India-Australia still the biggest draw

I read with great interest Christopher Martin-Jenkins' views on last week's IPL auction, and its aftermath. But while I share some of his concerns, I'm not quite as pessimistic about the game's immediate future.

If India's ongoing tour of Australia has shown anything, it's that nothing get this country of a billion people as worked up as a series against the best side in the game. Every incident, whether it be the Sydney controversy, the win at the WACA or Ishant Sharma's send-off to Andrew Symonds on Sunday, has seen phrases like 'national honour' being invoked.

The marquee series, India playing Australia, Pakistan or England, will continue to be lapped up by a captive audience. For many of them, such contests have become an extension of a new jingoism, which is why you see appalling sights like effigies being burnt and players' houses being stoned.

I honestly can't see a Bangalore v Mumbai game rousing passions to such a fever pitch. To begin with, will a Bangalore crowd truly be able to summon up any sort of animosity towards Sachin Tendulkar, especially when he's facing up to Nathan Bracken or Dale Steyn? Will Robin Uthappa, signed by Mumbai, be booed off the park if he scores runs in his hometown?

Had the teams been truly representative of the cities that they're named after, then you might have envisaged such a scenario. But as things stand, with most Indian players representing franchises far from their home bases, divided loyalties are likely to the the fans' lot. 

And as things stand, the IPL doesn't eat into the home season. The BCCI have been very clever with the scheduling in that sense, shoehorning it into six weeks during the height of summer, a time when cricket usually isn't part of the national consciousness.

Once the circus is over though, you can rest assured the interest will be huge for Australia's return visit and the England series that follows. There's no way an IPL or any Twenty20 contest will inspire the sort of navel-gazing or chest-thumping that accompanies defeat and victory against fierce foes in the international arena.

The other valid question CMJ raises is one of money. Will the enormous profit be channelised into infrastructure at grassroots level, and also in improving stadiums where watching a game can be an ordeal?

Most small towns and villages don't even have one properly maintained ground, and it's hard to see the BCCI mandarins investing time and energy into changing that. The stadiums though are a different matter. There's a World Cup to be hosted in three years, not to mention the fact that the IPL franchises get to keep every penny they take in at the gate.

If the stadiums continue to be dilapidated, the number of people coming through the turnstiles will peter out eventually. But the likes of Vijay Mallya and Anil Ambani are canny businessmen, and will do everything in their power to ensure that spectator facilities are eventually comparable to those in England, Australia and South Africa.

So, should the cricket fraternity be worried at all? Yes, certainly. New Zealand, West Indies, and even South Africa, where the players don't earn anything like as much as their Indian or Australian counterparts, may see a group of players trying their luck in either the IPL or its rebel equivalent. Pakistan has already seen a mini-exodus, though they'll console themselves for now with the thought that most are fringe players or has-beens.

There's also the danger that the culture of greed and rotten behaviour that has become endemic in English football takes root amongst the younger generation of cricketers. Hand a 19-year-old half a million dollars, and you may as well give him a license to misbehave as well. Expect more puerile sledges too, on Matt Prior-Ferrari lines.   

If CMJ, someone that I have tremendous respect for, needs any reassurance about Test cricket's future, I hope he comes over to Bangalore for the Australia game. Hopefully, there'll be no simian gestures or chants in the direction of Andrew Symonds, but merely a resumption of the most exciting rivalry in the modern game. Mumbai-Mohali doesn't even come close.

Comments

[Dan Patel]

John, India's TATA group to-day purchased Jaguar for UK Pounds 2.65 billion.I thought you might like to know.

I know it doesn't have anything to do with cricket but still might help you.

[John Ross]

Ann,pls don't think i'm not having a go at you.I'm sure your right about the software industry & automotive sector.My point is that Mr Simha went to great lenghts to make us aware of India's dominance over the rest of the world.I'm just trying to figure out exactly what area(s) that India dominate,& at the moment i can't think of one single thing ! Yes India has a navy,& i'll take your word for it that india has a thriving software industry & a growing automotive sector but they do not in my opinion dominate in these areas or any other for that matter !

