Skip to main content

The decline of cricket coverage in the Indian press

I remember the times when I used to really look forward to the cricket coverage in mainstream newspapers like the Hindu and the Indian Express  and of course my weekly copy of Sportstar. There was so much variety in the narrative styles and the topics covered, that a young boy like me who was just becoming familiar with the game learnt a huge amount from these publications.

The tremendous rise of the internet (and especially ESPNcricinfo) as means of cricket content consumption though has been accompanied by an equally precipitous decline in the standards of cricket coverage in these same publications of old. It could also be that I have learnt more about the game and hence am more critical/discerning. Or it could be that I don't bother to spend enough time looking outside Cricinfo and a few select blogs that I just don't find the other worthwhile pieces?

Whatever the reasons, the current reality is that my expectations tend to be really low from Indian newspapers and so when I do find a piece that's not the same old stuff regurgitated and is actually worth reading, it grabs my attention more than it would otherwise. Sandeep Dwivedi's recent piece on Zaheer and Yuvraj doing fitness work in France is one such. It may not be the best written but at least it focuses on a real story without hypothesising too much and also attempts to look (albeit somewhat briefly) at the humans behind the bowler/batsmen.

Indians don't suffer in comparison to other cricket playing countries when it comes to writing skills and cricket knowledge so how come none of the good writers choose to work for newspapers?
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Et tu?

As a single sport website, I think Cricinfo has brought about a revolution and the fact that they were bought by ESPN is testament to how highly valued they've become. Their editing and approach to articles/opinion has been refreshing to say the least and even though they seem to have had a lot of editorial staff movement they've usually maintained very high standards. Off late though, both in their headline styles as well as in actual content, there seems to be an occasional slippage of standards and an inching towards the modern media sensationalism which is a bit of a pity. This piece  by Siddharth Monga is a classic example. Granted that the last two press conferences by Dhoni and Sehwag  indicated clearly that the captain and his deputy did not agree on this aspect of selection but "discord", "dissent", "public sniping" feels rather presumptuous and heavy handed. Yes, it is a team sport but there is no reason why everyone on the team needs ...
1 comment
Read more

Quick singles: Why the double standards?

I'm no fan of David Warner's but for once, I'm firmly and squarely on his side . Sportspersons are probably treated the most unfairly by public opinion (and often the media) whenever they are involved in pay disputes. "Oh, look these millionaires are complaining about not getting paid enough" seems to be the gist of the general reactions. I find this attitude inexplicable at best and grossly hypocritical if I'm feeling less charitable. Like the rest of us, all athletes have the right to fight for what they think they should be paid. That is the fundamental part. In addition (and unlike many of the rest of us), most sportspersons operate in the knowledge that they only have a short period available as a performer, and therefore only a short period to maximise earnings. Most people that I know would behave exactly the same as Warner and his colleagues are doing. So why all the hue and cry?
Post a Comment
Read more

First thoughts on the Ashes

The only minor surprise for me in the 2013 Australian Ashes squad announced last week was the selection of James Faulkner ahead of Moises Henriques as the second all-rounder. Minor because given  the Shane Watson shenanigans of recent times, I would have thought that Inverarity and co would have opted for a second batting all-rounder (which is what Henriques clearly is). Instead they've gone with a bowling all-rounder in Faulkner and it'll be interesting to see what happens if Watson's batting woes in Test match cricket continue in the first two Tests. As for the rest of the squad, given the way the inexperienced batting performed in India, Rogers and Haddin were always going to make it in to the team and the choice of Khawaja over Smith appears sound too given that the latter's strength is in playing spin bowling. The batting still looks as unsettled and shaky as the Indian fast bowling line-up and its here that the series will be won or lost for the Aussies. The retu...
Post a Comment
Read more