Zelch Posted June 2, 2012 Posted June 2, 2012 Don't blame the IPL for everything that's wrong Like much of pop culture often does, the IPL too has renewed the age-old division between the classes and the masses. So while the masses endorsed the fifth edition of the tournament by filling stadiums match after match, the league was viciously attacked by some of most credible voices among the Indian intelligentsia, and they found vigorous support from voluble cricket fans on social media networks. What I am about to say is not going earn me popularity among this section. I have learnt from recent experience that criticising the IPL can give you a certain halo. I am going to do the opposite: defend the IPL against some unfair criticism. And I want to make it clear that while I worked as a freelance TV commentator on the IPL, I am not on the payroll of the BCCI or the IPL. These views are those of a neutral viewer of the game who genuinely likes the IPL and is a strong supporter of it. Also, I adore Test cricket, have always done. I loved playing it and I now love watching it. I believe it is the highest and toughest form of the sport, and the yardstick with which to judge the greatness of players. Given a choice between watching a Test match featuring two evenly matched teams and an IPL game, I would chose the former any day. But having said that, I love the IPL too. The first and most common kind of attack on the IPL is that this it (and T20 cricket at large) will destroy the traditional forms of the game. Good supporting arguments are put forth to back the claim - or perhaps fear. I find this mindset to be no different from those of the traditionalists of the late '70s, who were up in arms when Kerry Packer barged into their world and switched on the lights so that his band of "big boys" could play at night. He even got them to wear tight, bright-coloured pants. Thirty-five years later, Kerry Packer is gone, and perhaps we did not thank him enough for the good turn he did the game. The IPL and T20 are helping the sport in an area where Test cricket and now even 50-overs cricket have generally failed: to hold mass appeal. If the IPL is bringing new fans to the ground (and yes, some of them do not even like cricket that much) why do the traditionalists have a problem with that? They have the choice to switch channels and watch West Indies play England in Tests. What caught my attention amid all the criticism was the suggestion that IPL 5 had taken sleaze in cricket to new heights. This is unfair and untrue. Let me refresh some memories. I've never heard the media call the private parties that cricketers go to during, say, a World Cup, "World Cup parties" Player misdemeanour has always been part of the game. Long before the IPL, an international player was accused of rape. There have been allegations of molestation levelled against cricketers a few times, and most times the matter has been hushed up. Players have been caught smoking marijuana while on national duty. Match-fixing slapped the administrators in the face and disillusioned them. There have been plenty of cases of administrators siphoning off funds meant for the betterment of the game. All this was a part of the game before the IPL was even conceived of. And now comes the bizarre charge that IPL 5 has taken sleaze in cricket to new heights. The truth is that the IPL is a long way behind in catching up with the sleaze we have already seen in and around the more established forms of the game. It was amusing to read about the "IPL parties" and the incidents around them. The fact is, the so-called IPL parties are now a thing of the past - they went out with the exit of Lalit Modi. The parties now are private ones that players attend on their own during the IPL season. I've never heard the media call the private parties that cricketers go to during, say, a World Cup, "World Cup parties". The incident with Luke Pomersbach was also blamed on the IPL. Why wasn't international cricket and its culture blamed when an international player was accused of rape in the '90s? The focus then (as it should have been) was on the individual. When India played badly in England and Australia, the IPL again became everyone's favourite target - not so much the players, it was the IPL that was held responsible for India's problems. I concede that the IPL could hamper your Test match preparation if you are not smart as a player or your cricket board isn't. But those who believe the IPL will destroy India's Test cricket strength in the future can take solace from this fact: in the five years of the IPL, South Africa have had their core players playing in the IPL, and in that time South Africa has only grown as a Test team, with most of their IPL players having enhanced their reputations in the long format. Yes, there are valid long-term concerns about kids - specifically about whether they will have the desire to play Test cricket anymore when an easier pursuit is more lucrative. To this I will say: as long as cricket remains a popular sport in the country, for every Manoj Tiwary there will be an Ajinkya Rahane or a Cheteshwar Pujara who will emerge from the same generation. There may be fewer Test aspirants to choose from than during, say, my time, but can you blame kids when the purest form of cricket is struggling to draw audiences? The greatest high for any performer, more than money, is performing in front of a massive audience. Let's hope something miraculous happens to Test cricket and it starts drawing big crowds to the grounds again. Like everything around us, the IPL is not perfect - but to hold it responsible for all the evils in and around the game is illogical and smacks of prejudice.
