Commercial interest will kill cricket

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Commercial interest will kill cricket

There has been too much of cricket. The game is losing its charm. The expectations to perform well in every match is taking a heavy toll on the players. Moreover, due to hectic cricket schedule, they get less time to rejuvenate themselves.

CJ: RATAN SHARGA

Sun, Jun 29, 2008 12:14:00 IST

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Cricket and its Future :

EXCESS OF everything is bad. Unfortunately in the commercial world nowadays, every field is governed by a business angle and every institution is in the command of marketing department, which brings in the important money factor. The commercial interest of the company gets so high that it results in risking the health factor of employees and the game of cricket is no exception. Nowadays, we are having too much cricket as for the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), the cricket players have become the hen that lays golden eggs, and the Board want as many eggs as possible in the shortest span of time. This has resulted in a lesser span of active cricket career for a player and fitness problems haunt team India as the members find little time to give rest to their bodies, which get fatigue and tear due to excessive matches and also put an extra pressure on the minds of players to emerge as a winner in the said tournament, which is next to impossible.

Team India captain, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, while talking to Rameez Raja in the presentation ceremony, after India registered its third consecutive victory in the prestigious Asia Cup over Bangladesh, admitted that the players were getting tired. It is all due to the hectic schedule of team India. The players after returning from Australia, where they won the CB series cup from Australia in the 50 over format, were forced to play the BCCI formed Indian Premiere League (IPL) Twenty-20 matches in India.

There has been too much of cricket now and the game is losing its charm. This can be well established from the thin attendance of supporters coming to stadiums to watch the action live. There were hardly any fans present to cheer and back the Indian players during their match with Bangladesh. In a nation where cricket is not only just a passion but a religion, which unites India and drives million of fans crazy, the BCCI officials must address the genuine problems faced by cricket players. They are not just players or any other sportsman, they are our national heroes and ambassadors of our nation.

Many cricket experts have said this time and again that the Board members had taken the sport as a money minting machine. The players remain in tremendous pressure from all sides. There is pressure to perform well in every match so that members in the selection committee pick you up for the team squad. Then the companies which sponsor all the accessories and run commercials on various TV channels, featuring a player, exert their pressure on that player to do well. Then the pressure of fans takes a toll on the player.

One will agree with Dhoni that if there would be no free time given to players to replenish and rejuvenate themselves, the fans should not anticipate and expect their team to get victorious in one tournament after another. More, the extremely busy cricket schedule reminded me of the former Aussie Captain and legend, Greg Chappel, who while being the coach of team India, had advocated for more bench strength. Chappel was very visionary and was told to adopt rotation policy for the players for which he made good bench strength.

The BCCI must also give in some serious thoughts over the issue. The Board should adopt some strategy to save its precious players and their career from getting short and should send Indian-A team to play lesser significant cricket matches under the flag of team India. Playing with the teams of sub-continent, the Board should prefer younger players doing well in domestic cricket. By playing with the sub-continent teams they would get a good exposure to international cricket and they will learn to make strategies and handle pressure in tight situations.

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