Criticising the pitch a defence mechanism, believes Whatmore
BOON The IPL is a unique tuition with fabulous perks of watching top players and sharing the dugout populated by legends
Since one of the Indian Premier League’s (IPL) objective was to promote domestic cricket, there was widespread hope that better days would arrive for ordinary first-class cricketers.
For the foot soldiers of Indian cricket, this seemed a gamechanging moment. The IPL promised everything they dreamt of — job reservation (because of seven Indians in the playing-eleven rule), a massive platform to perform and a chance to share a dressing room with legends.
Not to forget the delicious sweetener, annual contracts that provided financial security.
The entire package was irresistible but nine years since its launch, the question arises has IPL delivered for domestic cricketers?
REAL PICTURE
The answer depends on the prism through which one looks at it and the filters applied to capture the real picture.
The business construct of IPL ensures the BCCI and owner/ promoter of the league is risk protected and assured of a handsome profit from the sale of media rights and central sponsorships.
The entire business risk stands transferred to the private owners of teams. The BCCI, conscious of the merits of vote bank politics, shares its surplus with its constituents, the state associations.
If IPL was supposed to shower riches on domestic players, this is yet to happen.
The beginning was encouraging as domestic players were contracted outside the auction and teams went on a recruiting spree, driven also by a clever motive to starve competition of young Indian talent. Later, when rules changed to draft domestic players into auctions the hiring slowed down.
Contrary to expectations, IPL’s commercial boom has touched only a few domestic players. This season, 135 Indian cricketers are contracted with teams.
Of these, approximately 50 are international players who are already financially secure. Only 48 players are at the minimum IPL wage (R10 lakh) and another 14 are in the R10-30 lakh range.
Once these numbers are analysed, the stark truth is rich Indian cricketers have become richer and only 25 or so domestic players (out of a pool of 1000-odd who feature in senior BCCI tournaments representing 28 teams) have come into life-changing money.
Yet, if not financially, India’s domestic cricketers have benefitted massively from the IPL. For young players, it’s a moneycan’t-buy experience, a unique tuition with fabulous perks of watching top players up close and sharing the dressing room populated by legends.
For them, the IPL is a six-week cricket masterclass in the best finishing school of the world.
The benefits of this priceless experience are clearly visible as the IPL-trained generation of Indian cricketers is physically fit, self confident and mentally strong. Nothing fazes them, least of all reputation, and being on the back-foot is not an option anymore.
But ultimately it’s the opportunity to perform that matters. For any young ambitious player, the IPL is a fantastic tournament that fast-tracks careers --- it is like taking a lift instead of the steps to reach the top! The India-Australia Test series will be remembered for a long time – there was intense competition between top two teams in the world, there were mind games and then, there was the pitch controversy. The first two Tests – in Pune and Bangalore – saw the Australian media come down heavily on Indian cricket. Both the pitches started to assist spinners from the first day itself and that led to the Australian media outburst. However, according to former Australia cricketer Dav Whatmore more than the players, it was media’s hype that led to the pitch controversy.
DEFENSIVE MECHANISM
“It is a defensive mechanism, more by the visiting media. I think from the players’ point of view, they know what to expect. It is not a surprise for players to turn up and know that the pitch is going to turn on Day One in India. But it makes for good reading,” Whatmore, who has coached teams like Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, told HT.
He added that professional players should be able to play on all kinds of pitches. “People should look in the mirror. As a professional player you should play on all kinds of surfaces. It is a test you have to pass. Smith passed it. One or two other players passed it,” Whatmore said.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) rated the Pune pitch poor while the Bangalore one was rated ‘below average’.
Whatmore added that even the subcontinent teams complain about pitches when they go overseas. But the intensity was not as much.
“Well, Sri Lanka did. They went to South Africa and Sanath Jayasuriya said he had never seen so much grass left on a pitch. Sri Lanka struggled to win games there. So, it happens in other countries as well, but you won’t hear as much,” he said.
CONTRARY TO EXPECTATIONS, IPL’S COMMERCIAL BOOM HAS TOUCHED ONLY A FEW DOMESTIC PLAYERS. THIS SEASON, 135 INDIAN CRICKETERS ARE CONTRACTED.