding ground for cricket. The nation alone generates more sponsorship than all the countries put together. Its not ironic to say that today India's contribution to the cricket in commercial value is not less than 75% of all. And with large number of expatriates and immigrants in other location cricket as a sport is surely going to touch new shores.
(Snap 1882: A newspaper obituary on the death of English cricket which appeared after England lost the 1882 Test Match against Australia. The bales were burnt and the ashes placed in an urn to become 'The Ashes' for which Australia and England compete.)
With the ashes and bodyline bowling of the ashes tour things started to sway a bit away from the usual Gentleman's clause. Admid protest and uproar the game kept building and developed and grew in popularity especially in the world where the British Influence was maximum. India the pride of British Empire which ruled the country for more than 400 years, sowed the seeds in this country which today has becoming the breeding ground for cricket. The nation alone generates more sponsorship than all the countries put together. Its not ironic to say that today India's contribution to the cricket in commercial value is not less than 75% of all. And with large number of expatriates and immigrants in other location cricket as a sport is surely going to touch new shores.
Feb 20th 2008, is the day when the media and Cricketing world witnessed the biggest spectacle out of the Cricket Ground. The highly publicised IPL or the BCCI's Indian Premier League auction of close to 80 cricketers for the 2 month T20 events. Drama, glamour, careers, and huge moolah all lined up for this event. Its huge changing times for the game of cricket. Not only it is that money started pouring in, but also the game got the fancy of lots of business tycoons and celebrities. The format of the game has had a tremendous change from a 5 day format to a 60-each one day format to a 50 over each one-day format, to the now popular T20 format. There where other formats which fizzed for a short time like the Super 6's didn't make an impact in world cricket. Probably ICC had a wrong timing and location when it started encouraging in countries whee cricket is very new. As for the T20 BCCI has got it all correct, having lost the ICC world-cup 2007, the out performance of the team under MS Dhoni came in quite handy. The rival ICL provided the opportunity and set the base-work, though ICL is yet to capitalise on the first mover advantage, the IPL is going to deliver a near-fatal blow to ICL, how these two rivaling companies will see the face-off is yet to be seen. Chances are that the sponsors of teams and ICL are to be open to looses they stand to make in this format of the game atleast in the next few years.
But still the question lingers, are we going way too fast for such a spectacle, isn't it always slow and steady wins the race. Making so much of investments on a format of a game which is still in its nascency returns, what is return on investments and cashflows for the sponsors/owners of the teams. Though the BCCI has played it safe and locked in its cash-flows, without any bit of investment from its side, there is a lot to left to be recovered by the respective owners of the team who need to deploy their money and recover the same too. A huge risk, but its worth taking; risk er the investment larger the returns from the investment. If we were to consider the football club model, like an English Premier league of which the IPL is a similar replica, chances are that in a country full of cricket fanatics, everyone stands to gain by such a mode of game.
As for the players we need to understand, how fame and short term money will effect the players performance in the long term. If a person sees a potential in a shorter format of the game why would one slog for the more traditional format of the game where money might not be as high. The importance of the other formats might loose the fizz, due to this very reason. Also would domestic Ranji players be left out and get frustrated, possibly yes. They would stuck at a phase were some of the more younger and more aggressive players stand to get paid more slogging in a smaller format, whereas the senior Ranji players make nothing. The differences in the domestic scenario will rise along with the rivalry and politics and corruption round the game.
Early sponsorship, huge money inflows is always set to corrupt the passion of the people, there are always people who argue on either side of point saying that if its not in the their prime then when are they going to earn, once retired they have few options of cash-flows. Agreed when think of cricketers of an era beyond our memories, these cricketers the pioneers of the game are in a miserable state of finances and conditions with little or no pension from any cricketing or Governing body, would these Veterans be helped. I don't think playing charity matches for them and giving short-term incentives does any good. The IPL should pioneer the concept of respecting and bringing in the local veterans of the game and pay homage during this events and provide some livelihood to local forgotten heros. Its a noble cause and would be well taken by the people from all the circles.
