| For starters this is not another article written after | | | | so much money so early in their playing careers are |
| an Indian cricket team loss. This article wants to go | | | | allowing this temporary success getting in to their |
| beyond the criticisms about the IPL and wants to | | | | heads. Clear example from the present situation can |
| look into the aspect whether the IPL is really | | | | be given of Murali Vijay. A fortnight ago, he was the |
| benefiting Indian Cricket? Is it worth any of the | | | | man in form, trashing bowlers to all corners of the |
| millions of dollars spent in the name of cricket meets | | | | park. A fortnight later, in Indian colours he has no idea |
| entertainment? Because for every Indian, cricket is | | | | how to connect bat with ball. |
| not just entertainment. Cricket is life. We have seen | | | | Another reason for this dismal performance in the |
| people die of heart attacks because of close cricket | | | | T-20 world cup can be the IPL burnout. After all, our |
| matches. In India, for entertainment we have | | | | cricketers are also humans. And human body is just |
| Bollywood. And that's the way it should be. | | | | like a machine, the more it works the more it wears. |
| What has this IPL frenzy has done is, it has taken | | | | The very sight of someone as tired looking as |
| cricket out of the sanctity of the hallowed cricket | | | | Zaheer Khan explains this. IPL has taken every sap |
| grounds to utter nonsense of advertisement | | | | of energy and enthusiasm from our players. |
| revenue. IPL is nothing but a platform for advertiser | | | | So the answer to the question that, has IPL |
| to pay absurd amount of money to the television | | | | Damaged Indian Cricket, is that using the word |
| channels. Players are paid humongous amount of | | | | damage is not right. But it has certainly hurt Indian |
| money, are made demi-gods overnight and they go | | | | cricket. And hurted Indian cricket it in a very big way. |
| into tournaments like the world cup all tired and | | | | But what is the way ahead? And that is a very |
| exhausted but with huge sums of money in their | | | | important question. Because there is no point, pointing |
| banks accounts. | | | | out something wrong, unless you suggest ways of |
| It's true that IPL has provided great opportunities to | | | | correcting it. I am no expert in devising ways but as |
| young Indian domestic players to come into national | | | | an Indian cricket fan, I believe that the easiest way |
| limelight and rub shoulders with the best players in | | | | would be to control the amount of money being |
| the world, which would not have been possible | | | | poured into the IPL. The cricketers should learn by |
| otherwise. But that does not take anything away | | | | heart and repeat it every night before going to sleep |
| from the silly bid to commercialise the sport. As if it | | | | this line that the Aussie great Allan Border once said, |
| was not before. | | | | "Take care of the runs, the Dollars will Flow". Sadly |
| Indian cricket had always been subject to | | | | our Indian cricketers are running after the dollars and |
| commercialisation but IPL has just sounded the death | | | | their runs are drying up. |
| knell. Young Indian cricketers who have never seen | | | | |