The PlanetCricket View: The Cricket Carnival

[PlanetCricket]

Article by Aditya -

IPL ? The cricket carnival. It?s that time of the year again when we get to see players from all around the world, coming to one country; players who play with each-other for their respective countries now get to play against each other. The passion for the game thrives among the cricketers and their fans during these 1 and a half months. It?s extremely sensational how much cricket we get to see within the matter of just 60 days.

In 2005, when the first t20i was played between England and Australia, I had my doubts over this new format and whether or not will it be able to attract much fans or not. Though, in the very first t20i the excitement of the crowd was scintillating, players were thrilled to be playing this new format and in the end, it was cricket that got better and more entertaining ? interesting too. In 2007, when the t20 WC took place, this format reached new levels of success. With India winning the t20 WC after a disastrous 50 over WC campaign earlier that year, India fans were understandably very fond of this new format after India won the very first t20 WC.

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In the same year i.e. 2007, IPL was announced. No one had any idea what this ?league? format would be like and whether it can actually accomplish in getting the attention of the cricket fans, not only in India but all throughout the world for the sole reason that this league was not just limited to India but wide-spread to all around the cricketing world. Celebrities like Shahrukh and Preity joined the fun and that brought together the fine mixing of entertainment+sports which worked in great favor of the IPL. Now, even those who weren?t a great fan of this sport had a reason to watch it, just to simply follow their favorite bollywood star?s teams.

The first season of IPL brought about a sensation in the whole of cricketing world. In the very first match of the league we saw Brendon McCullum tearing apart RCB?s bowling and made an astonishing century. There! That! In that very match one could get the feeling that IPL is here to stay and it?s nothing but cricket at its prime.

IPL is not just cricket, it?s a lot more. Although we have sadly not seen Pakistani players take part in this cricket carnival after season 1, in the first season though, when they were part of the league, the league got a whole new dimension and was extremely exciting to see. Watching Indian and Pakistani players playing together was a sight to cherish, a moment to remember for a long time. This is where IPL is not just cricket but a lot more than that.

Here we are now, waiting in anticipation for the season 6 to start. It?s 1 and a half months of power-packed cricket awaiting us. It?s that time again when great players from all around the world take part in the carnival of cricket, providing entertainment of the highest level for the cricket fans not just in India but all around the world. It?s fitting to say that in the end of every IPL season, its cricket that wins. Irrespective of which team wins or loses, this is a league that must be celebrated with great enthusiasm because it?s not just cricket- it?s a lot more. It?s the carnival of cricket.



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[Anish.]

Nice one Aditya , but you haven't seen it from good views or bad views .

 

[sifter132]

To me IPL WAS special, but now I find it holds my attention for less and less time each year. This year, it's only been a week and I'm wondering when it will end! I think this year it's more negative to me because there is absolutely nothing else happening in the cricket world, we are forced to watch IPL because the international game has come to a stand still.

IPL has done some great things to make cricket such an entertaining product, but it needs to be careful about overkilling that product. A tournament half as long would be far more likely to keep my interest for example.

 

[War]

IPL is crap. Its essentially watered down cricket of cricket's watered down 3rd format - t20 cricket.

This is so because the IPL has that dumb rule that only allows 4 international players to start in a playing XI.

IPL doesn't even help India, because since the first 2007 T20 W-cup when the world really didn't gravitate towards T20 cricket as yet, India have only won 1 knockout T20 W-Cup game in the last 3 tournaments.

As i'be always stated since the 1st tournament, take out that player restriction and allow the best established indian national players + quality young indian talent/quality domestic indian players on merit + overseas stars in a starting XI. The tournament can be crickets version of the premiership, la liga, serie a, bundesliga & more people outside of the Indian population would watch it, which would be great for everyone.

Football leagues has overseas players restriction on squads - but not on starting XI. If they did all those leagues quality of football would be poor. And that's essentially what we see with IPL every year - poor T20 cricket being glamorized to a grotesque level.

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I think this year it's more negative to me because there is absolutely nothing else happening in the cricket world, we are forced to watch IPL because the international game has come to a stand still.

Yea man, although i think part of the England vs New Zealand series will start near the back end of the IPL this year.