As for the players we need to understand, how fame and short term money will effect the players performance in the long term. If a person sees a potential in a shorter format of the game why would one slog for the more traditional format of the game where money might not be as high. The importance of the other formats might loose the fizz, due to this very reason. Also would domestic Ranji players be left out and get frustrated, possibly yes. They would stuck at a phase were some of the more younger and more aggressive players stand to get paid more slogging in a smaller format, whereas the senior Ranji players make nothing. The differences in the domestic scenario will rise along with the rivalry and politics and corruption round the game.
Early sponsorship, huge money inflows is always set to corrupt the passion of the people, there are always people who argue on either side of point saying that if its not in the their prime then when are they going to earn, once retired they have few options of cash-flows. Agreed when think of cricketers of an era beyond our memories, these cricketers the pioneers of the game are in a miserable state of finances and conditions with little or no pension from any cricketing or Governing body, would these Veterans be helped. I don't think playing charity matches for them and giving short-term incentives does any good. The IPL should pioneer the concept of respecting and bringing in the local veterans of the game and pay homage during this events and provide some livelihood to local forgotten heros. Its a noble cause and would be well taken by the people from all the circles.
In an era where much foul is being made on the physical fitness standards, family life, partying by the players lot over the amount of over-play or amount of cricket these players play, concerns which were raised earlier on the impact of the fitness levels seems to have suddenly hushed down. No one really raised this on how to balance the domestic season, the international seasons, County for some and the now the T20 format. Earlier a cap for players tests and one-dayers was floated now suddenly that seems to have completely lost. The players themselves have withdrawn on the statement and comfort. Its simply amazing that players, coaches, and ex-cricketers failed to put this perspective in the minds of commercial Savvy BCCI. If they don't voice it loud the risk is that the players careers might falter due to injuries and lack of recovery time between majors, impacting their long term career. So to say a long lustrous career would be indefinitely cut short, if this is not curbed India stands to loose its best players for real tourneys like the ICC world cup or the ICC champions cup
Another angle is on the national integrity front, for a nation like ours cricket is surely one which gets the spirit of Nationhood, the feeling of one India going. The cricket is one sport which unites the country like no other, where the countries valour was decided not just on the frontiers but on the cricket pitch. Now with such kind of a vested power in the game, isn't impotent that a disintegrating effect might also gulp down the current generation where there are already problems on regionalism in many pockets of the country threatening to destroy the very concept of the sub-continent and free-life. Rivalry among the cities might shoot-up leading large scale rioting and rampage as in case of club-football, where rival fans where seen battling it out on the streets after the match. Are we even equipped to understand and take-care of such consequences I guess no. For such incidents are only but flared up flash -news frenzy media personnel, adding more to carnage. The environment is just not conducive for such large scale rivalry. And who knows these grounds might act as catchment areas of recruiting people into the cadres of a pro-Mumbai political party or a pro-TRS party. It might undo a lot which our forefathers of the nation has planned. What Sharukh in Chak-de India preached about being an Indian before anything else is been undone for a selfish money laundering exercises like IPL, its well thought of and executed commercial venture but a bad nationalist venture. Some might argue saying or rather asking s to be optimistic on the same and sight situations where all the club players during the world cup season go back and play for their respective countries and that's one event which unites the country per se; But people fail to realise the peculiar situation we are in and the kind of collateral damage we will sustain if this is unchecked. Controlling the spirits or intra-rivalry once its flared up beyond controllable limits is impossible. With the amount money being invested, kind of legal binding contracts the stake-holders and layers are signing alike will make it highly difficult for anyone who wants to undo the negatives of the sport. And moreso with the amount of media cover, airtime the IPL is set to receive its impeachable that things will always be under control and ignored if small things where to go wrong. Other question would this tourney threaten the integrity of the core Indian Cricket team, that's to be seen, hopefully not, but we need to wait and see the same.
