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A hoarding for KPL (Karnataka Premier League) on the way from Bangalore airport to the city declares: ‘Lights, Camera, Six’ with cricketer Robin Uthappa staring out at the expressway.
Now, Ravi Shastri has been talking a lot, even by his garrulous standards, since he became Team India Director. But his silence on the role of the IPL in messing up the skills of the Indian cricket team speaks volumes. He should actually be saying that Test cricket is not ‘Lights, Camera, Six’. England’s cricket calendar is still centred around Test cricket, whereas in India Test matches are thrown in almost as an afterthought between a clutter of ODIs and T-20s.
Both Shastri and Sunil Gavaskar promote the shorter versions of the game. So for Gavaskar to say things like “if they do not have the stomach for Test cricket, they should quit and stick to limited overs cricket” is rich.
The problem, as should be evident by now, starts at the top: the former chairman of the BCCI, who is also the owner of an IPL team, in effect forces the captain and top players to participate in the tournament with total intensity. Clearly, Shastri-Gavaskar heartily approve.
The IPL is watched over an evening snack on magnum screens. The swaying of cheerleaders and the cheering of industrialists’ wives gives the games the look and feel of an exhibition match, played to raise funds for some cause. But it is nothing of the sort.
As in horse-racing, business, betting and entertainment come together remarkably well in the IPL. Team owners cheer their players as they would their race horses. The more the money on a player the greater is the pressure to deliver. What juice would he have left in him to play serious Test cricket?
Shastri wants the team to play in the England county circuit “in the off-season after IPL”. Why doesn’t he suggest they take their break during the IPL season and then leave for England? Shastri understands not just the “language of cricket” as he claims, but even more so that of business. He speaks like a team-owner and a ruthless employer — they must keep playing in the IPL, even if that means forgoing their off-season break.
Deputy Editor
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