Things I don’t like about the IPL
The stage is set and from the beginning of this weekend, we will all be waiting for the BIGGEST match of the tournament, THE FINALS between MI and CSK. Because anyone hardly reads what I write, I chose the IPL since it is the perfect attention grabber for all of us. But before I go on rambling about what I don’t like about it, let me tell you what IPL 3.0 has given us.
First and foremost, it has given us an excellent opportunity to see Sachin in his prime form after his 200 at Gwalior. Undoubtedly, like single malt whiskey, Sachin is at his best after 20 years. For me, he has redefined batting in T20 cricket. Every time MI has played this season, I have watched the match at least till ‘The Master’ has been at the crease. He, with a little help of Jacques Kallis, has proven that timing the ball is sweeter than any slog that travels the distance. Besides, it does get you the runs.
Secondly, the so-called batsman’s game, has manifold increased the intelligence of the bowlers. The different forms of the slower ball alone, is proof enough of how hard the bowlers work now. Bowlers are not mere delivery vehicles as was thought before. Ojha, Mishra, Ashwin and others are really good bowlers in the offing for India and have shown to have the BIG MATCH temperament.
Amongst other things:
Trumpets. Yes the DJ’s trumpets. They manage to get me excited every single time.
Really good commentators.... Jackers, Harsha B and the liveliest of them all.... DANNY MORRISON....
The cancer charity bit between the innings....
Things I don’t like about the IPL
What happened to ICL
To start off, ICL should have been continued and actually been paid a handsome royalty for bringing T20 cricket to India. It was a very brave step for its time and although it did not gain popularity since Bollywood or bigger businesses were not involved, Mr. Modi cannot claim that he was the one who saw the future of T20 cricket in India. Besides, it has given opportunities to many a young talent, who would have probably played their life out in first-class cricket and never made it to the national team. So rather than blackmailing youngsters to join the (money-wise) richer tournament, the IPL to satisfy its ego, could have made the ICL the First Division of T20 cricket. Here, the young talent would actually get to play than warm dug-outs and carry bats, whilst also serving as a lower division for the non performing teams. Probably at least then, the likes of Dada, Yuvraj and someday even Sachin would play and share their experience with the youngsters.
IPL Party???(I am not going to speak a lot about this)
Don’t we already have a very busy schedule for the tournament? Why tire cricketers with unnecessary parties??? If they want to, if they need a change, they would. And if they do, let them do it. Also, the media’s flip flop towards covering the IPL or not has gone from bad to worse here. And seriously, the team shirts are already multi-coloured and I have no intention of seeing the players, irrespective of their nationality, in any party wear, whatsoever.
The advertising...
Akshay Kumar laughing insanely on the big screen is not anybody’s idea of entertainment during a cricket match. We are bombarded with enough advertising between overs. Inserting an ad between two deliveries is a serious infringement on my entertainment rights (that’s another RTE bill to be passed soon....). Like Barclay’s Premier League, we already call it DLF IPL. And I won’t buy a home with DLF, cause we don’t call it a SIX anymore. They have successfully changed cricketing terminology or at least wired brains of all (who have played cricket as far as I remember) commentators.
The first time I saw a Karbonn kamaal catch, it was quite an amazing one and I thought it would go down as a candidate for the catch of the tournament. But then the lollipop of a catch was called the same and I realised my brain was dedicated too much to cricket and I had to open my eyes to advertising world.
And then came Maxx Mobile Time outs
Volleyball, basketball etc. have been played for years and have never managed to find sponsors for their time outs. But kal-ka-chora IPL has.
It’s absolutely stupid to enforce time-outs on a team just because you have a sponsor. The so called window of time-out is useless and gives a team no freedom of exercising it. If you wanted to include a time out, give each captain one and ask him to take it when he/his team think it’s necessary. Exclusion of time spent between the fall of a wicket and the next delivery while calculating over rate and inclusion of a two and half minute time out in a match are paradoxical.
Modi, Lalit Modi
Yes another finger pointing towards Lalit Modi. If I were the Primer Minister, I would immediately implement carbon foot-print tax for the elite in the country. Modi’s incessant travel to make it for almost every single match played in the tournament is highly irritating and irrational for me. No matter where he gets his pay from or even if he flies a low cost carrier, Modi must be punished for unnecessarily travelling across the length and breadth of the country to seek media attention. Not only him, his whole bandwagon including Niranjan Shah, who on most occasions sat quietly in the camera frames and continues to do so while his boss is knocking the doors of the court.
Before I close my banter, let’s rewind to a little before the tournament started and recount two stories
One, The Galacticos called MI
With their money-power, MI attracted some good talent from within the country and abroad. One, called Ravindra Jadeja, was caught for wanting to replace the logo on his shirt and was banned. He now waits for the T20 World Cup to begin to play again. Unfortunately, the logo provider escaped punishment. Thus, I believe, begins the story of Galacticos of the IPL, who will attract players with money and if all goes well this Sunday, reputation as well.
