Drubbing In England Threatens IPL Gravy Train

By Gaurang
August 19 2011

On the surface India's sudden and precipitous fall from the peak of Test cricket, would seem to have little if anything to do with the heady mix of Twenty20 pyrotechnics and Bollywood razzmatazz that is the IPL. But in actuality the connection is pretty direct.

This fact must have dawned on the money minded Babus who run the BCCI, including the Babu-in-chief, N. Srinivasan, the man in charge, who also happens to be a major stakeholder in the Mahendra Singh Dhoni led Chennai Super Kings of the IPL (Conflict of interest anyone?). He let the cat out of the bag recently when in response to questions about whether the Indian players were not giving Test cricket the proper importance it deserved, he revealed that of course Indian players were very keen on Test cricket, because performances in Test matches and achieving standing in that format would help them get lucrative contracts in the IPL.

There you have it. The BCCI sees the pinnacle of the game, the ultimate contest of skill played while representing your country, the appropriately named "Test" matches, which fully test the physical, mental and even emotional quality of a player, as basically important not as a goal in itself, but as a way for a player to make a name so he can earn lots of money in the IPL.

What is not said is that it is even more important for the IPL Franchise holders, i.e. the BCCI, that India's Test players be recognized as among the best in Test cricket. Because without the seal of approval provided by Test cricket performers in the IPL even if they perform very well, will remain nothing but minor attractions and not the ICONIC money spinners that the likes of Tendulkar, Dhoni, Gambhir, Sehwag, Zaheer Khan, Harbhajan Singh etc. are.

Who would want to tune in to see a match played by the likes of Paul Valthaty, Manish Pandey, Manpreet Gony, Rahul Sharma, and Sreenath Arvind? None of whom have played ODIs for India let alone Test cricket. Clearly the IPL depends on Test cricket to generate the Stars and Superstars who can then be brought or rather bought so that some of their Star power rubs off on the IPL and gives it oomph, and raises it above a domestic club competition that it essentially is.

The reaction of the BCCI has been as swift as its elephantine bureacracy permits. India have already decided to send the team early to Australia, and have arranged for two full practice matches before the Border-Gavaskar Trophy as a reaction to how underprepared they were for the Pataudi Trophy. Better late than never. However, early preparation is not enough, as BCCI need to find and groom future Test stars who have the fire in the belly to fight it out for their country in the Test arena.

The BCCI needs to seriously consider whether it makes any sense to promote players to international level either in ODIs or Tests based on performances in the IPL or whether they should invest heavily in India A tours to various countries, and in domestic first class cricket, even if it costs some money to do that. As any good businessman will tell you, you need to spend some money to make more money. But then by getting rid of Lalit Modi, the business brain behind the IPL, it is not clear if the BCCI babus have the business acumen to support Test cricket, even if only for the sake of their own pocket.

IPL Gravy Train Threatened

Posted by: Indian Cricket Fever (IP Logged)

Date: 19/08/2011 19:50

What do you think? You can have your say by posting below.
If you do not already have an account Click here to Register.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2011:08:20:14:12:55 by Birbal.