But ye i believe this is first time in the tournaments six year history where basically no major international series is clashing/conflicting with the IPL. And this is for a tournament which the our wonderful governing body, the ICC says has an "unofficial window"

 

[StinkyBoHoon]

I'm pretty much in agreement with it being boring, that was partly because when they had the second big auction I felt all the teams lost their identities (I liked pune I think in the first one, because they had jayawardena and sangakkara, both those guys went to other teams) but also because I think any limited over cricket beyond a world cup or the odd series is rubbish anyway, I'll barely even watch a 5 match ODI series let alone a domestic T20 that spans 2 months.

however, I kinda accept why it needs a sort of unofficial window. especially when you see how much a bangladeshi central contract is worth or take into account stuff like the sri lankan board not paying their cricketers, they just can't justify denying players the kind of money on offer.

I'm not a fan but overall I think it probably does more good for cricket than harm.

As i'be always stated since the 1st tournament, take out that player restriction and allow the best established indian national players + quality young indian talent/quality domestic indian players on merit + overseas stars in a starting XI. The tournament can be crickets version of the premiership, la liga, serie a, bundesliga & more people outside of the Indian population would watch it, which would be great for everyone.

Football leagues has overseas players restriction on squads - but not on starting XI. If they did all those leagues quality of football would be poor. And that's essentially what we see with IPL every year - poor T20 cricket being glamorized to a grotesque level.

well, the irony of that is fans of the premiership generally spend all their time complaining in the football threads about the lack of domestic players in EPL starting XIs.

 

[War]

well, the irony of that is fans of the premiership generally spend all their time complaining in the football threads about the lack of domestic players in EPL starting XIs.

Yea because England premier league compared to those other euro leagues made big mistake by selling out in a sense to foreign owners, coaches etc. The rest of Europe's major football leagues doesn't have this problem.

Shockingly only 35-38% of players in the BPL are local players and the rest is foreigners. No winter break & unlike the rest of europe where the federation has veto control over their leagues - the epl is left to run themselves.

Indian premier league owners are some of the richest men in the world. The owners of Mumbai Indians, rajasthan royals and chennai super kings highlights this. These owners are all Indian & given India are a emerging economy they have a unique case where they have these local millionaire/business who have the money to fund such a league. They have no need to look for foreign investors.

Given the financial turmoil in Europe & England, few english millionaires/business can afford to do that in the premiership. We hear everyday for example people saying Everton & david moyes could really challenge for a trophy if they can get a "foreign" investor to buy their club & make them another Chelsea & Man City. Which further highlights in inherent problem of the BPL, has no english feel.

So India can learn from the mistakes of the BPL how not conduct their league.

IPL listening to all the arguments over the years from Indian's was created to assist the development young emerging indian players by having them rub shoulders with these International stats, because the standard of Indian domestic cricket has been poor for so long.

But allowing a set of poor Indian domestic players a chance to play who won't even make some of India's traditional ranji trophy teams is insulting to the viewers whether you are a biased Indian or foreign.

A smart logic is for India to use the massive sums of money they are getting from the IPL to help fix their historical weak area's in test cricket over the years, such as:

- Put more life in their domestic pitches so that is not roads all the time. So that when Indian batsmen go overseas they don't always look so vulnerable.

- Improve on the foundations of the MRF pace foundations so that they can actually start producing a proper conveyor belt of fast-bowlers that would make them a better rounded team in all conditions worldwide. Do date in their 75 year history on Kapil Dev, Srinath & Zaheer Khan are the India fast-bowlers who have had long careers with any distinction.

- Have a prime home domestic season like what Australia & England have. I found it amazing when the BCCI president N Srinivasam suggested a year ago, that they have yet to do this.

Too bad the BCCI as always is this case are busy trying to manipulate the world around the IPL Club vs country? BCCI hardly cares - Times Of India for its own benefit.

 

[StinkyBoHoon]

I agree totally with the things you say the BCCI should do, just it doesn't really relate to the IPL. they could already have afforded all that before it even existed, the BCCI already had more money than it knew what to do with due to massive sponsorship and TV deals. heck, the life in the pitches things isn't even a question of money, they all have experienced curators, it's just how they do it.

I don't think the players are that poor though, surely it's just they're seen as the T20 specialists? I don't really know because I don't follow it but you do get a load of rubbish internationals in it too.

the point I was making though about the foreigner cap though was, whatever the motivation really, it kinda saves face. If the IPL was full of 8-9 foreigners
a team indians might be complaining about the poor results the indian T20 team has had over the last year. for the IPL to keep making money it does need to primarily to appeal to india, I don't know if that's actually the reason they do cap the foreigners, but it would certainly help if indian fans took the same attitude to the IPL that EPL fans take to the premiership.

tbh though I wouldn't even give a toss if it was full of internationals anyway. I just don't find limited over cricket that interesting.

