What if cricket had the status of soccer, I wonder.. Such numerous playing nations alongside with high profile Leagues and International fixtures, would cricket be less followed than soccer? Moreover, is the game still fascinating you in the same way?
Don’t get tangled, let me explain.
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| Sri Lanka Premier League 2012 |
This is the 3rd quarter of the year, and once again we’ve authenticated
another T20 League to bear. The
T20 trend that began with the
Bangladesh Premier League in late March, August complemented another Asian child to their sole mother –
Indian Premier League. With the
Twenty20 Cricket World Cup in line, followed by the 4th edition of
Champions League T20 in October; I can hardly see any need of such a tournament.
Isn’t the Lankan board aware of Team India’s fate due to IPL? The entire world has witnessed how pathetically the Indians fell down in the last two T20 World Cups – 2009 and 2010, with Champions status back in 2007.
Prior to the prestigious T20 WC tournament, the Indian players were completely absorbed by a demanding and lucrative T20 league – the IPL, which not only shattered them into the club-pieces, but also gifted ill-affordable fatigue and paid injuries. As a result, the team didn’t even click as a unit; nevertheless there wasn’t enough time to gel up either.
What will happen if the Lankans fair poorly at the T20 WC with due name and fame in front of the home crowd? Would anyone come ahead to take account of failure at the supreme level? Or, does your countryman not care to hold such epic loss?
You know, the
Lankans have been continuously playing non-stop cricket since August 2011 – the beginning of their home season. In the
recent series against India, they gestured for a needed break. Tired body language, mental fatigue, and drooped shoulders failed to spark a winning spirit as a team.
It’s time to bind your players as a unit instead of stretching them into several colorful outfits to obtain profits. The World Cup is approaching, come on!
What has happened to these cricket boards, I ask vividly. You can’t use talent this way. It is not a way to nourish future cricketers. It’s a good practice to provide a high level cricket environment for adolescents but mind you, they follow where you guide. For them, it is a learning process, not improvising.
It is understandable to follow one’s idea but you’re not forced to follow the same, are you? Can’t they come up with a similar age, or even first class cricketers equation? Just like we have an age restriction formula for several tournaments – under-15, under-17 and under-19 to name a few.
Instead of adding International players of all ages, SLC had new concepts to look at. After all, it is said to be their “domestic tournament”, isn’t it? I won’t blame the BCB and SLC for the concept of BPL and SLPL. The charm and identity IPL has brought to the cricket world at the initial level can attract anyone.
There should be an advancement from traditional methodologies and concepts of learning processes. But at the same time, you need to show concern about the affected budding cricketers. Giving them a T20 environment at an early age won’t save your test cricketers, let me say.
Having many veterans or reckoned international players’ retirement as a new ‘cricket trend’, how would you encourage your boys to play for the nation? Your T20 leagues are already giving them enough advertisement, headlines and livelihood. I’m not saying we need to stop these T20 leagues for the sake of the betterment of cricket. But there should be some provisions and policies which not only provide better cricket conditions for the young guns, but also boost sportsmanship and pride to represent the nation in the international arena.
From 2008 to 2012, we’ve seen three nations came up with separate T20 leagues; wisely tagged under ‘domestic tournament’ to earn world class fame and monetary benefits. And, of course, I won’t surprise with another ‘+1’ !
By the way, would you mind answering me this: with CLT20 established as the ‘battle of the world’s best cricket club’, do we need the T20 World Cup any more? I mean, if every ICC member starts their own T20 league we can hardly have enough time to ‘fit’ the WC there!
Still, I won’t hesitate to ask – can anyone guarantee those documented beliefs and widely spread promises? Can you assure me – by keeping your gems busy, at both International and National Level cricket activities, there will be betterment of cricket instead of cricketers?
Do we badly need a T20 league?
