In the Spirit of Cricket

‘Yeah mate, that looks four I tell ya; let’s get off and grab our cup of tea!’

It did not for once ring a ‘Bell’ to Mr Ian that you cannot take anything for granted until a delivery is legally dead in cricket. After having played close to 200 international games (and may be 500 including first class), you call it a ‘novice’ mistake; excellent!

There is little doubt that he was out, technically, but Ian Bell couldn’t believe that he was out in actuality. He did start off with the fourth run when he looked and jogged towards the non-strikers end, and then assumed its four or felt ‘lets go take tea anyways’, just continued to walk off.

Face it, what he did was nothing short of foolishness, half the English commentators and former players believed that he was out and that’s how it should stay. After all, you cannot have room for foolishness in professional sport. And if it was allowed, then players like Sourav Ganguly, who rarely dragged is bat into the crease while running, should have been allowed to make a lot more runs in his career.

India on the other hand has been victim of such foolishness and unsporting behaviour for a better part of their cricketing career. Not wasting time on a very elaborate list, the most recent one was Laxman’s dismissal when get got stumped off Chanderpaul in the Test series against the West Indies. A quick flashback – Laxman played and missed and was well within the crease but very unknowingly had his backfoot in the air for a fraction – and viola – he was gone and it stayed that way!

No spirit of cricket came in there or the many instances when batsmen collided with bowlers, didn’t make it to the crease and got run out. There have been exceptions when Hansie Cronje of South Africa reversed his decision, but there may have been some other reasons behind it.

It was very surprising that Andrew Strauss and Andy Flower actually requested Dhoni for a reconsideration. What Dhoni and India did was sporting and simply best to avoid further controversies. Peer pressure or gut feel, we wouldn’t know.

Wonder what the outcome would be if the same incident happened but instead of Bell, it was Tendulkar or Dravid who were on the receiving end – would Strauss be that generous? Or what would the reaction be, if the same Bell incident happened but the venue was in India – would Dhoni have still reversed his decision?

That’s why for me, it is just inconsistent and situational. The only undoubted spirit in cricket that always exists is the alcohol in the English stands!

Another Brick from The Wall

Rahul Dravid recently notched up his 33rd and 1st hundred at Lord’s. However, once again like on most other occasions, it was overshadowed by the fact that Tendulkar was lining up for his hundredth 100 and also because in the end he was the lone solder (with Laxman and Raina in the end) fighting in the eventual Indian defeat.

A brilliant 95 had gone unheard and unseen in Ganguly's gorgeous 120, both of whom debuted in the same game at Lord's.

An outstanding '99 World Cup went in vain and forgotten post India's exit (effectively from Zimbabwe's hands).

His supreme ODI knocks that came in that World Cup also took a backseat because Tendulkar and Ganguly too scored in those respective matches.

The unforgettable stand between Laxman and him will always highlight Laxman's brilliant 280.

His extra effort for the team by playing a keeper (with a batting average of ~44.25 in 70+ matches is probably the best for an Indian keeper after MSD) even in the '03 World Cup to allow India another batsmen/bowler, was sadly overshadowed by he not being good enough for the format (even though he was brisk during this phase and not bad overall either).

His brilliance in both innings at Adelaide were marred by the fact that we couldn't win the series when we had a good chance.

While he was still good with the bat, he was dropped post the 2007 World Cup, despite playing a super innings in a game where almost everyone else failed.

The first (and still probably the only) batsmen to have scored a 100 against all test teams, Rahul ‘The Wall Dravid’ has stood tall and conquered them all. 

Rahul Dravid stands at being the worlds second highest run getter and the worlds highest run getting in the fourth innings.

While most other big-named batsmen have opted and put their foot down on where they would be batting (and not changing their batting position for the team’s sake), the conventionally one-down Rahul Dravid has done it all – opening, middle order and lower middle order depending on the situation and preference and form of other players. 

The list can go on!