 

[War]

I agree totally with the things you say the BCCI should do, just it doesn't really relate to the IPL. they could already have afforded all that before it even existed, the BCCI already had more money than it knew what to do with due to massive sponsorship and TV deals. heck, the life in the pitches things isn't even a question of money, they all have experienced curators, it's just how they do it.

I don't think the players are that poor though, surely it's just they're seen as the T20 specialists? I don't really know because I don't follow it but you do get a load of rubbish internationals in it too.

India always had money yea that built up from the day Kapil Dev won the world cup & culminated when Jagmohan Dalmiya became ICC president in 1997.

But i would despute that they always knew how to use their money wisely or had competent locals that would know what to do. That MRF pace foundation stuff was founded by Dennis Lillee - that wasn't a local initiative. And since it was formed India since 2001 have produced more guys capable of bowling pace competently (although the majority have been poor) than any point in their history.

But at least its a better than the days when India fast bowlers simply just bowled a few overs at the top just to get the ball rough before the spinners came on.

Their groundsmen really only know how to prepare pitches that aids their historical strength of spinners.

IPL money is the perfect opportunity for them to improve their domestic cricket, acadamies, but to date the BCCI is wasting it by bullying & manipulating world cricket via the IPL to fill its coffers.

On the players their locals are crap, if they were proper T20 specialist they probably would have been noticed more by the national team. They are some crap foreigners too no doubt, but the IPL wastes a lot of money of foreign players that sit on the bench for an entire season that don't play but yet collect hue page checks.

So if they again copy football & balance their squads on merit between a sane amount of foreign players buys & the amounts the actually good locals - they would be fine too. But in a funny way the money is so much this major financial faux pas isn't even hurting them

the point I was making though about the foreigner cap though was, whatever the motivation really, it kinda saves face. If the IPL was full of 8-9 foreigners
a team indians might be complaining about the poor results the indian T20 team has had over the last year. for the IPL to keep making money it does need to primarily to appeal to india, I don't know if that's actually the reason they do cap the foreigners, but it would certainly help if indian fans took the same attitude to the IPL that EPL fans take to the premiership.

tbh though I wouldn't even give a toss if it was full of internationals anyway. I just don't find limited over cricket that interesting.

Well unfortunately for them they can't use that argument because they have had 6 IPL's & India have been poor in all T20 world-cups since 2007.

All of the IPL teams also are foreigner coached too, so that's another clear sign that they realize unintentionally the paucity of talent in their local game.

As aforementioned India need to use the IPL money to fix their historical problems in test cricket. Then one day in the future when all is well, they can have an IPL that can have at its foundations local players playing on merit & coaches by local indians like it see in the the football leagues of La Liga or Bundesliga. This will eventually trickle up to the test team performances.

If they continue on this path, their will come a point where the IPL will just be solely making the foreign players/coahces richer & India's cricket will remain stagnant especially in the longer format.

 

[shravi]

I don't really watch the IPL, but sometimes you just have to set cricket aside, War. I know that is difficult for you as you campaign against the fully justified quota system in South Africa. However, the IPL offers many young players the opportunity to make money that they cannot make from Ranji cricket. In a highly populated country, most of these players will not make the national team, so the IPL is their best chance of making their cricketing career worthwhile. If you were to introduce more foreign players, that would decrease the necessity for fringe Indian players, and thus remove their source of livelihood. As much as I like to criticize the IPL, it has done a lot for many (relatively) unknown Indian cricketers.

 

[War]

Fully justified quota system? Ha, good job defending that point with any of S African posters on this website who also criticize that system.

However, the IPL offers many young players the opportunity to make money that they cannot make from Ranji cricket. In a highly populated country, most of these players will not make the national team, so the IPL is their best chance of making their cricketing career worthwhile. If you were to introduce more foreign players, that would decrease the necessity for fringe Indian players, and thus remove their source of livelihood. As much as I like to criticize the IPL, it has done a lot for many (relatively) unknown Indian cricketers.

I was aware of this to some extent, which is why as i always say the IPL was created with a ridiculous biasness towards the BCCI's wishes, because as you correctly highlighted in India's traditional ranji trophy teams a lot of those joke players that are in IPL teams would not make those ranji teams on merit.

So what now the IPL now is an Indian welfare system?.

Last i checked in sporting leagues, the players that participate whether you are world class/excellent/very good/good/average are in the respective squads, because the teams think you are good enough on merit - not on sympathy or political arm twisting.

Which to make a long story short is BCCI influence/bullying over the ICC at the highest extent. Because under a strong ICC governing body, the IPL would not have been able to get basically all they want for India when it was created in 2008, while simultaneously manipulating the cricket world.

