In India, cricket surely was not just a game from the very beginning and especially from the day when Kapil Dev and gang brought the World Cup to India back in 1983. It has been a gluing factor in our country. People of different caste and religions, varied backgrounds, are brought on the same page while talking about cricket. Thus it had a unifying effect in a truly diverse country.
But I believe a new dimension to the game has been added since the inception of T20 pattern. The monetary issues surrounding the Indian T20 version; IPL, have made me think that whether players now play for the love of the game or somewhere at the back of their mind they know that it is a highly revenue generating mode of income. I sometimes wonder whether the players even think of these issues before going into the arena of cricket because if they don’t then the spirit still prevails but if they do then God only save the game.
I feel it is not players fault at the end because any person will be influenced by the monetary gains as well as the publicity gained while he plays IPL. For instance the Chennai Super Kings owners have announced to award Rs 10 crores to the team and support staff. Also the players are “bought” for some amount for the franchise. Also players get to sign up for various ad campaigns and many other such events. I had never dreamt of spotting a cricket player on page three. But it is happening and the trend is just picking up. So it is money and fame pumping in for them from all the directions.
Cricketers are given the same status as that of any movie star in India. But after the inception of IPL they are perceived to be the “larger than life” characters. But is it really necessary to award that sort of status to them? Now with such a huge amount of money being pumped in the game, it has become just the mode of entertainment. The spirit of the game is lost in the want of money. If not so, then I don’t understand that why Gambhir is out on bench taking rest for his shoulder injury now when he was a preferred captain when Dhoni was not going to play in the West Indies tour. Shouldn’t he have taken responsibility for his own health? How come he could not figure it out that there might be some issue with his shoulder? Was he kept in dark by KKR authorities or he intentionally chose to do what he did? These are some questions which boggle my mind when I think whether players play for the sake of playing or they play for money.
well said.. every one has his own opinion about the money that is flowing in the game. Some like the concept of IPL as it gives a opportunity to the players to showcase their talent. But some think the contrary, for them IPL is a waste of money and time. The fact that the league is in its 4th year suggests something. But one thing is sure, IPL is spinning big money. And the "lesser" players are getting paid handsomely, which they did not think of 5 years back.
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