Yet today, with all those marathon innings and desperate saves, he doesn’t find a mention in anyone’s list of a Test Dream Team 11. While stats are a great way to say how an individual has done, they are never able to speak how much an individual has helped his team and other individuals. Yes, Dravid has been guilty of some ‘boring’ batting where he scored a 30 of 100 balls and worse, got out thereafter. However, what’s probably missed are the times that ‘boring’ batting, which may have started at 10/1, have been solid defence shielding the batting to come.

Very quietly, Rahul Dravid has simply gone about doing his job for the past 15 years; away from all controversies but also away from most of the limelight!

And that's the sad part – which is probably why he is not adored as much as he should!

Thank you for the magic, Warnie! (concluding part)

In continuation to the first part of the series, which can be viewed here, this is the concluding part.

3. Warne’s 96: Now you may think when did this happen? Yes, Warne’s highest score is the 99 against New Zealand (which they discovered later that he was actually out off a no-ball), so when did the 96 come by. In 2005, Warne took the Test Cricket arena with a storm where he recorded some unbelievable and enviable milestones. He had a fantastic Ashes series in England, which England won 2-1, where he took 40 wickets and scored 249 runs. Not to forget, it was in this very series that Warne become the first bowler ever to scalp 600 victims in test cricket. Cherry on the cake – he finished the year with 96 wickets in a calendar year, a world record!

2. Mike Gatting bowled Warne: Need I say more? Well, for the unfortunate few who haven’t seen it yet, this one’s easily found on youtube and is a must watch. What seemed to be drifting down leg, after having pitched outside leg-stump, pitched and turned to hit middle and off. And that was what begun the revival of classic leg-spin bowling. Take a bow! Also equally accomplishing are the ones that had Gooch (and at least a dozen others) bowled round their legs and Basit Ali (I think) bowled between his legs (very similar how Sachin had his best ball bowl Moin Khan – only being an off-break instead).

1. Captain Warne takes home the Cup: The Gatting dismissal would have taken the cake because that the ‘rise of the legend’. But along came another chapter that was almost not going to be written. Warne, with 708 wickets to his tally, retired at the SCG in 2006 after the 2006 Ashes victory. There was nothing left to be proved, nothing left to be accomplished and Warne was to live his life happily ever after. Along came 2008 and the much awaited Indian Premier League (IPL). Warne’s name was the first to pop out in the bids, and with no bids, Rajasthan Royals managed to get him at his base price. Now, what would a leggie retired two years ago, even though one of the best bowlers of all times, have in a run-fest T20 competition? Captaincy, Coaching and Mentoring – that’s what the Royals offered Warnie in a team that hardly had any stars to bank on for a winning a match, let alone go all the way. Experts tipped them to at best cause an upset or two. However, Warne led, inspired and transpired champions. His innovative ways his master experience proved that he was the best captain that Australia never had. Warne and his romantics (as Harsha Bhogle calls them) won a record 11 off 14 matches, with a 100% record at home, and went on to lift the maiden IPL trophy. It was like witnessing a saga – moments that I vividly remember, moments that further glorified Warne’s legacy!

I’m going to borrow a line – If they ever tell my story, let them say that I walked with giants. Men rise and fall like the winter wheat, but these names will never die. Let them say I lived in the time of Shane Warne, the greatest leg-spinner of all times!

Thank you Shane Warne – you will be missed!

Thank you for the magic, Warnie! (Part 1)

Shane Warne is a living legend. Legends do the impossible and write and rewrite chapters of history. Shane Warne has done all of that and much more.

Shane Warne made a forgettable debut against India, a match where Ravi Shastri and Sachin Tendulkar tore his bowling apart. Warne’s only success was the wicket of Shastri, not before Shastri had hit a double hundred and Warne, in the bargin, had gone for 150. Not many, probably not even Warne himself, would have thought after that game that he would go on to be one of the greatest spinners of all time and end up with over 700 test and nearly 300 ODI wickets. Fitting enough, he played his last professional cricket match in India for the Rajasthan Royals and against his greatest nemesis and good pal, Sachin Tendulkar.

Warne’s journey has been an epic one; a journey with all its high’s and its fair share of lows. I pick some of my favourite moments that today are part of history and have made Shane Warne what he is today.

