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India Premiere league (IPL): a cricketing game changer
The game of cricket conjures up images and memories of childhood
frolic as also amateur spirof competition and camaraderie among
most lovers of the game in cricket-obsessed nationssuch as India.
Cricket, as its players, is part of folklore among cricketing
nations, where
sportspersons are nothing less than demigods and are worshipped
by the masses, either forheir maverick talent, mercurial
personalities or measured steadfastness in the game. Whilehe game,
a legacy of a relaxed and leisurely British colonial era is revered
for its skill and
adeptness, it has long lost its cherished perception as a
national pastime: the game has growno become fiercely professional
and internationally competitive that involves high commercial
stakes of financiers who spend heavily on bidding for the
franchise to sponsor participatingeam, and even at times, cricket
sportspersons.
Officially sanctioned by the Indian Cricket Control Board as
well as other regulatory cricketin
boards of other participating countries, IPL features eight
franchises based in India. The IP
sporting franchise, the matches for current round of the
tournament, which began on April 4
2012 with venues across various stadia in India, are owned by
celebrities, business tycoons an
media conglomerates. The Mumbai franchise alone costs a US$112
million to its owner
Players, in turn, are richly rewarded with fortunes earned on
the cricket pitch in exchange fo
showcasing the sporting event that is broadcast across global
television channels via satellit
TVthe sale of television broadcasting rights for a period of 10
years is worth over US$
billion for an extravaganza that lasts for one cricketing season
comprised of sixteen games.
This is crickets essential paradoxan international sport that is
not actually global. Th
contrasts sharply with football. Professional football players,
the FIFA as well as billions of fan
across the globe aspire to either play, promote or watch the
greats play club football in Europwith stakeholders competing to
raise the stakes for the game, the sport and for the player
whose financial incentives are legendary.
Consider the status of IPL and its debatable impact on the
epitome of the highest form of th
gameinternational test cricket. Some players aspire to represent
their country for its intrins
pride. But it is hard to separate that mechanism from the highly
lucrative stakes that IPL crick
offers in terms of windfall financial gains for players and
teams. What these incentives no
mean is that players will walk away from the international game
at earlier in their profession
careers. Adam Gilchrist is the prototypical example of this
phenomenon. The player did nowalk away from the game because he was
underperforming as a player, but because of th
ure of the sponsorship deal. While there is little to refute
that the IPL franchise has raised th
bar for the sport and has infuse a strong element of
professionalism in the game, it ha
negatively impact on the future of international test cricket.
The indications appear to b
pointing to a growing indifference among star players to
represent nations internationally. Fe
decades ago, when cricket did not have many sponsors, the only
thing players did on the fie
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was to play for their country with pride and honor. Cricket has
become more commercialize
and adding icing on the cake is the introduction of IPL by the
BCCI. IPL (Indian Premier Leagu
s the flagship of the BCCI and is basically for domestic
cricket. Here, the players from differen
countries have been invited and a contract has been signed. A
Sport is associated with th
alent of the players, and not with the money associated with
it.
Cricket is considered to be a viable career option as opined by
a celebrity, in a dai
newspaper, recently. I read it and felt it to be a right
observation. Till few years ago, in Indi
most of the responsible parents and the guardians took sports as
a whole to be a pass time
For them it was a pleasure to watch and allowed children to play
whatever they like to, durin
ree time, just for relaxation, fun and health.
The sports scenario has definitely changed in India. Thanks to
all the cricket celebrities alon
with our other sports personalities such as Abhinav Bindra
(shooting), Sania Mirza (tennis
Saina Nehwal (badminton) and a huge list of sports personalities
to follow. Still, there is whooping difference between cricket and
other sports. Cricket brings in instant stardom.
provides name and fame within a very short time. The preference
for cricket has multiplied b
many folds in the last four years quite significantly. The full
credit goes to the crick
ournament started in 2008 in India named Indian Premier League
popularly known as IPL
Vasudev KitturSenior officerThe Times of
India,BangaloreExecutive PGDM students
