Cricket’s hierarchy
Shyam Impett is overjoyed that cricket is being played again
If someone had told me last year that 2020 will be when the world will be brought to its knees and the number one commodity would be a surgical mask, I’d have laughed and said: “Mate, quit dreaming!” Yet, here we are, smack bang in the middle of the worst pandemic the modern world has seen. Thankfully, things are slowly getting back to normal; or rather, a ‘new normal.’ We’re in an era where a hug doesn’t make one feel safe and a sneeze receives a death stare rather than a courteous ‘bless you!’
It was refreshing to see the world of sport picking up pace in or around July… and we were elated to see cricket spring back to life. And while the game is presently being played under strict COVID-19 guidelines such as ‘bio-secure bubbles,’ what’s important is that cricket is breathing again.
The absence of spectators at the matches certainly hinders the atmosphere but I’m happy there’s something new to feast my eyes on TV instead of the stale repeats we’ve been offered during the lockdowns.
The opening Test of the England-West Indies series was the best curtain raiser the game could have asked for. The excitement, magic, suspense and absolute joy of watching such a close game from home on TV redefined and enhanced my love for Test cricket all over again.
Now imagine how much more amazing it could have been with crowds in the stands. You could see in the mellow celebrations that even the players would have loved to have played in front of a full house.
But as the saying goes, ‘it is what it is.’
At this point, I’d rather have this than nothing at all. The Indian Premier League (IPL) too is around the corner, and there’s an undeniable sense of excitement building up in the hearts and minds of many a cricket fan. However, it is sad to learn that Sri Lankan legend Lasith Malinga will miss this season for personal reasons.
Bangladesh are scheduled to tour Sri Lanka in October and November, and work is underway to accommodate the visitors. This offers Sri Lanka a chance to witness and play some much needed international cricket. It will also be interesting to see if this will be the first time fans are allowed to watch the matches from the stands.
Many big names did well at the recent Premier Division Tournament and the suspense of whether or not we will see new blood in the Test side is consuming me.
The more exciting news from a Sri Lankan point of view is that the Lanka Premier League (LPL) is heading towards a November 2020 kickoff. The LPL has been three years in the making and at one point this year, it seemed like a complete no-show.
Kudos then to Sri Lanka Cricket and the brains behind making this possible.
The tournament will feature five teams with close upon 70 international players in the fray. The exposure this will offer our first-class cricketers – not to mention the confidence boost it will provide to the world of cricket (especially the ICC, which is looking for possible substitute venues for the T20 Cricket World Cup) – cannot be underestimated.
If we can host this tournament well, Sri Lanka could well be the go-to place for safe and secure world cricket here in Asia.
One can’t deny that Sri Lanka has handled the COVID-19 situation commendably over the last six months – much better in fact, than our international cricketing counterparts. So maybe it’s time the world seriously considers Sri Lanka as a safe and neutral venue for world cricket.