5. Shane Warne hits the winning runs: Warne, a great bowler, was also an able batsmen but probably not someone who could win a game with the bat on his own merit. RR had a terrible start to their opening game in IPL with a loss against Delhi Daredevils but then won against KXIP. They were looking down the dumps against the Deccan Chargers, after the Chargers hit 220-odd. Some superb and inspired batting at the top of the order got the Royals close, but they still needed 17 of the last Symonds over with all accomplished batsmen back in the hut. The dying hope was Captain Shane; who nailed it in three strikes! RR won, Warne was an unlikely hero with the bat. Trivial it may sound but this was the start for the ‘Road to Victory.’

4. World Cup Glories: Warne’s most memorable ODI performance would surely go down to his World Cup performances for which he won the Man of the Match (MoM) awards. In the 1996 Semi-Finals, West Indies look set to complete the final few formalities before they meet the Lankans in the Finals. McGrath bought in a glimmer of hope and Warne took a leap to wreak the West Indies taking 4 for 30-odd; Richie Richardson was left stranded and Australian won by a whisker of 5 runs. Warne followed up the performance in the 1999 World Cup Finals against Pakistan, when he once again took 4 for 30-odd to setup an easy win for the Aussies. Clearly, Warne was a man for the big stage. When his team needed him the most, he invariably got the job done. Today, this seems so evident in cricket Australia after both Warne and McGrath have hanged their boots.

The concluding part...with my top pick...can be viewed here.

Eye Pay All 2010 - How the Teams Stack Up - Part 2 (concluding)

This is the second and concluding part of this series. The first part can be viewed here.

Kolkata Knight Riders: Another very consistent outfit; sadly for them, they’ve been consistently bad! Their squad this year looks depleted than ever with limited international recruits. Looks like the management have already given-up and are just waiting for the Season 4 auctions. Somehow, I’ll still go with them as my dark horse for the semis spot.

Upside: Saurav’s Dadagiri being back in place – one leader and their best leader!

Watch out for: David Hussey and Brad Hodge who seem like the sliver lining in this very dark cloud. Rohan Gavaskar – we haven’t heard of him in a longwhile and chances are we wouldn’t if he doesn’t do much. He’ll definitely want to prove and make an impact.

Downside: McCullum and Gayle, their big guns, are on national duty and out of form respectively.

Mumbai Indians: They have a dream opening pair in Sanath Jayasuriya and Sachin Tendulkar, but success has eluded this highly potent team. Sachin the captain sadly never enjoyed the success that Sachin the cricketer enjoys and this seems to have rubbed on here as well. Irrespective of what’s happened in the past, this team would want to prove more than just a point, more than any other outfit.

Upside: With Sachin and Sanath in one team opening the batting, magic is just waiting to happen.

Watch out for: Kieron Pollard – they payed a bomb for him so he better have their moneys worth!

Downside: Sachin the captain!

Rajasthan Royals: The fairy tale team of the IPL, who had a dream run in season one and fought tooth-and-nail in season 2 with their very limited resources. May give the impression that they are the weakest team on paper, but they’re not; and definitely one of the highest on team spirit. Their batting was aweful last year but with Martyn, Voges and Lumb, they’re looking better set this year.

Upside: Warne; they say he’s probably the best captain that Australia never had and I’d say he’s the best captain that the IPL has!

Watch out for: Yusuf Pathan – not too long ago he cracked a 40-ball hundred and there’s seems no reason why he can’t repeat. Shaun Tait – who’s in prolific pace and form in this format of the game.

Downside: Shane Watson not being around – their hero is in the form of his life but will miss half the IPL due to national duty!

Royal Challengers Bangalore: Mr Mallya promised to turn this team around after the first year and so he did. From a test team to near Season 2 champions, RCB have come along a long way. Captain Kumble leads a formidable line-up that’s capable of ousting any team on most days.

Upside: Kumble proved two huge points last reason – T20 isn’t really a young man’s game and nor is it just a bowler’s nightmare.

