So what is the IPL all about?

Again another post long overdue (actually one year) but better late than never. I had planned to write this last year while I watched the IPL match between Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals at the Chepauk stadium and was reminded of the same when a similar match took place this year just a few weeks ago.

First of all, do any of you Chennaites, regret you didn't watch an IPL match at Chepauk this season? If you are planning to go to a match at Chepauk (well this year all matches here are done), it is my humble request that you don't because it can turn out to be one of most horrible experiences of your life, particularly if it is a day and night match. I am sure this is the case with the other stadiums too where the sun is shining hot and there is little cover from the light and heat.

Here is my personal experience. In the blistering heat of the afternoon sun, shooting those hot bright rays straight at me in my seats I almost thought I would faint of a heat stroke. Nothing can be more punishing and miserable than this. Till the match began I kept running out of the nearest exit to take shelter under any little shade that was available. God only knows how many times I did that. So what do you do in the heat? Drink as much water as possible. The stands that supply drinks and eatables are priced exorbitantly. All that pales to the dehydration you suffer. You keep drinking and there will literally be no end to it. The stalls that sell drinks, water and snacks are crowded and they make a killing because everyone is running for water. I must have gulped litres of water and soft drinks that day. Honestly, nothing beats the comfort of your sofa or your cool home for watching the IPL matches on your T.V.

I had been there for my son who wanted to watch Dhoni and Dravid up close. Other than the fact that you are close to them physically it is really difficult to tell if you were really watching Dhoni or Dravid because they are so far away. Many a time you end up looking at the giant screens there to get a better look at things happening on the ground. Compared to that your T.V now captures each and every moment of the game in HD clarity and with enough replays you get to see a match much closer than any spectator in the stadium, though you have to put up with the stale advertising on T.V.

You don't have to get dressed for the occasion (for ladies it is worse) as you do in the stadium. Dress or undress, you will be left soaking in your sweat. In Chepauk, it is a pity that the very seats and stands that hide the afternoon and evening sun remain vacant even for this year due to legal procedures and processes. What a miserable shame!

Here are some pics from last year's match I went to.

 



 Chaithu, hot and sweating in the seats.

The disputed seats offering shade. That's where one needs to be.

The seats at dusk. Thank God the sun is down.

So what's the IPL all about? If you ask me, it is nothing but a commercially successful sports-business model, imported, obviously from successful sports-models of the west. I am not ruling out that there is absolutely no talent but for those who admired the beauty of stroke play in Tests, the bashing and hitting T20 format offers hardly anything similar.

In 1998, while in the U.S. I went for my first and only ice-hockey game at The Mark, Davenport, Iowa. My boss was a ice-hockey player himself and he asked me to join him and his wife that evening. The local team, The Quad City Mallards were playing a rival team. For me, one thing, clearly, stood-out that evening, it was the voice of the two men behind the microphones who were cheering their team, making comments, announcements etc., Loud, clear and highly motivational these guys made the home-team feel really at home. You can hear this when you watch NBA matches too. The auditorium or stadium resonates with their sonorous voices and the way they pronounce certain words for dramatic effect. For instance while introducting the team they would say something like, "Ladies and Gentlemen, please welcoooome, the Quad City Mallaaaaaaaaards". In the IPL they have a similar person doing this kind of thing though not so dramatically as the guys I head during the ice hockey match. But the "dramatically" part is soon to follow as our folks are only adept at only one thing, "copying" and particularly things from the west. During the break between the first and second halves of the game there were other things going on like someone with a bazooka like gun shooting t-shirt balls into the audience. Then a game with small kids on skates also took place before they got the ice cleaned up for the second half. These kind of dramatic events will soon be incorporated into IPL too.

Slogan singing and shouting and booing which are perfected abroad are soon going to be copied too. Honestly Freddie Mercury and Queen's "We will, We will Rock you" makes me cringe every time they play it for the Chennai Super Kings. At IPL, DJ's play loud music through out the match. Whenever something favourable happens to a team, that team's signature tune or music is played and cheerleaders are up and dancing. Rajasthan Royals certainly had a better tune.

