Look at our Indian team. They are 'number 1' in Test cricket and
quite dominant in ODIs and T20s too. Since last year they are undergoing a gruelling schedule which started with an away-Test-series against the mighty South Africans. It was followed by intense twin away-Test-clashes against England and Australia. In between there were innumerable ODIs and T20s. How could our players resist the temptation of 'grabbing' the IPL-2019 opportunity
Fatigue and burnout is taking its toll on our players. They are allowed to ignore our domestic cricket. Who cares if it becomes poorer? Key players like Dhoni have earlier taken breaks from ODI series and even Test cricket. But not many players can afford to take such costly risks. Often they try hiding injuries too! Uncertainty haunts our players. Nobody can blame them if they prefer to make quick money by playing IPL instead of getting exhausted by playing Test cricket. Even spectators prefer IPL to Tests. Is Test cricket dying?
Test cricket has a history of more than 140 years and has survived in spite of changes like ODIs and T20s. For connoisseurs of cricket, even today 'Test' is the real test! World's top-most modern
The stage for Test cricket is set with the 'conditions, the toss and the team combination'. Test cricket needs specialist batsmen and bowlers whereas all-rounders are enough to win shorter formats. Our own test-giant Sunil Gavaskar used to say that 'give first hour to bowlers and the next five hours will be yours'! Perseverance is the watch-word for a Test batsman to excel.
Who says 'cricket is a batsman's game'? One can't win a Test match unless his team has bowlers who can take 20 wickets. Test bowlers have to bowl long spells, both in new and old balls to outwit the batsman.
Thus while Test cricket is for serious students of cricket, T20 is for entertainment and taking the game forward. In between ODI looks redundant and is causing strain on both players and fans. Changes in ODI like two balls for 50-overs and fielding restrictions have made it predominantly a batsman's game, further robbing the charm of cricket. Scores of 350 are chased with disdainful ease!
ODI neither has the classical charm of Tests, nor the speed and thrill of T20s. Scrapping of Champions Trophy of ODI by ICC is in the right direction. What if ODI is scrapped? Will it provide relief to players and spectators from fatigue and burnout? I leave it to the judgment of our readers.
Last but not the least, our national cricket body BCCI, is probably the richest in the world. They have a responsibility to patronize other sports and games in our country. They can contribute at least 20% of their revenue for the betterment of others sports and sportsmen. Will they do?
Long live Indian Cricket
Long live Indian Sports and Games
-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-
(Thanks to the sources of various pictures used here. I solicit their permission through this blog.)
(Thanks to the sources of various pictures used here. I solicit their permission through this blog.)
ONE THING IS SURE. EXCESS CRICKET, SPECIALLY INDIA IS VERY GLARING. NOT GOOD FOR THE CRICKET, NOR FOR THE PKAYERS AND NOR FOR THE LOVERS. WE NEED TO TAKE LEAF OUT OF AUSTRALIA. THEY HAVE A ALMOST FIXED SCHEDULE, ATLEAST FOR TEST CRICKET. THEY SELDOM DEVIATE. WHERE AS INDIA'S CRICKET SEEMS TO BE DRIVEN BY ONE SINGLE MOTIVE, MONEY. I MAY EVEN PUT THAT OUR BCCI IS GREEDY, AT THE COST OF PLAYERS,FANS, EVEN THE GAME ITSELF. BCCI HAS INVITED JEALOSY AND CRICS FROM OUTSIDE COUNTRY AS WELL AS INSIDE. THE NUMBER IS GROWING.OFLATE THETE ARE FREQUENT CLASHES BETWEEN BCCI AND GOVT., WITH BOARD ALMOST APPEARING TO ARM TWIST THE OTHER. THE ESCALATION OF CONFICTS IS IMMINENT, IT APPEARS.ONE THING IS VERY GLARING IS THAT OTHER CRICKET HAS DWARFED OTHER SPORTS IN INDIA. SEE THE FATE OF THE INDIA'S NATIONAL SPORTS HOCKEY, WHICH IS NOW REDUCED TO ONLY FEW STATES OR ONLY IN COLLEGES. SAD. YOUR SUGGESTION THAT A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF EARINGS FROM CRICKET TO THE BETTERMENT OF OTHER SPORTS WILL GO A LONG WAY. I AM OF THE OPINION THAT THERE SHALL LIMITED NUMBER OF MATCHES OF ALL THE THREE FORMATS, PREFERABLY WITH FIXED TIME.,T20 RESTRICTED TO ONLY IPL, WITH DOING AWAY WITH BILATERAL T20S COMPKETELY AT EAST WHILE PKAYING IN INDIA.HOPE FOR BETTER PRUDENCE.
ReplyDeleteThanks for reading.
DeleteYour point of greedy players, BCCI and its clash with Govt is alarming.
LN
Test cricket is like a long and fruitful married life of our times. One day cricket is like marriage today and divorce after one or two years. T20 cricket is like live-in relationship with no responsibility.
ReplyDeleteThere should be no problem of burning out. Each cricketer is free to decide how much he should play to conserve himself. With the number of young talented cricketers coming from coaching academies every year, there is abundant scope for many players.
As usual you have laced in humour while aptly relating 3 forms of cricket to 3 forms of marriage.
DeleteThanks for reading.
As regard to over burdening, the players themselves should speak. We r always outsiders. Few may argue FAR & few AGAINST. it is left to the players to take the call. But one thing is sure that BCCI is very greedy and exploiting every bidyy involved in thegame.
ReplyDeleteContribution. Yes it has to to happen for the benefit of various other sports which are either starving or slowly dieing.
Well said Mr.Jayasheela
DeleteLN
It's true that excess cricket is not only killing the very game itself but also the players and viewers. Even nectar if consumed in excess is poison to one. Nice blog
ReplyDeleteThank you Mr.Kannan for reading and sending comments.
DeleteI agree 'too much is too bad'.
New India under present dispensation
Deletedefinitely looking into other alternative sports due to overdose and hype created by it. It's written on the wall before it's too late.
Thanks for reading and responding.
DeleteLet's hope other sports too will receive due importance.