Well, it’s an experience. That’s about the only thing to say about the IPL.
This morning, I sat down with a large coffee and watched my first games of the relocated tournament. As an aspiring journalist, particularly one who likes cricket, I have tried to keep tabs on what is going on with the tournament – who is playing for who, when the big games are, who are the favourites.
Tried being the operative word.
Checking Cricinfo for yesterday’s results, I find that the Chennai Super Kings lost to the Mumbai Lambert and Butlers, and that Shane Warne’s Rajasthan Royals were thrashed by Kevin Pietersen’s Bangalore Royals. Well, something like that.
Rain held up the start of Delhi Daredevils and Punjab X-Men, and I, along with the rest of the viewing public, had to endure Dominik Holyer’s ill-informed banter will Darren Gough on Setanta. At least they had highlights of yesterday’s games.
Highlights. The word suggests that there was something worth watching which is probably not the best way of describing yesterday’s festivities .
The games themselves weren’t all that bad. Sachin Tendulkar’s batting for Mumbai showed there is a place for building an innings in Twenty20, while young Abhishek Nayar entertained the crowd by taking Andrew Flintoff to the proverbial cleaners.
But for every international star, there is a journeyman Indian medium pacer. The quality is polarised to the extreme. With the English first-class game, there is sometimes criticism that there are too many “nothing players” – players who have little chance of being stars and are content to potter around in the Shires.
Yet I would prefer that to having four players of world class and seven who would struggle to get in Derbyshire’s second eleven.
However, the worst thing about the IPL is it’s commercialisation Twenty20 has always been a business venture first and a cricketing spectacle second, but the IPL taken this aspect to an entirely different level.
A shot clearing the boundary is no longer a six, but a “DLF Maximum”. Take a game changing catch, or bowl a toe-crushing Yorker and it isn’t just a compliment the commentators give you, but a “Citi Moment of Success”.
There are “Strategic Time-Outs” instead of drinks breaks, and Robin Jackman is permanently chatting with his co-commentator about the “Search for a Bollywood Star” from the crowd.
It’s cricket, Jim, but not as we know it.
The ECB are believed to want to run an English Premier League alongside the Twenty20 Cup. I love Twenty20 – but only in moderation. I believe that an English Premier League could work, providing the ECB doesn’t go into overkill mode – which they invariably will.
If the EPL turns out like the IPL, it will loose all credibility. The key will be to keep the “Englishness” and not bow to Americanisation.
Hamming up Twenty20 is just not cricket.
By Tom Snee, Live Media UK
This morning, I sat down with a large coffee and watched my first games of the relocated tournament. As an aspiring journalist, particularly one who likes cricket, I have tried to keep tabs on what is going on with the tournament – who is playing for who, when the big games are, who are the favourites.
Tried being the operative word.
Checking Cricinfo for yesterday’s results, I find that the Chennai Super Kings lost to the Mumbai Lambert and Butlers, and that Shane Warne’s Rajasthan Royals were thrashed by Kevin Pietersen’s Bangalore Royals. Well, something like that.
Rain held up the start of Delhi Daredevils and Punjab X-Men, and I, along with the rest of the viewing public, had to endure Dominik Holyer’s ill-informed banter will Darren Gough on Setanta. At least they had highlights of yesterday’s games.
Highlights. The word suggests that there was something worth watching which is probably not the best way of describing yesterday’s festivities .
The games themselves weren’t all that bad. Sachin Tendulkar’s batting for Mumbai showed there is a place for building an innings in Twenty20, while young Abhishek Nayar entertained the crowd by taking Andrew Flintoff to the proverbial cleaners.
But for every international star, there is a journeyman Indian medium pacer. The quality is polarised to the extreme. With the English first-class game, there is sometimes criticism that there are too many “nothing players” – players who have little chance of being stars and are content to potter around in the Shires.
Yet I would prefer that to having four players of world class and seven who would struggle to get in Derbyshire’s second eleven.
However, the worst thing about the IPL is it’s commercialisation Twenty20 has always been a business venture first and a cricketing spectacle second, but the IPL taken this aspect to an entirely different level.
A shot clearing the boundary is no longer a six, but a “DLF Maximum”. Take a game changing catch, or bowl a toe-crushing Yorker and it isn’t just a compliment the commentators give you, but a “Citi Moment of Success”.
There are “Strategic Time-Outs” instead of drinks breaks, and Robin Jackman is permanently chatting with his co-commentator about the “Search for a Bollywood Star” from the crowd.
It’s cricket, Jim, but not as we know it.
The ECB are believed to want to run an English Premier League alongside the Twenty20 Cup. I love Twenty20 – but only in moderation. I believe that an English Premier League could work, providing the ECB doesn’t go into overkill mode – which they invariably will.
If the EPL turns out like the IPL, it will loose all credibility. The key will be to keep the “Englishness” and not bow to Americanisation.
Hamming up Twenty20 is just not cricket.
By Tom Snee, Live Media UK
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