Watch out for: Cameron White – he’s in great touch and has been making big runs down in Australia and New Zealand, and should be immediately after the NZL ODI series. Virat Kohli is so much more matured than last year should be a great plus at the top of the order.

Downside: Kevin Pietersen is their biggest buy and is in the worse form of his life!

Well, these are my views based on what the IPL site said on the squad. Injuries and availability can further ruin my analysis and worse, make it worse for the teams!

Anyways, the bottom line is…

Eyes – will watch

Pay – people will for sure

All – will be happy!

Eye Pay All 2010 - How the Teams Stack Up - Part 1

The tournament has almost arrived. The warriors from the eight teams are all set to put the politics and everything apart from the cricket behind and ready to shrug it out in the stadia (of course followed by the impressive post match parties at night). It would be unfortunate if I didn’t check the teams and see how they stack up!

Chennai Super Kings: One of the most consistent teams of the IPL – finalists in season 1 and semi-finalists in season 2. Led by the very able MSD, there seems nothing different that won’t put them in my top favourites to make it to the semis, technically! Realistically though, I probably feel that might just miss the bus this year.

Upside: MSD and his never-say-die spirit will rub on to his men as well. Hayden back from hibernation should be destructive as ever. Their all-rounders pack seems a killer combination.

Watch out for: Justin Kemp – another big hitter in this line up of big hitters is a great inclusion and with Oram having to probably sit out due to injury, he should probably play.

Downside: The bowling – though you can never count Ntini and Murli out, but you probably wouldn’t count them in these days either! Hayden after hibernation, if rusted, would not be very happy news for CSK.

Deccan Chargers: Winners of last year’s tournament have had two very extreme outings – last and first. Would they finish somewhere in between this year, difficult for me to say!

Upside: Adam Gilchrist and Andrew Symonds can literally decimate any attack on their day. A very decent batting and all-rounders troop to choose from should simplify the captain’s job (or may be not).

Watch out for: Ryan Harris – he’s been one consistent performer in the shorter form of the game but is a part of Australia’s test squad and should miss all of March. Roach and Ojha should also be doing well in the bowling department.

Downside: Where’s Scotty Stiris? Somehow don’t seem to stitch things together. The IPL 2 too saw them just about make it through despite stomping in their first four matches.

Delhi Daredevils: This team is one of my favourites as far as a balanced outfit goes. The explosive batsmen just never seem to end and a strong bowling attack to back them up. A sure pick for the semis though they seem to have messed it up thereafter on both occasions.

Upside: Imagine this as a batting lineup – Sehwag, Warner, Gambhir, Dilshan, AB Devilliers (and Nannes being the fourth international pick). Need I say more?

Watch out for: Obviously – the above play together. Now that’s what you’d love to pay money for in a T20 game!  

Downside: Nehra is prone to injury and Parnell just got smacked all over during the India-RSA series. There is a possibility of getting after the bowling, but I’d call that only as a possibility and the oppositions only hope!

Kings XI Punjab: A consistent outfit back by an effervescent co-owner in Preity Zinta, this team only just lost out last year’s semi final spot. Like me and million others, they’d probably want to do very well just to see Preity smile.

Upside: Kumar Sangakarra – He’s doing a great job leading the national side. Under him, I’d be disappointed if they don’t make it to the semis.

Watch out for: Sangakarra – the third captain of foreign nationality. Was he in terrific form or what post the terrible test series in India? Yuvraj Singh – he may have got the axe as a captain and that might just push him to a new level; just to prove a point! I’d love to see Kaif as a dark horse!

Downside: Injured and rusty! Yuvraj, Lee, Marsh have all been injured off late whereas Sangakarra, Jayawardene, Bopara have been out of action for a while!

The second and concluding part of this series can be viewed here. 

Eye Pay All 2010 - Jadeja Dredd!

So it is official. Ravidra Jadeja will not be part of the IPL’s third season. After hearing and considering all sides of the story, the committee will stay with Jadeja’s ban of one year. It has been a topic of very mixed views and responses. Some feel that it is a lesson to the youngster and subsequently the others who are lured by the lucrative deals whereas others feel it is something that needs to be dealt with maturity and proper counselling.