Some concessions would have had to be made & if the BCCI did not agree, maybe the IPL should never have been created.

That fact you sharvi as smart Indian fan admit you hardly watch the IPL despite your mild defense of it, is the important point, that everyone now can read between the lines to see what the IPL is really all about.

 

[StinkyBoHoon]

Fully justified quota system? Ha, good job defending that point with any of S African posters on this website who also criticize that system.

by that you mean white south africans that already agree with you?

Last i checked in sporting leagues, the players that participate whether you are world class/excellent/very good/good/average are in the respective squads, because the teams think you are good enough on merit - not on sympathy or political arm twisting.

actually, a lot of football leagues have limits on nationality. it's just that EU work restrictions means they are not enforcible on players within the EU. In brazil, probably the strongest league in the world outside the EU, you are only allowed to field 3 foreigners on a match day squad for example.

the non-limits on players is actually more closely linked to political arm twisting, Italy employed a three foreigner rule before EU laws were to be taken into consideration. even the champions league employed these laws.

 

[War]

by that you mean white south africans that already agree with you?

The most notable SA Poster on this forum spoony isn't white. He is cape coloured like Basil D'Oliviera & Rory Klienvelt whose type of people also were discriminated like blacks during the apartheid days and couldn't play cricket for S Africa.

Poster stefan i believe is white, but not 100% sure.

Plus i know a few black south african from my university days in England who don't approve it because many black ppl in S Africa are far more into football than cricket due to historical reasons. A key point which many non-S Africans tend to ignore when discussing this issue.

actually, a lot of football leagues have limits on nationality. it's just that EU work restrictions means they are not enforcible on players within the EU. In brazil, probably the strongest league in the world outside the EU, you are only allowed to field 3 foreigners on a match day squad for example.

the non-limits on players is actually more closely linked to political arm twisting, Italy employed a three foreigner rule before EU laws were to be taken into consideration. even the champions league employed these laws.

Yea but non-EU players now depending on the league can attain EU status if have lived in Europe long enough. I think Barca players Alex Song & Mascherno have EU passports or something.

Plus i recall sometime around 2008 (you can look it up) their was some change in either the Kolpak & Contontou agreement (trade between Europe & ACP countries) which gives non EU players more freedom too.

I'm aware of what happens in Brazil & i believe such restrictions happen also in many of other minor south american leagues in Paraguay, Chile, Columbia, Chile etc. But as you might know most the best south american players from those nations, tend to play overseas in Europe because of financial benefit. Plus those nations have serious academies that simply look to sell their best products to Europe as well.

Brazil always have had superb natural talent in football & they are the biggest exporter of football players of various qualities to leagues as high as La Liga to unknown leagues in Trinidad & Tobago.

But even so i have seen recently brazilians complaining about it, especially now when Brazil trying keep their best players from Europe since their economy is improving - Opinion: Brazilian foreign restrictions too harsh? | O Jogo Bonito

India local cricket's talent isn't comparable to Brazil's local football talent. Brazil despite minor complaints can easily get away & still have had a solid that quality league for years which could still challenge European clubs as we have seen in recent FIFA Club world cups.

This is not the case with the IPL right now with the appalling standard of T20 cricket on show.

 

[shravi]

So what now the IPL now is an Indian welfare system?.

Last i checked in sporting leagues, the players that participate whether you are world class/excellent/very good/good/average are in the respective squads, because the teams think you are good enough on merit - not on sympathy or political arm twisting.

Look, obviously, that is not the intent, but the welfare aspect of it is a very important unintended byproduct. It has produced a cultural change in India where parents are now looking at sports (or at least cricket) as a legitimate career option because there is a genuine opportunity to make good money from it even if you don't make it to the very top.

I think you are taking sports far too seriously when you say it should always be about letting the best players play. The actual act of playing the sport is for entertainment. However, the underlying motives are understandably financial and political.

Would I prefer to have as many overseas players as possible? As a viewer, yes. But I am biased as I come from upper-middle class background and cricket means something entirely different to me. Also, as a non-professional cricketer, I am once again biased as I do not fully understand how difficult it is to make a living playing cricket in India as I have not experienced the cutthroat nature of professional sport.

 

[StinkyBoHoon]

The most notable SA Poster on this forum spoony isn't white. He is cape coloured like Basil D'Oliviera & Rory Klienvelt whose type of people also were discriminated like blacks during the apartheid days and couldn't play cricket for S Africa.

Poster stefan i believe is white, but not 100% sure.