[Ann]

John, I am not an Indian, so you need to find someone else to have a go at; but you do seem to have an opinion of India which is many years out of date - a bit like the bizarre view of Scotland that I debunked here the other day. India has a thriving software industry, for example. Bet you didn't know that, but did you do any basic research? They also have a growing automotive sector.

[John Ross]

Ann,could you or anyone pls tell me what area(s) do India dominate in ? I quote from R K Simhra " it is this Indian domination in various spheres of life..." Besides cricket i can't think of anything other than call centres,cheap labour,abject poverty suffered by millions,that India is now dominate in ! What other sport are they good at ?...hockey ?,oh that's right,couldn't even qualify for the Olypmics.Perhaps dummy spitting is now the nation's second best sport.

[Ann]

Mind you, Rakesh's view of history is ... hmm, selective, to put it mildly. The claim that there was never any poverty in India before the British (not the English, mate: do read some history; there were many Scots among them) arrived is simply laughable. He'll tell us next that in 1500 C.E., every Indian in every remote village was well-off.
As to Scotland, well, one has to admire the story-telling inventiveness, I suppose, but that's all it is. It's a figment of your rich imagination. You obviously know nothing about Scotland. Far from being a 'third world' country, it is prosperous and advanced place. In fact, much of that (e.g. free university tuition and more) is financed by taxes levied on the English. Scotland is growing rich because it's subsidised by England.
So how about not writing about countries you know nothing of?

[Ann]

John, I am gobsmacked by your comments, unless they were made tongue in cheek. India has a huge coastline, and modern technology, and an ancient culture. Why on earth should it not have a navy?

And as to people leaving: all nations do this. There are plenty of Australians in Britain. And Brits in France.

[John Ross]

Rakesh K Simha comments about how great a country India is really begs the question, why do so many of his countrymen leave the place at the first opportunity ! ? Also one wonders why Mr Simha goes to such lenghts to highlight India's domination of just about everythning ! I'm amazed to learn that India even has a navy.

[Rakesh K. Simha]

The problem with Australians is they think they really matter. Fact is they are a two-bit nation nobody cares about.

I know of many Australians who complain that when they go to the US, they are ashamed of their accent. The Americans can't understand what they are saying.

Australia is a nation condemned to live in Asia's armpit. They better get used to it.

India has thousands of history during which it was continously prosperous. In fact, India was the richest nation on earth throughout. The Romans (Pliny, for instance) have recorded that they were extremely concerned about the drain of wealth to India.

In 1600, when the first Englishman landed on Indian soil, India had 22.5% of the world's GDP. Thomas Roe, the English monarch's emissary waited one whole year before the Indian emperor granted him an audience.

The arrival of the Europeans (English, French, Portuguese) was the biggest tragedy for India. Though Indian kings could easily beat them and their navies, the Europeans exploited the disunity of Indian kings.

Anyway, that was a much needed kick in the ass for Indians because they had entered the dark ages, in terms of treatment of the lower castes, contempt for foreigners etc. They had become inward looking.

The bad karma was so bad that in 300 years, India was sucked dry by the English. It was the biggest loot in history. Imagine! What the Muslim invaders couldn't do in 700 years, the English did in 200. A country that never knew poverty, was reduced to slavery and poverty.

In fact, the English did that wherever they went - 3,000,000 Irish starved to death in Ireland. Scotland is today a shell of a nation - a once proud nation reduced to third world status.

The Welsh make regular trips to India begging for investment. If you read the papers, you'll be treated to news about the mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, making frequent trips to India, asking Indian companies to invest in London.

Followed by a Welsh delegation requesting the Indians to consider Wales rather than England as an investment destination.

Indians already own Corus - the UK's biggest steelmaker; Jaguar cars, Land Rover, and hundreds of British companies.

The funny thing is the English don't mind all this at all. It's the Aussies that can't stand all this - Indians buying up their mother country. Call it being holier than the pope.

Also, the Aussies think they can dominate the Indian Ocean rim. But the Big Brother here is India, folks. As long as the Indian Navy rules these waves, the Aussies have to be content with plying close to their shore.