So is there anything good at the IPL? Yes, here they are, 1. If something happens close to where you are seated, it's real fun. One catch, I recall in particular was splendid but for the spectators located far away they are better off looking at the giant screen. 2. The amazing Spider Cam. I reallly loved this contraption and the way it moved all over the place. Note that whenever the spider cam moves closer to the seating area that portion of the crowd is up and cheering. This when cleverly inserted on T.V gives a false impression that the entire crowd at the stadium is up and cheering. 3. Sivamani - At Chepauk it looks like Sivamani the percussionist has an agenda of his own. His meagre drum set is moved by assistants all over the circumference of the ground and sometimes even in the midst of the dancing cheerleaders. He is in a very jolly mood, drumming, signing autographs and waving to the crowds as though they had all come only to watch him. 4. Finally, the cheerleaders. There were 6 of them for each team and in batches of three per dancing deck and therefore 12 in all. Honestly I was not prepared for what I was about to witness. The girls rock. I have to mention the girls of the CSK team. Skimpily attired they just made the place even hotter. One team, though not visible from my seats was located near and below where we were sitting. The other team was much farther away. One girl in that team was gyrating in such a fashion, I thought, only the pole was missing. The crowd located near that dancing three were definitely getting more than their money's worth. Honestly for the torture that you endure in the heat, they offer some respite. Actually I even felt sorry for them.

With all this activity going on the cosmopolitan crowd is euphoric. I was under the impression that for most of the spectators at the stadium there was nothing but a wild sense of Deja Vu.

With spot-fixing and with the current arrest of CSK's owner one wonders if entering the final for a 5'th time was also manipulated.

My advice - go to the venue and sell your tickets. You'll find takers, a dime a dozen. And watch IPL on your television set in the comfort of your home.

So where is cricket headed? T20 has converted cricket into a hitting game. Gone are the beautiful strokes of the Test matches but gone are also the innumerable hours that were taken from our exam study days. T20 has made cricket a much smaller game. Is it good for cricket? Cricket is gradually becoming something else. More on that in my next post.

Oh! I actually did in an earlier post. You can read it here.
 

Why Cricket can be converted to Baseball and soccer ditched for American Football

Two of the hottest sporting events currently underway are the English Premier League and the IPL.

Have you watched soccer matches lately? Despite the exciting moments in these matches what the players are constantly doing throughout are - kicking and tripping their opponents resulting in innumerable injuries, pulling at each others clothes, play acting and using hands to handle the ball many a time deceitfully. Trying to steal the ball from an opponent or stop him resembles a fight and very rarely enjoyable game play. Is there a match without fouls, injuries (some pretty serious), yellow and red card dismissals? No, there can never be. However in American Football all these are permitted and stopping an opponent physically, bringing him down, clashing, pushing, shoving are all acceptable. Players wear protective gear and are less prone to injuries. Players can also handle the ball by hand. When you watch these soccer guys actually fight for the ball you think they would be better off playing American football instead.

Furthermore Americans cannot stand putting up with low scoring games. We know of soccer "final" matches that were goalless even after extra time i.e after two hours of play. Finally deciding the games on penalty goals or sudden death (after the penalty goals cannot decide a match) is even more ridiculous. Americans would never entertain such a thing in their games.

And talking of Cricket I have two amusing incidents to write before I go on to explain why cricket is gradually going to become baseball someday.

In the first incident my boss at my first project in the U.S.A had gone to the U.K for an assignment where he had the misfortune of watching a cricket match on T.V. From his description it looked as though he had watched a Test match. He was telling me how irritating it was to watch a guy who kept hurling ball after ball for hours to a guy with the bat and the guy with the bat did nothing to hit the ball. Once in some 10 such throws the batsman would play it defensively. It was so boring he switched to another channel. In another incident some Indian developers who were working on an earlier project were asked to play baseball at a company event. To the amusement of the spectators the Indian players were running with the bat in their hands, after hitting the ball.

Considering the latest format of cricket, the T20, which is also its most enjoyable format in competitive cricket it is already beginning to look a lot like baseball.

First of all the game has turned into a hitter's game. People want to see runs and lots of them. Gone is the grace of the laid back stroke-filled play of the test matches that would go on for days. T20 all of a sudden even made the one-day 50-overs matches (ODI) look very long. Hitting is what they do in Baseball. No defensive play.

Even the current format of the T20 game can be improved further. Here are my recommendations, which will also propel the game further towards baseball.

1. Give each batsmen one more chance if he is out for a duck or before making 25 runs. How many experienced batsmen have been sent to the dressing room after facing just one ball. Certainly these guys need a second chance. I am not familiar with all the rules of Baseball but a hitter is given at least 3 opportunities before he is called "out".

