IPL has become cricket?s ultimate jamboree loved by billions of fans the world over and, of course, the cricketers. Those who are not getting a bite of the pie are missing a great deal
It was a moment to savour. Ricky Ponting and Sachin Tendulkar came out to open the innings for the Mumbai Indians on Thursday night. And the Twitter world exploded. Every cricket fan seemed to have been waiting for that moment. The two legends batting together was a great advertisement for the Indian Premier League (IPL). It was also a slap on the wrists for the naysayers.
A night before, on a star-studded glitzy opening ceremony at Salt Lake Stadium, the Kolkata crowd had given their verdict. Defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) opened their IPL-6 campaign in front of over 60,000 fans at Eden Gardens and the floodlit stadium presented a great spectacle.
The IPL is into its sixth season and as Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president N Srinivasan has said, it has become ?stable? as a tournament. Maybe, Srinivasan was a little modest in his assessment. In fact, the IPL has become cricket?s ultimate jamboree which is loved by its billions of fans the world over and, of course, the cricketers. Those who are not getting a bite of the pie are missing a great deal. Make no mistake, every cricket player worth his salt wants to be a part of this tournament, and those who are denied the opportunity are not happy. England players are the real losers. The policy taken by the England and Wales Cricket Board and some counties continues to be a barrier for them to participate in the IPL. Uncertain about their availabilities, the Indian franchises look for other options and they have them in plenty.
After Kevin Pietersen?s injury ruled him out of this IPL, only four England cricketers?Eoin Morgan (Kolkata Knight Riders), Luke Wright (Pune Warriors), Dimitri Mascarenhas (Kings XI Punjab) and Owais Shah (Rajasthan Royals)?will be seen in action. Make that five as Azhar Mahmood, too, is now a British citizen. Compared to this, 35 players from Australia will be plying their trades for nine franchises. South Africa, Sri Lanka and West Indies, too, are very well represented. It?s a shame that the likes of Matt Prior, Alastair Cook, Jimmy Anderson, Stuart Broad and Graeme Swann will be watching the drama back home on telly.
And the discontent is growing. Last season, Pietersen had accused the English cricket administrators of being ?jealous?. This time, after being snubbed at the IPL auction, Prior spoke of his frustration. Michael Lumb, too, has warned the people who run the game in his country. The Nottinghamshire man is contemplating going freelance to play in the IPL. Despite the heat and humidity, it?s always a special feeling for the players to play in front of packed stadiums. Indian fans love their favourite cricketers.
Maybe, Pietersen has more fan-following in India than he has back home. The mercurial batsman knows that and thanked his Indian fans in Hindi during the Test series in winter. Indian cricket lovers want to see top English cricketers in the IPL and this could be only possible if the International Cricket Council (ICC) creates a separate window for the tournament.
So far, the ICC has refused to be practical. There could be a counter logic though that all other domestic T20 leagues, including the Australian Big Bash, might ask for a separate window if the world body does a special favour to the Indian league.
But then, this league is different. It is the original and is considered to be the world?s showcase for Twenty20 cricket. With a brand value estimated to be more than $3 billion, it is the most lucrative as well. No other cricket league in the world pays its players in million dollars. No other T20 league is so widely televised. No other cricket league has caught the fans? imagination in such a big way.
In tennis and golf, Grand Slam tournaments always enjoy special privileges. IPL is the Grand Slam of T20 cricket and deserves a separate window to accommodate cricketers from all top cricket-playing nations.
By the letter of the law, the IPL remains an Indian domestic tournament. Maybe this is a reason why the ICC is reluctant to judge it on a different scale. Or, maybe they want to have some stake in the event. But by turning a blind eye to the reality, they are doing injustice to the game and its players.
Already, cricket boards have started to reschedule their itineraries, taking a detour from the ICC?s Future Tours Programme. Sri Lanka and West Indies have put off their bilateral series to free their players for the IPL-6. The two teams, along with India, would be playing a tri-series in the Caribbean from June 28 to July 11 instead.
Australia, South Africa and New Zealand have their cool-off periods during this time of the year. So, they never have a problem with their players playing in the IPL.
Yes, IPL has had its share of controversies?the latest being the Tamil Nadu government?s decision to bar Sri Lankan cricketers from playing in Chennai. Glamour, glitz, fireworks, and after parties are closely associated with the event, but cricket remains central. And everything is forgotten once the action begins in the middle.
This is a tournament that provides an opportunity to the fringe players and budding stars to rub shoulders with the greats of the game. Nineteen-year-old Jasprit Bumrah is sharing the dressing room with Tendulkar and Ponting for the Mumbai Indians. We must count on these positives.
IPL grows in popularity with every passing year. It is recession-proof and dollars will continue to flow. And the voices of discontent will grow louder if some players are still being denied the opportunity to be a part of the show. Eventually, they will break away. ICC, and also the cricket boards who are in the denial mode, must be alive to the situation and reality. They must read just their calendar and fit the IPL into their scheme of things. It?s unwise not to face up to the future.