Two, Non inclusion of some good talent
This is the story of fellow cricketers of our neighbouring nation. With painful incidents in recent history, some good cricketers were left as mere spectators during the auction and hence later in the tournament. It’s unfortunate that for most part of the tournament we spoke of their divorce and then marriage than reverse swing and yorkers.
First and foremost, it has given us an excellent opportunity to see Sachin in his prime form after his 200 at Gwalior. Undoubtedly, like single malt whiskey, Sachin is at his best after 20 years. For me, he has redefined batting in T20 cricket. Every time MI has played this season, I have watched the match at least till ‘The Master’ has been at the crease. He, with a little help of Jacques Kallis, has proven that timing the ball is sweeter than any slog that travels the distance. Besides, it does get you the runs.
Secondly, the so-called batsman’s game, has manifold increased the intelligence of the bowlers. The different forms of the slower ball alone, is proof enough of how hard the bowlers work now. Bowlers are not mere delivery vehicles as was thought before. Ojha, Mishra, Ashwin and others are really good bowlers in the offing for India and have shown to have the BIG MATCH temperament.
Amongst other things:
Trumpets. Yes the DJ’s trumpets. They manage to get me excited every single time.
Really good commentators.... Jackers, Harsha B and the liveliest of them all.... DANNY MORRISON....
The cancer charity bit between the innings....
Things I don’t like about the IPL
What happened to ICL
To start off, ICL should have been continued and actually been paid a handsome royalty for bringing T20 cricket to India. It was a very brave step for its time and although it did not gain popularity since Bollywood or bigger businesses were not involved, Mr. Modi cannot claim that he was the one who saw the future of T20 cricket in India. Besides, it has given opportunities to many a young talent, who would have probably played their life out in first-class cricket and never made it to the national team. So rather than blackmailing youngsters to join the (money-wise) richer tournament, the IPL to satisfy its ego, could have made the ICL the First Division of T20 cricket. Here, the young talent would actually get to play than warm dug-outs and carry bats, whilst also serving as a lower division for the non performing teams. Probably at least then, the likes of Dada, Yuvraj and someday even Sachin would play and share their experience with the youngsters.
IPL Party???(I am not going to speak a lot about this)
Don’t we already have a very busy schedule for the tournament? Why tire cricketers with unnecessary parties??? If they want to, if they need a change, they would. And if they do, let them do it. Also, the media’s flip flop towards covering the IPL or not has gone from bad to worse here. And seriously, the team shirts are already multi-coloured and I have no intention of seeing the players, irrespective of their nationality, in any party wear, whatsoever.
The advertising...
Akshay Kumar laughing insanely on the big screen is not anybody’s idea of entertainment during a cricket match. We are bombarded with enough advertising between overs. Inserting an ad between two deliveries is a serious infringement on my entertainment rights (that’s another RTE bill to be passed soon....). Like Barclay’s Premier League, we already call it DLF IPL. And I won’t buy a home with DLF, cause we don’t call it a SIX anymore. They have successfully changed cricketing terminology or at least wired brains of all (who have played cricket as far as I remember) commentators.
The first time I saw a Karbonn kamaal catch, it was quite an amazing one and I thought it would go down as a candidate for the catch of the tournament. But then the lollipop of a catch was called the same and I realised my brain was dedicated too much to cricket and I had to open my eyes to advertising world.
And then came Maxx Mobile Time outs
Volleyball, basketball etc. have been played for years and have never managed to find sponsors for their time outs. But kal-ka-chora IPL has.
It’s absolutely stupid to enforce time-outs on a team just because you have a sponsor. The so called window of time-out is useless and gives a team no freedom of exercising it. If you wanted to include a time out, give each captain one and ask him to take it when he/his team think it’s necessary. Exclusion of time spent between the fall of a wicket and the next delivery while calculating over rate and inclusion of a two and half minute time out in a match are paradoxical.
Modi, Lalit Modi
Yes another finger pointing towards Lalit Modi. If I were the Primer Minister, I would immediately implement carbon foot-print tax for the elite in the country. Modi’s incessant travel to make it for almost every single match played in the tournament is highly irritating and irrational for me. No matter where he gets his pay from or even if he flies a low cost carrier, Modi must be punished for unnecessarily travelling across the length and breadth of the country to seek media attention. Not only him, his whole bandwagon including Niranjan Shah, who on most occasions sat quietly in the camera frames and continues to do so while his boss is knocking the doors of the court.
Before I close my banter, let’s rewind to a little before the tournament started and recount two stories
One, The Galacticos called MI
With their money-power, MI attracted some good talent from within the country and abroad. One, called Ravindra Jadeja, was caught for wanting to replace the logo on his shirt and was banned. He now waits for the T20 World Cup to begin to play again. Unfortunately, the logo provider escaped punishment. Thus, I believe, begins the story of Galacticos of the IPL, who will attract players with money and if all goes well this Sunday, reputation as well.
Two, Non inclusion of some good talent
This is the story of fellow cricketers of our neighbouring nation. With painful incidents in recent history, some good cricketers were left as mere spectators during the auction and hence later in the tournament. It’s unfortunate that for most part of the tournament we spoke of their divorce and then marriage than reverse swing and yorkers.
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