Some years ago too there was something similar wherein the Indian cricketers were criticised for spending more time off the field with commercials and less time on the field playing serious cricket. Here again, the case was of a cricketer trying to make hay while the sun shines. Clearly, there are two equally important aspects of the story – one that there is pride involved in the sport especially at the national level which is being compromised by deeds like these and two the fact that the game and the board itself is so commercialised, why should be players be left behind?

True, when Jadeja signed with the Royals, he was probably picked as a player from the emerging talent/junior cricketer list. Now, with some consistent performances he has made it to the national side and could rightfully demand a fatter pay check. No matter what the media reports, the facts remain with RR, Jadeja and the IPL committee. Weather it was Jadeja’s greed or RR playing it smart and knowing the rule books better, we may never know.

There is no denying that there is greed as well, which sometimes takes precedence over the pride and joy of playing the game. Success getting into the head of some young players that force them to take reckless steps is higher on the cards given the commercial stakes involved. I read a good article where a former cricketer suggested counselling to these future stars. But I wonder how much would that help. Today, several players prefer playing leagues like the IPL as opposed to a place in the national squad – I don’t think the IPL would ever want to complain. If the game itself is so heavily commercialised that it probably is unfair to point fingers at the players directly, at first. Its perspective or two sides of the same coin! It’s an individual’s call!

PS: I like my job and you probably do the same. I work hard and feel I deserve a nice pay hike and you too, I am sure feel the same. If we don’t get that hike or we feel we can explore for a better offer, we’d try out elsewhere, wouldn’t we? Would we inform our current organisation whatever our contract says that we’re on the look out?

Makes sense, doesn’t it?

Eye Pay All 2010 – A Game of Politickers and Cricktics!

Cricket can get boring and Politics can sometimes be exciting. Pretty much the same when you see the Shane Warnes, the Shahid Afridi’s and the other many talk around like politicians. On the other hand, politicians have also been getting bored with politics and so have thought to come out on a green (green – also happens to be the colour of money) pitch and bowl some quick seem-up deliveries along with some nasty bouncers.

After all the drama around the auctions and the exclusion of the Pakistan players that took place in the first couple of weeks, the controversies that always somehow seem to surround the IPL, just – took off again! SRK came to the defence of the Pakistan players – early realisation? Well, that was just the opening politicians, who had gone quite and who had little to do in their hibernation, needed to wake up. Better still, they had two lovely ‘issues’ to rake – why is someone supporting Pakistan cricketers and that Indians are being attacked in Australia, Australians will not be allowed to play in India, more specifically in Maharashtra (by now you all know the political party).

The media covered this story with great enthusiasm, after all, King Khan had My Name Is Khan lined up for release – his first major release in over a year! On the other side, officials from the BCCI had a chat over the participation of the Australians and finally managed a ‘Yes’. SRK also sorted things out and his flick was about to release. Then the grapes turned sour – again there was a thought if Australians should be allowed or not. Shane Warne played hero trying the bridge the rift and did succeed but then now he too has been (incorrectly, I hear) citied by the Australian media on fears on playing in India. SRK’s flick was disrupted – a few things broken, a few hearts broken, but eventually – Aal Izz Well!

When the dust is settled it just so seems like the IPL does love the controversy or are some jinxed by it. How come, year after year do they get into some (or should I say many) controversy or the other? Not that they are any short of it, but publicity? Someone did put this question up to which Mr Modi responded – ‘We don’t create the controversies. We work day and night just to clear them. We get no joy by over working ourselves.’ Benefit of the doubt – given! But sometimes, ignorance is indeed bliss – probably just doing your work and staying out of controversy anyways.