It is this Indian domination in various spheres of life that the Aussies can't take. Economically, culturally, and now politically, India is throwing its weight around.

Every American president comes to India at least once - they realise that India is powerful, influential, a democracy and rich. American companies are full of Indians scientists, engineers, doctors. 100,000 Americans live and work in India. We buy each other's defence hardware. Americans want Indians to carry their instruments on an Indian moon mission.

And what does Australia do - supply us with iron ore, gold (India is the largest buyer of gold, 20% of worldwide production), raw diamonds, and all kinds of minerals.

The Aussies are like the average Joe who wins the lotto and wonders why he still remains a nobody. He drives an Aston Martin, lives in a mansion, and travels posh, but nobody salutes him or acknowledges him. Why, 'cause he's a nobody.

And cowards too. Now that Hayden realises that "uh oh, I have to face Indian crowds", he's asking for a patch-up. His cowardly behaviour in England is well known -standing at the square leg boundary, he shows the finger to the crowd when England loses a wicket and then slinks to near the wicket for the rest of the innings, too chicken to go back to the boundary and face the crowd. Sick!

Australia, get off my face.

[Bill]

Is Symonds roo steak worth $1.5 million becuase that is what he is going to paid for 6 weeks work.

[Dan Patel]

Seer a bit wrong,but little 'weed' and little 'master' still kick his sorry ass all de way to from Sysdney to Perth eh!!

Latest news from seer is Symonds still crying over his 'roo steak.

Or is it salt cod and kalaloo maaaaan.yaah maaaan.

[raja]

Tendulkar too good.

[Roy]

Wise ol Seer, see absolutely nothing!

[Dan Patel]

Just received a message from my seer, guru way high up in the Himalayas.

Us Indians don't really need the internet don't you know!

Wise seer says Ishant Sharma is going to kick Hayden's sorry ass all the way back to the pavilion.

Wise seer also says 'watch Hayden's sad sorry face as him walk to da pavilion',boy!

Him cock of da walk for nuffing'.

All hot air him Hayden boy, him!!

[Bufton Tufton]

The IPL will have the exact opposite effect of what people think. It will actually bring the players on each side together as they do not have nationalistic boundairies.

The IPL will help cricket and cricketers understand each other and dare I say......respect each other.

For that alone, it will be a very good thing.

[bull]

Australians don't want to come to India. Why would you want to come to a country where half the people are in abject poverty?

We are coming over to clean you up of all your money and suck you dry.

India is a wasteland.

A joke of a country and a joke of a race of people.

By the way India, never come back to Australia again cause you can't cope with a few names and you certainly can't play cricket.

[Jake]

John, do you still speak English or just gibberish.

Australia is such a better country than Enlgand, it is not funny.

Poor English people. Living in a 4th world country that has no relevance in the world any more.

Poor old English people. POMMYs are such soft people.

[John Jorrocks]

"Australians can verbalise each other all day and there is never any fighting that goes on."

Do you people still speak English down there? Between your bouts of frenzied verbalising, that is?

[Rakesh K. Simha]

Here it is straight from the Indian public - the aussies are not welcome in India. We don't want to see you play in the IPL.

The IPL owners are businessmen and they don't care about your obnoxious behaviour and your disdain for Asian people; they want you to perform in their circus but that's their prerogative.

But we don't want you to come. Just stay away from our country. Shame on you if you accept our money. Shame, shame, shame. Disgusting.

[Sir Cedrick Harkdwicke]

Australia are still World Champions by so far on the Test Cricket ICC Table it isn't funny. They would have to lose every series for a year for India or anyone lese to catch them.

The rest of the teams are all about the same, struggling to climb out of the pile.

[The Pav]

Hi Dileep,

As much as I love test cricket I have always struggled with the concept that it is the traditional form of the game.

I would be willing to guess that 99.9% of all cricket games played are limited over games. Tests are the the variant.

Ian Chappell said many years ago that if test cricke dies then it will be an inside job. Slow over rates, slow batting, defensive outlooks & playing for a draw & flat dead wickets. In other words boring cricket.

50 over cricket came about because tests were boring but over the years teams have converted it into a formula & it is now boring quiet often.

