IPL: Pied Piper at the gates of dawn

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: It was thirty years ago that Kerry Francis Bullmore Packer took a step that was a giant leap for world cricket. The pyjama party of select high performance cricketers playing intense cricket under lights with coloured clothing shook cricketing sensibilities across the world. Big boys played at night!

Ace television production, replete with mikes on the ground, compensated for empty stands and ensured that the limited-overs day and night theme made an impression. The game never remained the same. And at a time when the official version of Packer’s World Series Cricket, now known as the Commonwealth Bank Series, a tri-nation one-day tournament is coming to an end, the new revolution Indian Premier League takes over.

If one goes by the hype and hoopla created by IPL in its early days, Kerry Packer’s circus will look jurassic. There is no doubt the league will redefine the way the gentleman’s game is played. But before comparisons are made, it is pertinent to remember that Packer’s move was not merely revolutionary in establishing a new format for the game, but went beyond that.

It also established the possibility of a term called ‘cricketing professional’. This was at a time when ace cricketers had to earn a living doing other work when not playing cricket. The great Dennis Lillee cleaned offices through his office cleaning business, Rodney Marsh, his buddy behind the wickets, was a promotion guy. The Aussie team players earned $3,000 in the late seventies for a two-month tour of the West Indies. Packer rebelled and went against the establishment and made a statement. It also raised the level of the game, and the sportsperson’s skill level.

IPL will not be a rebel tour. It’s an out-an-out commercial venture. Following for the T20 game has grown and its tribe will only multiply. Viewers around the globe will see combinations that they probably had thought about, but never imagined possible. The television screens will light up with Dada and Ponting stealing quick singles for Kolkata, Sachin and Jayasuriya blasting the leather to all corners of the field for Mumbai and Dhoni tapping keeping wickets to the wily Murlitharan — heady stuff.

Skill levels will also increase and a lot of players will get sorted out quickly. Dhoni, while keeping to Murli, will learn more about his wrist tweak and the several doosras. Powar, while bowling to Kumar Sangakarra could discover some more weak points. And then there will be the domestic players from the catchments who will rub shoulders with the greats. Imagine the thrill for the likes of young left arm spinner Pragyan Ojha from Hyderabad who could end up sharing the dressing room with Andrew Symonds and Adam Gilchirst.

It’s all music to the ears now. But where will the Piper lead us? Tonnes of moolah at stake could easily lead to corruption — of the organisers, the franchise owners and also the players. Already the boundary rope has started inching closer, clearly with a view to have more hits possible. Now this is with a clear intention of pleasing the crowds and nothing to do with the enhancement of the game. Watch out for more such moves as television producers and franchisees take over the game.

Experiences with excessive commercialisation of sport have seen the rise of evils like betting and match fixing. Recently NBA, a professional basketball organisation that rakes in millions discovered their referee gambling on games. The incessant violence seen in ice-hockey is thanks to the over-competitive spirit that has been built in and also the sensationalisation of the media. The kind of footage that the auction got is an indicator of what is yet to come for television channels that often run into sensational news content shortage.