On a special note – I don’t like getting too political, but yes, I’ve got my views and mostly they’re not too good. I loved the letter Mr Rajdeep Sardesai wrote to Mr Uddhav Thackeray. Time and again we’ve spent far too many resources on very irrelevant and highly avoidable matters and seen significant consequences happen on other grounds, like the ones in Pune (RIP)! Attention gets diverted into these frivolous matters to leave the flood gates open for the opportunists to cash in. And then what happens with the politicians – the same people simply sit quiet and tight with doubled securities. Please, wake up at the right times! Try control the people coming with dubious intentions and not those with valid visas and permits to play and entertain. It is convenient and an easy route to stop and create a ruckus about something genuine, and the easier route is mostly the incorrect one!

Bottomline – let sports be away from politics and politicians take up more serious issues other than something that is just a sport.

Eye Pay All 2010 - The Beginning of Things to Come!

The third season of the IPL is just round the corner. Last week saw Pollard (WI) and Bond (NZL) taking the honours in the auction. The auction of Pollard saw a tie at the maximum price of $750,000. Eventually, the sought-out all-rounder went to the Mumbai Indians for $2.3 mn, with the IPL taking the overflow of $750,000. Now the fine print – all of this – for a one year deal!

I watched the auctions live on TV; actually quite boring with the exception of the fight for Pollard and Bond. Baffling – none of the Pakistan players got picked…whoa…aren’t these the guys from the T20 World Champion team? Anyways, rumour had it that the teams had been advised to stay away from picking them, given the political situation between the estranged nations. And given the turmoil in Pakistan, these guys would surely have been banking on this additional source of income, which sadly wasn’t to be.

Now I don’t give a damn if a $750,000 deal went through with Pollard or Afridi – none of that’s ever going to make it my way. What leaves a bad taste is the fact that the IPL committee asked these players to procure no-objection-certificates for participation, which they did. Then the committee also went on then include them in the auction list. And then, the fiasco that took place – live – with a few idiots. Several reasons were cited by the franchises, including concerns of their availability and security, which are laughable. India hosts the hockey world cup in a month’s time that features Pakistan, of course. Pakistan does not have international commitments during the IPL; as a matter of fact, West Indies do and Pollard might be a part of it. That’s exactly what you can get when you mix bollywood and cricket, with actors having to act without a script and dialogues. All said and done, in simple words, they wouldn’t go against the IPL, would they?

Interestingly, this week saw a few ministers and actors stand up for the Pakistani players. Of course, we also heard a few say, ‘how dare you stand up for them’ – but that’s another tangent. Finally, we also heard what the Pakistan board and players said. Their anger is well justified, though we may be away from the truth. Afridi may have actually said, ‘main nirash hoon ki hum iss saal IPL nahin kelenge (I’m disappointed that we won’t be playing the IPL this year)’ that may have ended up being translated as, ‘I’m disappointed and angry, now we will not play in the IPL’. Okay, jokes apart, I am very keen on what the IPL Committee has to say or for that matter, will they apologise?

Honestly, I doubt if they will. They’ve made their money (Pollard was probably a bigger jackpot for the IPL than Pollard himself!) and they’ll be working hard to make a lot more in the next 90 days. And even more when the two new teams are up for sale and the re-bid for players happen in July! And here I am, thinking how I make a percent of what they would.

Anyways, the bottom line is…

Eyes – will watch

Pay – people will for sure

All – will be happy (err...not really but does it matter?)!

Cheers to that!

The New World Order!

The multiplexes on strike; and the money spinning movie industry hasn’t got it going right! That fresh smell of popcorn has gone out of mind and the cola machines do not dispense their usual supplies! Yet the family continue on their good times – 6 years or 60, they’re hooked on and don’t blink an eye! There is drama, there’s action; suspense, the thrills and chills. Humour at times and pretty dames in their frills doing their drills! What you’ve mistaken for your family’s favourite movie rental is actually the world of the IPL T20! Yes, their move to South Africa last year may not have taken the revenues ablaze, but the multiplexes strike probably ensured that the cash registers kept ringing.

Today, T20 cricket is a household word; it might even make it to the dictionary very soon. But how did it all start? In our fast lives of fast cars and fast food, why should have cricket stayed behind? It needed to pick the pace – 8 hours was too long a wait! Bosses won’t give time off work, the Cricinfos are blocked and cricket isn’t available on any search! Why can’t we watch cricket after work, much like soccer and rugby that is played in other parts of the world?

