From the iSport Cricket Paddock: Cricket adapting to new formats seems to be an endless debate! iSporter Anmol Singh Diddan is a confused fan. He raises a question that most sports fans would agree with.
An excited commentator screams, “Hayden looks in prime touch. Oh my god! He launches it into the stands. The Chennai Super Kings are on a roll.” Well, the last sentence seems, maybe, for some people, a little out of place. I am a little confused here... actually very confused. There has been this debate for a while now, about cricket going the football way. Yes, you got it right. It has been since the inception of the IPL. No prizes for guessing that one!
The IPL has established itself from being a billion dollar baby to a four billion dollar baby in just its third year. So, there should be no doubt in any sane mind as to the question of its existence in the future. It is definitely here to stay. The crowds all over the country are going berserk over a seat in the stadium. Such madness has never been witnessed with regard to any sporting event in the country. Just try and see the amount of matches already sold out on the IPL website. It truly is amazing!
But, the question to be raised is whether the game is now heading towards a football model? The IPL is creating huge city loyalists like the ones established to a far larger extent in Europe (the clubs have been around for more than 100 years). The name IPL is also a steal from the EPL. The birth of the Champions League T20 which has been modelled on the UEFA Champions League has given a global platform to the ‘footballization’ of cricket. Not that the IPL does not already have a global footprint. In fact, it is because of the success of the IPL that the Champions League T20 was
established.
The IPL has already expanded to Kochi and Pune. It has ambitious expansion plans to move to other cities as well. If we talk about other countries there is the hugely popular KFC T20 Big Bash in Australia and immensely successful domestic T20 tournaments in England, South Africa and the West Indies. All these tournaments work on the basis of city loyalists. Thus, yes cricket is definitely going the football way. But then, should we not stop for a minute and think about this in a positive way?
The IPL has established itself from being a billion dollar baby to a four billion dollar baby in just its third year. So, there should be no doubt in any sane mind as to the question of its existence in the future. It is definitely here to stay. The crowds all over the country are going berserk over a seat in the stadium. Such madness has never been witnessed with regard to any sporting event in the country. Just try and see the amount of matches already sold out on the IPL website. It truly is amazing!
But, the question to be raised is whether the game is now heading towards a football model? The IPL is creating huge city loyalists like the ones established to a far larger extent in Europe (the clubs have been around for more than 100 years). The name IPL is also a steal from the EPL. The birth of the Champions League T20 which has been modelled on the UEFA Champions League has given a global platform to the ‘footballization’ of cricket. Not that the IPL does not already have a global footprint. In fact, it is because of the success of the IPL that the Champions League T20 was
established.
The IPL has already expanded to Kochi and Pune. It has ambitious expansion plans to move to other cities as well. If we talk about other countries there is the hugely popular KFC T20 Big Bash in Australia and immensely successful domestic T20 tournaments in England, South Africa and the West Indies. All these tournaments work on the basis of city loyalists. Thus, yes cricket is definitely going the football way. But then, should we not stop for a minute and think about this in a positive way?
So, the administrators are now faced with an arduous task of globalizing the sport and in the process, losing the purists or keeping the purists happy and not globalizing the game. But then, aren’t the purists diminishing by the day? A balancing formula is what needs to be worked out and that is what the ICC in collaboration with various Cricket Boards is trying to arrive at.
The big question still remains: Is Cricket going the Football way good or bad? What do you think?
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Nupur Gadkari
said:
 |
... Hi Anmol, Completely agree! My grandfather sometimes doesn't enjoy the IPL matches becuase he just comes from a different era where Cricket was enjoyed for every stroke played by the then cricketing stalwarts! He says 'Now there is no time for Cricket too? That these T20 formats are played?' What a shame! Guess thats how the older generation would feel. Great article! |
Anmol Singh Diddan
said:
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... thanks nd iv felt the same sentiment echoed from even my dad......so ur grand dad is perfectly justified in that reaction....... |
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