IPL moves abroad

Since the moment I read this news in the morning, I have had bouts of thinking going inside. This is indeed a big one, putting to dross the actual cricket news items - a convincing victory by South Africa over Australia, the one-dayer between England and West Indies after that farcical Duckworth Lewis drama in the first game, and even the generally high-falutin and lasting euphoria over any victory, especially abroad, by the Indians.

After many re-jigs of thoughts, I still don’t know or can’t gauge the reasons or impacts of it. In fact, nobody at the moment can. That’s why we have so many reactions coming. Some think it is a gimmick by the BCCI to bring the government to its drawing board, while some are giving the conciliatory or exploratory response.

My first reaction is indeed the very obvious and cynical one. This latest move is going to undermine India’s credibility a lot. However one may deny, IPL is or can become a showcase of India. It has the potential to rival the biggest of sporting leagues in the world. So, if it is not secure in its home country, how can it be trusted to prosper? The move will bring India’s security into focus that sharply now, and it is bound to impact the other aspects – tourism, economy, international opinion, and the most relevant of all, the future international sporting events. India will be hosting a lot of international credible competitions– the Champions League and World Cup in Cricket, World Cup in Hockey, and the Commonwealth Games in the next 24 months. A precedent has been laid, and soon it can become a pattern.

But on the same note, when I think the worst – some untoward incident happening during the course of the tournament in India, I find the decision reasonably and soundly chalked out. Nobody can deny, we have problems with security back home, and hence the attention should be on the bigger thing, the elections. Ideally we should have been able to pull off both, but alas, we don’t live in such a world. Moving on to the positive outlook, the move can actually be the biggest stroke to give the tournament the sought-after global reach and popularity. The stadiums abroad might remain empty, but the news and print media would certainly carry a mention of it to the otherwise oblivious people. The foreign, now local, player participation can bring in the staging nation’s interest. It is all the more reason to allow Pakistani players to participate and increase the number of foreign players’ representation in a team’s playing eleven to five. Similarly, the franchises can create a sub-related area for their base locations. How about linking Hove with Hyderabad or Durban with Delhi?

There are actually a plethora of possibilities and also ifs, buts, whats, whens etc. But buoy, hasn’t this always been the hallmark of the competition? The first one, as elucidated by me too, had a similar rough ride, but came out prized at the end. Hopefully the second edition too meets the same fate, unpredictable but successful.

Apropos Mr Sambit Bal

The moment I read Sambit’s article, I knew he was in trouble. The article was a bit over the top, but never malicious. As feared, he was lambasted by some Pakistanis, citing it as a product of a jealous and prejudiced Indian.

So, that brings us to the point of the content of the article. We will discuss the manner of bringing it up later. What Mr Sambit criticized was the nature of pitches being dished out for Test Cricket. While his comparison of Sir Viv Richards Ground farce at St John’s with the Karachi pitch’s drabness was not exactly right, his intent or purpose to do so was. As a cricket fan, I know what cricket means to an aficionado – it is a lifter of spirits, a ray of hope and sometimes a lifeline. So, even if the game doesn’t involve the home team, and you are taken for a ride by someone, you feel aggrieved and riled. There is no meaning to a Test Match, if both the teams put on 600 without breaking a sweat, and the bowlers look like perfunctory motiveless operators. The stats too lose their meaning in that case. OK, I wouldn’t tell a lie. I didn’t like Younis scoring a triple-century. It was partly because of his being un-Indian (same may say Pakistani), but mostly because of the resistance of a fan towards anyone encroaching the hallowed land of super-greats. That was the reason I didn’t want Sarwan too to cross 300. These likes and dislikes – the passion- are prerogatives of a fan, and this is what drives the game. So, if someone- the ICC officials, the Home Cricket Boards, the Sponsors, the Pitch Makers, for that matter, anyone- breaks the spirit, that passion is attacked. I feel deadly saddened, when I see the plight of the bowlers now. There are hardly good fast bowlers left now; the spinners hardly turn the bowl; the famous or un-famous dibbly dobblers too are on a wane. Now what are left are just bowlers. I feel this imbalance between bat and bowl, and not T20 or Standford or Tight Schedule, is the biggest worry for cricket now. So, some fan, in some capacity, had to say something, even if it fell on deaf ears.

That brings us to the point of the manner of Mr Bal’s outpour. It was a bit stretched, but he too must have learnt by now that writing is not aloof from the realities. An Indian can’t comment on a Pakistani, a Western can’t criticize an Asian, a Hindu can’t question a Muslim or vice-versa, without getting his credentials being examined. It would be easier for him to tone down his writing for this fear, but I seriously believe if he does, it should be for the literary and logical reasons. On the same note, I can’t fault the whole group for the fault of some who abused him. Go to the comments section on rediff site; you will see the abominable over-toned reactions of some boneheads. I know the majority of Paki fans would have realized what he wanted to say.

As for me, I have immense respect for Mr Bal. First of all, he gave us Cricinfo, a site which he has always tried to make wholesome and appealing. Then he is such a down-to-earth and well-wishing guy (got from one of his interviews). Finally, he is a guy-to-emulate for me, for the fine job he is doing. Thus, in all, I never mind his new ‘From the Editor’ blog, even if he says he was shamed to start it.