I've been lucky this year that the busiest period at work has coincided with the lull in the international cricketing calendar. So just before the new season kicks off tomorrow (though NZ-Ban is almost like a season warm-up), thought I'd pen down a few random (mostly unconnected) things that have floated across my mind since the Ashes wound down.
1) Modern day captains have it really hard: Michael Clarke is the most obvious example of this but looking around, I find it really odd/surprising that even the most successful captains like Cook, Dhoni, and Smith still face such barrages of criticism at times for mostly minor things. Its almost as if results are not what matters but how you deliver them which seems backward to me. Maybe its just that in today's world, memories get shorter and shorter and you're judged in an instant by media and fans with little patience.
2) Pot, Kettle, Black: Its the in-thing these days to blame all of cricket's ill on the BCCI's excesses and malpractices. Whether its the perceived decline of Test cricket, players putting club before country, match fixing or even the slump that individual sides like Australia, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka (insert your favourite team) face, Srinivasan and co are responsible. Now at one level, I feel like Sidin Vadukut and as an Indian fan, don't understand why the supporters are linked to the board. But more importantly, what gets me is the hypocrisy that's evident in these claims. Call me cynical but I would venture that any board that drives as much of the commercial element of the game as the BCCI does would behave in exactly the same manner. They might cover it up better because of cultural differences and the fact that some countries like Australia and England know how to couch things better. Money drives all of them ultimately and its just a coincidence that that rise of money in cricket has coincided with the rise of the BCCI.
3) Cricket coverage is still in the old media age: With the notable exception of ESPNcricinfo, its shocking how poor the digital coverage of the game is despite the fact that we're in 2013. Mike Jakeman has a great thought piece here on how some aspects of this can be changed but by and large there's been little that most boards (or the ICC) have done to revolutionize the coverage of the game and reach the millions of followers who can't watch live cricket (at the ground or on TV). Cricket is not alone here though so maybe there's a nice business opportunity awaiting here to be tapped across all sports.
4) 'A' team cricket flourishes again: One of the things that concerned me in recent times was the seeming lack of bench strength for most international teams particularly in the longer formats. The IPL and other T20 leagues has meant that most teams have a big pool of players with good international experience to call upon for the shortest format, but more hearteningly, the recent revival in A team cricket is hopefully going to change things for the other formats too. England set the benchmark a few years ago with a well planned and structured programme for the Lions and now other countries are following suit, though some like India are still obsessed with the individual rather than the team :-)
A final word on the upcoming season. Now that the India-South Africa series looks in jeopardy, the Ashes are the real highlight though Dhoni and his men will aim to make the most of their series against WI and NZ. Anytime that NZ plays more Tests than England and South Africa in a season, you know that something's not right.
1) Modern day captains have it really hard: Michael Clarke is the most obvious example of this but looking around, I find it really odd/surprising that even the most successful captains like Cook, Dhoni, and Smith still face such barrages of criticism at times for mostly minor things. Its almost as if results are not what matters but how you deliver them which seems backward to me. Maybe its just that in today's world, memories get shorter and shorter and you're judged in an instant by media and fans with little patience.
2) Pot, Kettle, Black: Its the in-thing these days to blame all of cricket's ill on the BCCI's excesses and malpractices. Whether its the perceived decline of Test cricket, players putting club before country, match fixing or even the slump that individual sides like Australia, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka (insert your favourite team) face, Srinivasan and co are responsible. Now at one level, I feel like Sidin Vadukut and as an Indian fan, don't understand why the supporters are linked to the board. But more importantly, what gets me is the hypocrisy that's evident in these claims. Call me cynical but I would venture that any board that drives as much of the commercial element of the game as the BCCI does would behave in exactly the same manner. They might cover it up better because of cultural differences and the fact that some countries like Australia and England know how to couch things better. Money drives all of them ultimately and its just a coincidence that that rise of money in cricket has coincided with the rise of the BCCI.
3) Cricket coverage is still in the old media age: With the notable exception of ESPNcricinfo, its shocking how poor the digital coverage of the game is despite the fact that we're in 2013. Mike Jakeman has a great thought piece here on how some aspects of this can be changed but by and large there's been little that most boards (or the ICC) have done to revolutionize the coverage of the game and reach the millions of followers who can't watch live cricket (at the ground or on TV). Cricket is not alone here though so maybe there's a nice business opportunity awaiting here to be tapped across all sports.
4) 'A' team cricket flourishes again: One of the things that concerned me in recent times was the seeming lack of bench strength for most international teams particularly in the longer formats. The IPL and other T20 leagues has meant that most teams have a big pool of players with good international experience to call upon for the shortest format, but more hearteningly, the recent revival in A team cricket is hopefully going to change things for the other formats too. England set the benchmark a few years ago with a well planned and structured programme for the Lions and now other countries are following suit, though some like India are still obsessed with the individual rather than the team :-)
A final word on the upcoming season. Now that the India-South Africa series looks in jeopardy, the Ashes are the real highlight though Dhoni and his men will aim to make the most of their series against WI and NZ. Anytime that NZ plays more Tests than England and South Africa in a season, you know that something's not right.
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