Zelch Posted June 2, 2012 Author Posted June 2, 2012 One time payment is working over time :acute: Its funny how Manju mentions " I am not on the payroll of the BCCI or the IPL" before saying anything about Cricket. I think even the thick skinned cricket elite in India have come to realize that Ravi Shastri, Gavaskar have zero credibility among fans.
yoda Posted June 2, 2012 Posted June 2, 2012 Never agreed with anything Manju ever had to say and didn't think that day would come. :woot:
ravishingravi Posted June 2, 2012 Posted June 2, 2012 Manju is brilliant. He defends IPL. Distances himself from those considered on BCCI payroll. Doesn't criticize BCCI . Dodges the core issues. I think it is a win win.
prasadiyer Posted June 2, 2012 Posted June 2, 2012 Manju is brilliant. He defends IPL. Distances himself from those considered on BCCI payroll. Doesn't criticize BCCI . Dodges the core issues. I think it is a win win. What are those core issues that he dodged? Seemed to me that he addressed pretty all the anti-IPL criticisms - bad player behaviour, bad quality of cricket, ruin of traditional cricket formats, blame for India's steep fall in test cricket fortunes, lack of motivation for developing cricketers to play test cricket...
Shunya Posted June 2, 2012 Posted June 2, 2012 seems like manju might be avid follower of ICF...looks like this article is like one of the posts u would see here on ICF
Zap_Brannigan Posted June 2, 2012 Posted June 2, 2012 If any format should be blamed, it should be tests. Test couldn't keep up with the changing world and cannot compete with the growing popularity of the T20's. They cant afford to pay players millions based on tests. But yeah, lets play tests for 10 months of the year and pressure every player play it irrespective of whether they want to or not. If players don't choose tests, then lets mock them, question their patriotism. A 4 match test series, has more or less the same playing days of an entire IPL season, yet even the best paid players make less than 50000$. That is easily 20 to 50 times lower than what they get paid for IPL. If any person, in any other field or even any other sports take the obviously more paid gig, no one bats an eyelid. But when its cricketers, they must all be traitors.
Marut Posted June 2, 2012 Posted June 2, 2012 Why does every pro IPL writer first declare that he is not on the payroll of BCCI and these are "neutral" views? Looks same as the proverbial son saying that "My father is not hiding behind the bushes." when creditors are knocking on the door.
Zap_Brannigan Posted June 2, 2012 Posted June 2, 2012 Why does every pro IPL writer first declare that he is not on the payroll of BCCI and these are "neutral" views? Looks same as the proverbial son saying that "My father is not hiding behind the bushes." when creditors are knocking on the door. Maybe because all idiots think that every guy who doesnt speak ill of IPL is on BCCI's pockets.
vvvslaxman Posted June 2, 2012 Posted June 2, 2012 How much Manju get for his "great services" to Indian cricket as bonus from BCCI? :cantstop:
Vilander Posted June 2, 2012 Posted June 2, 2012 Why does every pro IPL writer first declare that he is not on the payroll of BCCI and these are "neutral" views? Looks same as the proverbial son saying that "My father is not hiding behind the bushes." when creditors are knocking on the door. i would love to write glorifying accounts of bcci if they would pay me.
CSK Fan Posted June 2, 2012 Posted June 2, 2012 Why does every pro IPL writer first declare that he is not on the payroll of BCCI and these are "neutral" views? Looks same as the proverbial son saying that "My father is not hiding behind the bushes." when creditors are knocking on the door. Because any IPL supporter has always been accused of being on BCCI Payroll by everyone for 5 years now. You must have been living under a cave if you genuinely did not recognise that trend and are surprised by the defensive reactions of pro-IPL people
Tiger-Don Posted June 2, 2012 Posted June 2, 2012 Ipl is the root of every problem in indian cricket ........(a message from the haters) & Im a lover not a hater :P
Marut Posted June 3, 2012 Posted June 3, 2012 Because any IPL supporter has always been accused of being on BCCI Payroll by everyone for 5 years now. You must have been living under a cave if you genuinely did not recognise that trend and are surprised by the defensive reactions of pro-IPL people But by stating that openly he is only drawing more scrutiny. It does not help his cause one bit.
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