Playing for free

Luke Pomersbach, who enjoyed 15 minutes of fame in the Twenty20 game against New Zealand last December, will be among those up for auction during the IPL's second round of bids on Tuesday. The left-hander, who can boast of centuries against England and South Africa in tour games, appears to be pretty desperate to be part of the inaugural edition.

"I am pretty excited about it, because I did not think I would have a chance, but I have, and it will be a chance to play with some serious cricketers," he was quoted as saying. Fair enough, till you come to the next line. "I would be happy to go over for free and play that standard of cricket and cricketers. I will be able to learn so much from them, but I will take
anything I can get."

He's probably sincere, but it just doesn't sound right. Even in this crassly commercial age, you still get boys from Bandra, the Mumbai suburb where Tendulkar was raised, dreaming of representing their city and their state, just as you get kids in Sydney suburbs like Liverpool wanting to follow Michael Clarke's path into the Australian side. Were any of them to tell you that they'd play for free in return for a baggy green cap, you wouldn't be cynical.

When you have a Western Australian getting so excited about the chance to play for the Mumbai Indians or the Chennai Superkings, you just wonder about the direction that cricket's taken.

I know some might say that it's no different from a kid in Melbourne wanting to play for Manchester United, or one in Havana wanting to pitch for the New York Yankees. In my view, there's a huge difference though. United and the Yankees have so much history and tradition, and it's perfectly plausible that someone 10,000 miles away would dream of playing for them.

A few decades will need to pass by and the IPL will need to endure for the franchises to acquire anything like the same legendary status. Till then, protestations of playing for the badge are likely to ring hollow.

Comments

[SanjayN]

Sadly, I doubt anyone is going to get bored with Twenty20. The fact is that several decades ago we started witnessing a dumbing down of the cricket fan, particularly on the Asian subcontinent.

In India, it really started with Kapil Dev and the '83 WC win. I often wonder why no-one discusses his irresponsible shot in the '87 WC Semi-Final which cost India an opportunity to defend its title. The bowler was Hemmings but ask any Indian and they will recall four sixes (or sixers as they say) by Kapil of Hemmings in a different game altogether. You see it's the big hits that they want to see.

The subtleties and nuances of Test cricket no longer appeal to the Asian public and they will love T20. The only country that guarantees a full house in Test cricket - even against Bangladesh - is England. That's an anomaly for even in England, FC 4-day cricket is watched by a man and his dog. It's the one day and particularly T20 variety that pulls in the crowds and the revenues.

[Amit]

Wow.. Alan is mad .. wonder what buttons the Indians pushed.

I am glad his comments are still here. Now, we know.

[Dan Patel]

Rohit, see there you go again running to the 'umpire' when you don't like what Alan says. As an Indian(from East Africa),I am appalled by those who play for,watch and run Indian cricket.

Has it ever occured to you that what Alan says might have a grain of truth to it.

People like you from India now believe that your so called 'wealth'gives you the right to behave in an arrogant manner.

[alan]

Rohit and others,my issue is with bullies in genral not just the BCCI but the whole cricketing structure. How can the game progress when each nation in turn uses their stregth to push its own barrow.

As for being called a bigot, sobeit, bigotry has its place particularly when being bullied on the basis of strength and percieved excellance.

frankly I think cricket is very boring but found the need to express an opinion regarding the recent tour and the now posturing by the BCCI and its supporters.

if I have offended again sobeit but please understand my right to have and express an opibnion.

[Robert]

Alan, the Indians are a peace loving people. They want a piece of this, a piece of that...

Get over yourself. The Indians have the money and it is only right that they are listened to. They have every right to push their weight after the years of shabby treatment from an ICC run by the English and Australians. It's called karma. Whilst I'm not enamoured of the BCCI it is pathetic how so many cricket fans disguise their racism behind a line about concern for the well being of the game. Where was that concern when the Aussie and English run ICC was acting in their own self interests?

[Rohit]

Can u really allow such xenophobic comments without moderation???? ( Alan comments). Well looks like u can so here goes. Was that a two faced, back stabbing dog?? No, its Alan. Alan wake up and smell the cofee. It ain't the MCC any longer. So no use whinging like an idiot. Get used to being bullied by "a country with few wealthy people". Bigots like you deserve nothing better!!

[alan]

ks, my bile rises in any situation where it is clear that contempt is the underlying motivation in determining commentary.

My bile also and equally rises at the contempt shown by the autralian cricket authorities in their management of the teams histrionics.

My issue with the BCCC is that when they were the poor relations it was what about me, now it is about how much can we bully.

I would have thought, maybe that is my mistake, that given the previous issues that the indian cricketing fraternity would be just that fraternal.

Perhaps the doorsa could take his picture of haberjhan singh off his screen saver and put Sachin back.

[KS]

"They have gone from being the most impoverished country in the world to the most impoversihed country in the world witha few really wealthy people, old story you can take the indian out of the gutter but you can't ........."

Alan, quick, get someone to do the Heimlich manouevre on you before you choke on your bile. And as for your gutter comment, to loosely paraphrase Gandhi: Those who only see gutters are condemned to being drain inspectors all their lives. Try living above ground once in awhile.

[alan]

The doosra's comments just show the contempt that the indians have for the rest of the cricketing, no the sporting world.

They have gone from being the most impoverished country in the world to the most impoversihed country in the world witha few really wealthy people, old story you can take the indian out of the gutter but you can't ..........

[Steve]

Not everybody is as cynical as you, Dileep. Pomers will be a genuine innocent abroad. But his main aim is to catch the attention of CA, not the IPL, which is merely a means, as he sees it, to an end that includes the Baggy Green. Whether the IPL last five years or five minutes is of less interest to him, I imagine, at this point in his career.

Perhaps they don't make them anymore like that where you come from.

[The Pav]

Trust me. He's for real and there is good reason. Apart from playing with top class players in front of big crowds and seeing a new country (well the hotels at least) a good season would set him up for a good contract.

Given the way he hits the ball he should go for a motza.

MY question is how long do you think T20 will last before evrybody gets bored with this shallow form of the game