God answers our prayers – and so He did! The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) sprung a format that drew the people back to the sport. After all, cricket has its roots in England but was slowly loosing its ground, popularity and the mega-sponsorship bucks to sports like soccer and rugby! And why wouldn’t it? A game of soccer/rugby is excitingly packaged in two hours whereas cricket takes an agonising eight. People, especially the youth, did not have the time from their busy lives to appreciate and acknowledge the nuances and quality of something like test cricket.

It was called Twenty20 (now T20) – a format that not only revolutionised the face of English cricket but also got ECBs sponsorship deals cracking! The year 2003 saw the advent of the game – people become crowds; the stands were packed – cricket, excitement and festivity; all in a blender for a perfect action-packed evening, of course, served best with your favourite pint of chilled beer! Television coverage grew and you couldn’t keep the sponsors out for too long. ECB had hit a jackpot! Their creation was one that would take the world cricketing arena by storm.

Its popularity grew globally across all cricketing nations and 2005 saw the first T20I – Twenty20 International between New Zealand and Australia. The game turned more like an exhibition game with both the crowds and players taking it light and having a good time. T20 soon became a part of all itineraries – Test matches, ODIs (One Day Internationals) and at least that one T20I! But the game was about to get serious; the rainbow nation of South Africa hosted the first ever T20 World Cup, with India edging out arch rivals Pakistan to lift the maiden T20 World Title – T20 and cricket couldn’t have asked for a better platform for publicity!

And if that wasn’t enough, the world’s biggest, most powerful, influential and richest board, Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), introduced the Indian Premier League (IPL) – with a tagline ‘Karmyudh’. The IPL saw the frenzy cricket loving nation of India become a battleground of the world’s best cricketers, who would otherwise be rubbing shoulders against each other, in some unlikely but dream-like unforgettable alliances. The IPL had it all; there was something in for everyone. From housewives to the damsels who knew nothing about cricket to the ardent supporters of Test Cricket, all were hooked. Young executives holding their beer mugs chanted and cheered for their favourite teams after hours at their favourite pubs. Shane Watson became a hero, the next pin-up poster boy, with performances impressive enough to bag the call from his national side. And if you thought that Sachin Tendulkar would always be wooed over Shane Warne by a packed capacity Indian crowd, you were in for a surprise. If the second season was all set to loose its popularity due to the general elections and having moved to South Africa, it took one ‘Super-over’ to send the temperatures soaring and nerves-cracking and get the viewers hooked on back again! The IPL was a hit – whether it was held in India or South Africa and BCCI’s cash machines were ringing louder than ever.

But the game seemed to have been destroyed. There was no respect or respite for the bowlers; brawn took over from skill because it was believed that T20 was all about getting the ball into the stands. Test cricket seemed to be at risk. Now, I am a purist myself and strongly believe that Test cricket cannot be dethroned, but honestly, have I ever watched a full game of Test Cricket? Would I ever watch a Test match featuring Australia and Bangladesh? T20 on the other hand has shown that on their day, a Netherlands are capable of beating an England. The likes of Kumble, Warne, Dravid and Hayden showed that T20 wasn’t a young mans game after all and is not all about bowlers always facing the music and batsmen simply slogging it out!

The fact that Indian prodigies get to play and learn with and from their childhood heroes and international superstars cannot be undermined. The fact that cricket is passionately being followed in the Americas who are now planning an APL cannot be neglected. Quality of cricket would only improve from here; the aggressiveness would rub on to Test cricket that would translate into more result-oriented games, further creating the interest back into Test cricket. Yeah, cricket made money; cricketers made money; sponsors got their target audiences; but audiences got their moneys worth and T20 has become the underpinning factor for the globalisation of the sport.

Cricket gave T20 and eventually T20 will give the world – Cricket. The new world order is here – take a bow!

PS: The third season of the IPL is back in India; Mumbai hosting the opening encounter between Deccan Chargers and Kolkata Knight Riders. Booked your tickets yet?