**India’s passion is a dying sport worldwide **
Pradeep Magazine
[This article was written on September 17 2004 when the ICCCT underwent.]
Is cricket a dying sport? Yes, it is.
For an Indian who believes that nothing in the world is more valuable than a Sachin Tendulkar push-drive, this definitive statement will provoke very strong reactions. But let us not shy away from the reality that for any sport to survive and spread, more and more teams have not only to play it, they also have to be good enough to compete at the top level.
In a sport like cricket nothing like this is happening. Just have a look at the ICC Champions Trophy now being played in England and this uncomfortable truth will hit you hard in the face.
All the new and not so new entrants to the international fold — Zimbabwe, Kenya, Bangladesh, and USA — are just filling in the numbers and embarrassing the organisers. These are teams against whom, I guess, even a mohalla side in India may fancy its chances.
When Mr Jagmohan Dalmiya – as head of the International Cricket Council (ICC) in the nineties – went all out in getting new nations affiliated to the international body his intentions may have been very noble. For the sport to survive it needs new teams, new names, new heroes, stunning upsets and an increased crowd support so that sponsors other than Indian companies too get attracted towards the game.
Sadly for cricket, the new teams are increasingly proving to be an embarrassing advertisement for the game. What is worse for the game is the declining standards of a couple of teams who in the past would evoke awe and fear in the opponents and provide undiluted joy to the spectators.
Nothing typifies this more than the fall of the mighty West Indies. From a world-beating team of the seventies and eighties, they are at present a pathetic shadow of their former self and struggling somewhere down the line to avoid the bottom slot in world rankings.
The great South Africans, once considered challengers to the invincible Australians, too seem to have lost out in the race and the home of cricket - England - is desperately trying to experiment with new seductive methods to sustain the game there. The 20-20 version is a byproduct of this panic – that the very English and aristocratic sport could be on the verge of extinction in its place of birth.
But don’t get alarmed too much. Not yet. Cricket may be dying as an international sport but it is now a truly Indian phenomenon and what is fuelling it is the great India-Pakistan sub-continental rivalry. It is also living in the hope that India could recreate the magic that helped it beat champions Australia at home and Down Under, when the two teams renew their rivalry next month.
The entire cricketing world (by the way only 10 nations make that world) rejoices when a television company is willing to dish out $ 308 million (Rs 14,00 crore) to get the telecasting rights for Indian cricket. This is a kind of money which most of the cricket playing nations have hardly seen and know can only help them replenish their empty coffers. But even here there is a big if. And that big if is the quality of the Indian team. If India performs badly the money in cricket will shrink dramatically, leaving the world cricket facing the danger of disintegration.
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Few things that I don’t agree with or have been proven wrong in ICCCT since then.
West Indies have shown an indication of a come back on International level once again. The flair is there and it will lift the game in Islands from now on.
England is picking up momentum very quickly. Flintoff and Harrison have not only inspired Brits but also the fans around the world. The wining combination is in making. Give them two more years and they will emerge.
South Africa is in the same waters as Pakistan once was in late 90s and during last administration. Once corruption and favouritism is taken out from the current SA board, they have plenty of talents to revive the days of Garry and Donald.
While I agree on the minnows issue and having them in big tourneys, I will still blame this to ICC for not making enough efforts to make this wonderful game more popular in potential markets. Like USA, if they take it seriously and assign Wasim or Steve Waugh on a five year assignment in Texas and Florida area, USA can produce good players and a strong team. USA means atleast 20 Million cricket lovers and more money into game.
Second thing is, Having said that I like the fact that cricket has more money than ever and that the most populous cricket nation has taken it with passion. But the last paragraph’s tone suggest as India has become MAIE-BAAP of the game. That’s not true. Money is not everything, all the cricket teams needs to grow and become more competetive as they were in 80s (almost all the big teams were same back then, with great names and thrilling moments, not a complete dominance like Aussies have in last decade or so). If Tendilia retires tomorrow and Indian team (except The Wall) come to its real auqaat, the game of cricket will suffer? Nah my dear, Aussies, Pakistan and recently now England have enough Showmen to attract viewers, thus the money.
But I agree with Ind-Pak cricket relationship. Its all good and can get only better and better. :k:
