I have been watching the developments associated with the Indian Premier League (IPL) with interest, primarily because it is such a new concept (for cricket, that is!) and the fact that it is pioneered by the BCCI, the richest and potentially the most inept (excluding the Zimbabwe Cricket Union) cricketing body in the world. But, by the sheer weight of money, the IPL has managed to induce a lot of change. Suddenly, cricketers have earning capacity after their international careers have ended. The Aussies are fighting with their board for permission to participate in the IPL (although this is nothing new for Cricket Australia (CA) as similar disputes occured in the mid-90s as well as the mid-70s). Simon Taufel, arugably the best umpire in the world, is now contemplating retirement from International cricket to umpire in the IPL. I wonder how soon we are going to see coaches consign their international assignments to the dust and coach the India Cements (Chennai)/Red Chillies (Kolkata) franchises! Finally, an interesting note: Channel Ten in Australia will be telecasting all matches of the IPL and are rumoured to have paid in the vicinity of $10 - $15 million for telecast rights for the next 10 years. In a country where cricket coverage is limited to the games held in Australia and World Cup games where Australia is involved (only!), this is a huge achievement. Telecasting the IPL over the Socceroos World Cup qualifier against Qatar (Soccer is the most popular game in Australia) is a telling statement. As a footnote, the 'rebel' Indian Cricket League (ICL) hardly received a mention in the Australian print media, let alone live television coverage!
Is this the beginning of the end for International cricket as we know it? Will the IPL and the CT20 (the Twenty20 champions trophy) dominate like the English Premier League (EPL) and the Champions League? Call me a romantic but I still think the pride and the (sometimes jingoistic) passion associated with international sport can never be replaced by clubs and franchises. However, if the standard of cricket is even half as good as it promises to be, then cricket lovers will embrace the IPL. Having watched the ICL, I was fascinated by the concept but the standard of the cricket being played was far from spectacular. Lets hope that the retired giants such as McGrath, Gilly etc do treat this as a bonafide tournament and not as a cash cow to supplement their retirement funds.
As someone who was not around during the Packer revolution, I am excited about the possibility of being a witness to the next great revolution in cricket. Will it happen? If so, do I want it to happen? I wonder if my thoughts will change and a follow-up blog in 10 years time will make for interesting reading? Will the IPL go the way of the pyjama cricket (as WSC was called) or will it crash and burn like Dennis Lillee's aluminium bat?! Lets wait and see...as for me, I cannot wait for April 18, thank you Channel Ten!
Disclaimer: The articles reg economics of IPL and the comparison of IPL & EPL came out on cricinfo after this blog!
Sources: Cricinfo, http://www.cricinfo.com/
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5 comments:
The IPL is a very interesting proposition indeed, albeit being a lift-off from the ICL concept.
What this will do to cricket? Time will tell, but I think it is more for the fringe players and the retired players. Themainstream players will find it hard to spend those extra weeks playing cricket.
Looking fwd to it as well.
Well, lets see what happens. It would be interesting to see the sort of conflicts that would arise between the franchises and the BCCI/its constituent state associations !
I dont think I have ever left a comment on anyones blog for most people think my 2 cents are absolutely worthless. Anyhoo...For someone who watches the EPL and Champions league week in and week out I can assure you that it is a zillion times more exciting to watch than a dull and boring Interantional game...Many stalwarts in Football have quit International soccer to embrace a more rewarding domestic league. I am not saying IPL will have the same effect but even if its manages to achieve 75% of its potential we are in for a treat. Despite being a traditionalist who prefers viewing a hard fought drawn test match over a fiesty 20-20 international, I am looking fwd to IPL grow. Am I the only one who thinks Internation cricket is no longer as exciting as it was say a few years ago??...maybe I am just getting old and am losing a bit of passion for this wonderful game:)-
Sharath: I think, for our generation, EPL has always been a big part so probably we do enjoy watching it. But I am sure people who were fans about 50-60 years ago would appreciate Intl football more. As it is, I only watch the World Cups and Euro (if possible). There is something about national pride that just does not excite me about EPL, Serie A etc. Moreover, I think a lot of the time EPL is about which club has the most money and therefore can buy all the players. Lets hope the IPL does not go the same way...not sure if there is a salary cap there for each franchise. Otherwise, you can bet your bottom dollar that the Reliance Franchise and probably the Delhi franchise are going to dominate because they can afford the best players! Agree with your comment reg Intl cricket but I think with Aus on the decline, it'll get more interesting going forward. There are too many ODI's being played though! Maybe this will change with IPL and CT20!
http://vatsap.blogspot.com/2008/02/why-i-will-not-follow-ipl.html
A different perspective!!!- Blog by my cousin...Boy everone is blogging these days. Am I the only one not doing it???? Should I????
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