Plus i know a few black south african from my university days in England who don't approve it because many black ppl in S Africa are far more into football than cricket due to historical reasons. A key point which many non-S Africans tend to ignore when discussing this issue.

the only saffers I've known in my time agree with the quota system, they're not cricket fans but that's rather the point. it's a balance redress that's far wider than cricket.

Yea but non-EU players now depending on the league can attain EU status if have lived in Europe long enough. I think Barca players Alex Song & Mascherno have EU passports or something.

Plus i recall sometime around 2008 (you can look it up) their was some change in either the Kolpak & Contontou agreement (trade between Europe & ACP countries) which gives non EU players more freedom too.

again, absolutely nothing to do with sport. maschareno is an EU citizen probably because most argentinians have italian or spanish backgrounds and are entitled to dual nationality. my girlfriend was argentinian and her family moved to spain under exactly the same laws.

I presume Song applied for citizenship, another law open to anyone regardless of their occupation, it's open to anyone depending on the countries rules. these rules are well beyond the remit of sporting bodies, and however all powerful the BCCI may be it doesn't have that power.

I'm aware of what happens in Brazil & i believe such restrictions happen also in many of other minor south american leagues in Paraguay, Chile, Columbia, Chile etc. But as you might know most the best south american players from those nations, tend to play overseas in Europe because of financial benefit. Plus those nations have serious academies that simply look to sell their best products to Europe as well.

Brazil always have had superb natural talent in football & they are the biggest exporter of football players of various qualities to leagues as high as La Liga to unknown leagues in Trinidad & Tobago.

But even so i have seen recently brazilians complaining about it, especially now when Brazil trying keep their best players from Europe since their economy is improving - Opinion: Brazilian foreign restrictions too harsh? | O Jogo Bonito

India local cricket's talent isn't comparable to Brazil's local football talent. Brazil despite minor complaints can easily get away & still have had a solid that quality league for years which could still challenge European clubs as we have seen in recent FIFA Club world cups.

This is not the case with the IPL right now with the appalling standard of T20 cricket on show.

that article you posted seems to be concerned with a)the competitiveness of brazilian teams in the south american champions league thing b)raising the profile and c) mentions the complaints of european leagues but brushes them aside with brazil having tons of good players already and established youth acedemies.


a)there is a champions league in T20, but really, who cares that much about it? and given t20 leagues are mercenary, getting rid of foreign restrictions in that would spell utter chaos or a joke tournament, so A is moot.

b)the IPL is already the highest status domestic T20, so that's unecessary in this regard.

and c) as you say india still needs to develop talent and the IPL is 6 years old. how on earth will closing the league to these young players develop their talent?

I think I have to echo shravi saying you're taking it too seriously, sport is an extension of a countries culture, not something that should be able to bend and break laws all in the name of a good tournament. in some cases this still does happen, but where it does I would completely disagree with it.

 

[War]

Look, obviously, that is not the intent, but the welfare aspect of it is a very important unintended byproduct. It has produced a cultural change in India where parents are now looking at sports (or at least cricket) as a legitimate career option because there is a genuine opportunity to make good money from it even if you don't make it to the very top.

Ok i hear you on this & before i attempt to question and debate it, as an indian answer me these key questions:

- How much did the BCCI pay its domestic cricketers before IPL came about?

- How many or what is the percentage of crap indian players that play in IPL teams/squads that are not part of a traditional ranji trophy/duleep trophy/mushtaq ali state team/squad for domestic 4-day/odi/t20 competitions in India?

I think you are taking sports far too seriously when you say it should always be about letting the best players play. The actual act of playing the sport is for entertainment. However, the underlying motives are understandably financial and political.

Every sport is entertainment of course. But its entertainment of high quality & the participant players put in maximum effort to win. Why else do you reckon players across all sports have been caught/accused of using performance enhancing drugs to reach this performance zenith. Why else are fans in certain sports so passionate to point where we have they started riots and crowd invasions at match venues. Why else would players cry when the win trophies/titles.

Would I prefer to have as many overseas players as possible? As a viewer, yes. But I am biased as I come from upper-middle class background and cricket means something entirely different to me. Also, as a non-professional cricketer, I am once again biased as I do not fully understand how difficult it is to make a living playing cricket in India as I have not experienced the cutthroat nature of professional sport.

Elite Sport is extremely competitive, everybody can't make it to the highest level - that is the hardcore fact about it.

Whether the welfare financial factor of the IPL to those players who are essentially rejects to the traditional Indian domestic teams is intentional or not is irrelevant in the larger scheme of things. Which is the IPL is the tool by the BCCI is disgracefully manipulating the cricket world & season six of IPL shows how appalling point to which it has become.