The 2nd T20 World championship ended today. A Few days ago the extravaganza of IPL was unleashed in SA. Meanwhile, the countdown of Champions League has already begun. Three major international tournaments in a span of 4 months, but all in the shortest form of the game!
T20 came into existence with an intension to globalize the game. The shorter form requires less patience and dedication from a spectator. It was used to promote the game. Along with it came the additives and gradually ... more additions.
1st time when I saw a T20 telecast the player used to mention his favourite music in his introduction. Now why does anyone want to know which music he likes to listen when the player is actually coming in the centre to perform a duty towards his team?
As time passed by one could listen to the track played by some DJ in between overs or random breaks. These were followed by Dancing Cheer girls. The 2nd edition of IPL introduced strategy breaks just to allow a few more commercials to the television broadcasters.
It was so obvious that these strategy breaks were disturbing the flow of the game. It was like having a signal crossing on a F1 track. As a professional you got to adjust to these playing conditions, OK, I agree, But is it really necessary to have these interruption between a cricket match?
The worst thing that struck me was in the currently concluded T20 championship.
Before the match between India and WI, just after the toss, some random guy was asked to ball to DILIP VENGASARKAR on the pitch that was to be used for the match. To my surprise, none of the two were in their proper cricketing attire and all these at a place known as “THE LORDS”. I don’t need to explain how insulting that looked. Some random guy bowling to a man who has a record of scoring 3 centuries at the home of cricket!! He got the chance just cos he gulped a bottle of cola !!
I wonder what is all this going on? Do people come to the ground to see half dressed girls dancing? Or to let their hair loose when the DJ plays their favourite number? How can someone come in and use the match wicket just like that before the match?
I remember a day when we were playing at the POONA CLUB. The news spread that CHANDU BORDE, the then national selector, was present in his office at the Club House and watching us. We made sure that we were in the purest of whites when we entered the ground. Even our pull-over were not allowed. This was the level of discipline we follow when we play a normal club game at the POONA CLUB. And here we are talking about THE LORDS where the Englishmen love to preserve their heritage.
If all this is in search of Money then I would prefer the game to be poor than pure. But if it is just to attract attention then I am sorry…. This is the last way we should draw attention towards the game. People who want to watch DJ’s and Cheer Girls should not be on the cricket ground, whatsoever. Different places exist where one can enjoy such things. Those who get to perform on the main pitch must be the one really deserving candidate. I don’t think bottle full of cola under some lucky crown is worth a chance to make it to the centre.
I think this is killing the game more rapidly than ever before. Forget about the overload that cricketers have to go through for all this.
After making a presentation about his road trip to LADAKH, one of my friend was asked if you get liquor there… He answered in a simple sentence … If you need liquor, you need not go there.
I hope the governing body of the game understands these things. The sooner the better.
Meanwhile I am waiting for the series between India and WI and the old rivalry between England and Australia in THE ASHES. This time .. even more desperately …
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
4 comments:
This is all true.
However money speaks... and what ever is crowd drawing, aka money making, will be done. There is no space left for those who enjoy the game for the game. It is called Sportainment. And cricket is the cash cow... so they are milking it every way possible.
it getting unbareable ..
you know .. all u got to do to get an India jersey is carry a few bucks and go to a nike showroom.
you get the India shirt with BCCI logo.
and so many kids sweat day in and day out to earn it....
And why is it so bad actually? Wat is wrong if people buy India Jersey? Kids dont slave to get a jersey - thats just symbolic saying. They slave to get a place in the match, and the riches thereafter are a sure factor in their cricket devotion. Let cricket stop making money and see how many folks will be crazy about it? Ask hockey...
I think you are bugged because you are used to some form of cricket and thats changing. Remember when we were kids there were folks who used to crib about one day cricket. I never understood why.. what was the problem if matches ended in a day, if people wore colored clothes... probably they were having the same longing for the way they knew, and resisted change.
So think whether these things are really hurting cricket or it is just a resistence to change on your part?
Each form of cricket has something exclusive to offer. Be it test cricket, ODI or T20. Since long time an idea about 2 innings in T20 has been floated and that sounds most interesting way of playing the game.
I have an objection about the way it is propagated.
Like I said ... you don’t need cheer girls to attract cricket lovers. It is enough that you have a big screen that can show replays.
During the pre match presentation of the IPL finals, vodafone zoozoos were called in the studio to discuss about the match. This shows how serious the media is about the match.
I mean... Why the zoozoos... why not some pandumama from dahisar.
You portray yourself in a wrong way and you might land up nowhere. This is the mistake cricket controlling bodies are doing.
Regarding the jersey..
imagine you are working for some brand (say cisco) You get a Tshirt for performing some specific task. Its not about the Tshirt. It is the pride of achievement. What if you get into some Dhaba and you see the waiter there wearing the same shirt-the shirt that symbolizes your achievement.
India jersey is not to make a fashion statement. It is to celebrate your achievement.
You got to earn them.
Post a Comment