T20 arose to compensate for this. The trouble with T20 is that one bad over & the game is over.

There will be few competitive games. There is insufficient time to allow enough permutations come through.

In a few years people will become bored with T20. After all how many sixes can you see without becoming blase?

What next 10/10 the 5/5?

What will truly last is competitive games that twist and turn. That allow comebacks. That allow drama & passion to evolve. Does it get better than India's win after Waugh enforecd the follow on, The Ashes loss in 2005, the drama of Sydney 2008 an I could go on,

We will remember these eternally yet will struggle to recall any limited over games. I can remeber only two. Aust scoring 400 and losing and Bevan hitting the winning runs on the last ball against WI many years ago.

My memories of tests are legion.

In Australian cricket the team has aged as the money has increased. One advantage of IPL is that it has brought forward retirements.

Hopefully we will see Pomersbach, Marsh et al playing for Australia sooner rather than later. I am not concerned that promising younger players being picked off by the IPL. The franchise owners will want marketable names. These will have to be established over time in the ICC competitions.

Retiring players so often leave the game completely. Martyn hasn't played since he quit yet if he wants to perform in the IPL then he will need some practice so he may return to club cricket. If there is a collection of players at the end of their careers just playing IPL they may well remain in the club system to maintain form & fitness. What a boon for developing player

What needs to happen is for tests to be competitive, for ground facilities to be brought up to scratch ( what does the BCCI do with its billions?) and for active and successful junior development programs to be put in place.

Failure to do this is what will kill cricket let alone test cricket

[DON]

It is apparently clear that Mathew Hayden, has gone mad and sounds like a ravings of a grumpy old man calling names, challenging 19 yrs old to a boxing ring. His behaviour has been a true representation of the current Australian team. Who would soon be thrashed around by other teams. I can recollect every cricket playing nation having complained regarding the attitude and sporting spirit of this Australian cricket team.
Harbhajan is absolutely correct in stating that Australia's crown is slipping away. They even have problem's replacing an ordinary spinner. These are serious problem's.
Even CA is feed up with their players attitude, having at several times to check attitude and even censor their players. Players taking stand against their board, outrightly refusing to travel to Pakistan.
This current Australian team is totally out of control and hold no respect for their Board, opposition players,public image/opinion nor national pride.
Little wonder that Adam Gilchrist their most and only respected player decided to retire abruptly.

[Rada]

Dilip,

I have also asked myself the same question: Will the Indian public be able to muster up the same passion for their IPL teams, as for the National team? The answer is no, not really, for reasons you have already sketched out.
I am not too concerned about the IPL matches taking place in summer. These would be day/night games and should get over within 3.5 hrs, so what's the big deal?

[Dileep]

Some of the behaviour from both sides during this series would probably have embarrassed even the Spice Girls. Precious is the word that comes to mind...

[Sir Cedrick Harkdwicke]

There are more important issues in the world.

Like the Spice Girls not finishing their world tour.

[ivory tower]

Hayden clearly must have understood the consequences of calling an opposition player a weed in the environment we have today. Would Harbijhan calling him an ignorant redneck in return been tolerated - probably not.

The Indian sledging has been on the ground and we need to be careful when we start doing it off the ground. However this is generally how long sustaining rivalries are formed and when the game is a lopsided as it is currently, then any opportunity for this type of thing should be OK in my opinion.

Its not just CA that pander to the BCCI - it is the whole ICC. I think this is where the problem stems from. Agree that they are behaving like spoilt brats and that nothing that is going on now suggests anything is likely to change soon.

Best answer as it always has been is to give it to them on the ground. Keep beating them and eventually this stuff becomes meaningless. Am I the only one that thinks Shreesanth looks stupid for carrying on against Symonds after he basically wins the series off his own bat, Sharma goes for 70 in his 10 overs and then gives Symonds a send off at 5/300 or perhaps Harbijhan carrying on when he gets 5 wickets in a series at about 50 each??

I think the generalist view is that they are not helping themselves and it hardly matters when we continue to beat them easily.

You dont see Tendulkar or Kumble acting like this for good reason. They let their on field performances do their talking for them.