Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Can IPL and Test Cricket coexist

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IPL & Success

After three seasons of IPL , it is amazing to see success of IPL as it is growing every season . Today, we have more Indians following cricket than ever before. We have more people visiting stadium to watch matches than ever before. Some have preferred watching IPL matches in the stadium to watching a Bollywood flick in a cinema hall, which they would have done otherwise. During the 45 days of IPL , Cricket becomes sheer entertainment. Its Business time!




With Success comes Questions

But the success of IPL has brought in a lot of Questions , and the most asked question is "Is IPL a threat to Test Cricket?". The answer is Yes. The major worry is NOT about
early retirement of Test cricketers. We have seen McGrath being sidelined By DD in 3rd season of IPL. IPL teams a re looking for fresh young legs. SO, is the worry about getting sponsors or it about viewers not wanting watch Test Cricket anymore . No, it is about the money involved in IPL. We can solve all the other problems if we can fix this issue in particular, the money earned by players. It is is humongous. And hence players lose the motivation to play International and Top Quality Test Cricket, where the player salary is not low compared to the IPL salary.
Let's take a step back. Understand IPL.
Now , one thing to understand here is, this is INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE. The idea is to get the best cricket players in the world to work in tandem with local cricketers , so that the local boys get a chance to learn from International players , share their experience , learn to play on a bigger stage and hence making the local players a World class talent. The question to ask here is why would international cricketers take time out of their busy schedule to help the local talent in INDIA. There is no strong reason or motivation for them to do so. OK ,Lets Introduce money into picture. And ask the same question again.Answers would now be different. After all its 45 days ,After all its T20 cricket . Its fun time. If International cricketers can find time, Welcome to IPL. So far so good.


Bidding involves huge Money

International cricketers get money to share their experiences,Play top quality cricket and the local cricketers get opportunity to share the dressing rooms with biggies of the game and to play on a bigger stage which otherwise only 15 of them get a chance to do so . So why would you want to pay a huge amount to a local cricketer who is already in a WIN WIN situation . There is no strong reason to do so except for the fact that the player because of his talent would come at higher price in the bidding process. That is the only reason possible.

Now can we solve this problem . If Yes. How ?

Cost & Earn are 2 different entities

The Bidding amount of a player and his salary should be 2 different entities with no relation to each other.

For e.g. Manish Pandey might COST you more than a Ricky Ponting. After watching 3 seasons of IPL it might make sense as we have approximately 80 international cricketers but 40 to 45 Indian cricketers to select from .And the Max Limit of 4 international cricketers in the playing 11 also justifies the statement. But, by any stretch of imagination it does not mean that Manish Pandey should EARN more than Ricky Ponting.



Grading System . Nothing to do with bidding
There should be a model on similar lines to decide the pay of the different players based on their Experience or No of Matches player for the country or it could also be the No of years a player has served his country.Have the Grading System for all the cricketers, international or Local. For E.g. Class A : Sachin Tendulkar, Jaque Kallis, Ricky Ponting...
Class B : Umar Gul, Brendon Mccullum, Ajantha Mendis... Class C : David Hussey , Virat Kohli , Eion Morgan...
Class D :Manish Pandey , Shaun Marsh, Rusty Theron..

Class A being highly paid than Class D

More accomplished = Higher Pay

Using this model or any other model on these lines might work as BCCI is not deprived of any amount. BCCI would continue to earn the huge Bidding amount. Only more accomplished cricketers earn more and enforces all cricketers, international or local to also play Top Quality Test and International Cricket to earn big anywhere in the world.


People responsible.
As a promoter of Cricket , its also BCCI's(Owner of IPL) responsibility to take care of Test cricket along with IPL.

As viewers, fans we would want to watch both IPL and Test Cricket and lets enjoy the game as we have done all our lives. Hope we get to watch both IPL and Test Cricket in future.JAI Cricket!

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