Internationally other Cricketing nations would see and cry more foul on the game than ever. BCCI with its ever growing financial can flex it muscles to bully out any other rival Board, this might integrate the other Boards against BCCI, as was the case already demonstrated by Cricket Australia, international contracts are set to be rewritten due to the same. This might also effect ICC's plans of developing and spreading the sport in other new territories if cash flows are getting reversed to a domestic T20 format. Though this format would ensure seat occupation ratios go up and the eyeball in front of the TV go up, would it really get world-wide audience acceptability like the Spanish or English Football Leagues, I still say we are way too early and its no good news for ICC.
Another angle is on the national integrity front, for a nation like ours cricket is surely one which gets the spirit of Nationhood, the feeling of one India going. The cricket is one sport which unites the country like no other, where the countries valour was decided not just on the frontiers but on the cricket pitch. Now with such kind of a vested power in the game, isn't impotent that a disintegrating effect might also gulp down the current generation where there are already problems on regionalism in many pockets of the country threatening to destroy the very concept of the sub-continent and free-life. Rivalry among the cities might shoot-up leading large scale rioting and rampage as in case of club-football, where rival fans where seen battling it out on the streets after the match. Are we even equipped to understand and take-care of such consequences I guess no. For such incidents are only but flared up flash -news frenzy media personnel, adding more to carnage. The environment is just not conducive for such large scale rivalry. And who knows these grounds might act as catchment areas of recruiting people into the cadres of a pro-Mumbai political party or a pro-TRS party. It might undo a lot which our forefathers of the nation has planned. What Sharukh in Chak-de India preached about being an Indian before anything else is been undone for a selfish money laundering exercises like IPL, its well thought of and executed commercial venture but a bad nationalist venture. Some might argue saying or rather asking s to be optimistic on the same and sight situations where all the club players during the world cup season go back and play for their respective countries and that's one event which unites the country per se; But people fail to realise the peculiar situation we are in and the kind of collateral damage we will sustain if this is unchecked. Controlling the spirits or intra-rivalry once its flared up beyond controllable limits is impossible. With the amount money being invested, kind of legal binding contracts the stake-holders and layers are signing alike will make it highly difficult for anyone who wants to undo the negatives of the sport. And moreso with the amount of media cover, airtime the IPL is set to receive its impeachable that things will always be under control and ignored if small things where to go wrong. Other question would this tourney threaten the integrity of the core Indian Cricket team, that's to be seen, hopefully not, but we need to wait and see the same.
Internationally other Cricketing nations would see and cry more foul on the game than ever. BCCI with its ever growing financial can flex it muscles to bully out any other rival Board, this might integrate the other Boards against BCCI, as was the case already demonstrated by Cricket Australia, international contracts are set to be rewritten due to the same. This might also effect ICC's plans of developing and spreading the sport in other new territories if cash flows are getting reversed to a domestic T20 format. Though this format would ensure seat occupation ratios go up and the eyeball in front of the TV go up, would it really get world-wide audience acceptability like the Spanish or English Football Leagues, I still say we are way too early and its no good news for ICC.
Today Cricket is the World's Second most popular sport. The future looks bright, with cricket catching on in more and more countries and the ICC constantly expanding. Cricket is a dominant sport in East Africa, Southern Africa, The Carribbean Islands, The Middle East, South Asia, Oceania, and is growing all over. Cricket is rising fast in Argentina, Afghanistan, Nepal, Malaysia, Singapore, Botswana, Kenya, Netherlands, Estonia and many more countries. The future looks promising and cricket will probably remain a very popular sport through out. The clear winner in the scenario is not the game of Cracker but rather Controlling board in the name of BCCI(Board of Cricket Control in India) which benefits in financials at cost of a spirit of the sport, spirit of the nationhood, and passion of the sport. BCCI has to play this very carefully else it will be the undoing of the great cricketing nation.
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