2. Let fielders, at least those who are closer to the batsmen use gloves and other protective gear. Most of us who have played the game know that the cricket ball can be a lethal projectile. Cricketers have died after being hit by the ball, notable among them, Raman Lamba who at one time played for the national team. On second thought, if a batsman were to die from a ball that struck his head isn't the bowler culpable of murder?

For most of us who have played cricket we all know at least one person who has been hurt by the cricket ball. Teeth have been knocked off, people have been hit on the head, face and other parts of their bodies and the victims also include people who were neither spectators nor players. The list of broken window panes, damaged windshields and glass cases of automobiles and other household itmes is almost endless. We all know that the cricket ball is a pretty hard object. A new ball can travel extremely fast is both difficult and dangerous to catch or field. It is here gloves can make a huge difference. As in Baseball, with a single glove even a catch at forward shortleg can be caught easily.

To retain the gleam and shine of the ball all sorts of nauseating and disgusting things are done using sweat, saliva and what not to polish it. I am not getting into the world of ball tampering but players were fined or banned for indulging in it. Nothing of this kind exists in baseball.

Considering how bowlers like Malinga are bowling (there were several other bowlers who were actually throwing the ball) it looks as though in the future more bowlers will adopt this style (again like the throws in Baseball) instead of using the conventional over-the-shoulder bowling style. The over-the-shoulder bowling style is also the No.1 cause of shoulder injury among fast bowlers.

And finally the cheering (prompted via the public address system) and the cheerleaders already resemble American games.

Sreesanth, IPL and the swearing/spitting

Unless you turn a blind eye anyone could guess what the "F**" and "Be**" words are, being sworn by the players. And there's the incessant spitting by the players. Basketball is more tiring yet you never see anyone spit on the floor of the court. I guess you will be asked to go to the bench if you did. Unlike man's synthetic court in basketball, in cricket Mother Earth bears the brunt of the spitting players.

Meanwhile I really don't know why and what for Sreesanth seems to be so pissed off with almost every batsman he is bowling to. Staring angrily, facing the batsman in an intimidating stance with the ball in his hand (though trying to get the batsman run-out is the reason but it looks like he will hurl the ball on the batsmen instead) and muttering things as he goes about his bowling. In yesterday's match he was even found arguing with the batsmen. All this is not going to go well in his favour. He's already had a history of such tantrums sometimes going to the extreme (with Symmonds) and in some cases backfiring at him when he was slapped by Harbajan Singh last year. What a joy it was to watch him being thrashed the other day. 24 runs came off in just one over.

I actually like the fellow's efficient bowling style but instead of concentrating on his bowling that could make him a better bowler, Sreesanth's unnecessary and unwarranted aggression and superstitions (just check his mannerisms before each ball he bowls and check out all that luck talisman threads around his wrists and neck) is only going to ruin an otherwise promising career. Does the "santh" (meaning peace) in his name has any bearing?

Swearing IPL players

More than once we have seen it. "F***" and the notorious "Behan******" being boldly foulmouthed furiously and in in disgust by players. In the Kings XI versus Mumbai Indians I watched Irfaan Pathan utter the "Behan******" expletive in full and clear view of my TV during the concluding stages of the match where tensions were running high. Anyone could guess what came out of his mouth. I have seen similar foul mouthing scenes from other players too. I cannot recall now.

There are two things I like to ask here.
1. Should T.V channels display IPL players (whom many of the younger generation is looking up to) swearing without any inhibitions?
2. Should there be a code of conduct or a set of instructions telling players not to lose their cool and that they are being watched by millions?

I think both my questions carry weight though in the first question I can take it if TV channels were to tell me that it is difficult to edit or anticipate an IPL player swearing in a live telecast of the match.

But for my second question I think players should be shown their expletive-screaming-scenes and be told that millions are watching them do this. I can understand innocent children will not be able to make out these gestures but what of adults and senior citizens. Moreover players screaming such words near the microphone are also going to be heard.

IPL players need to focus on their manners too if not on their game.

IPL

Remember the horrendous days of watching Cricket Test matches on T.V where we had to wait for hours to watch a four or a sixer. Cricket both test or limited overs is a great game to play but to watch it is another thing. Ever since limited overs became the norm for competitive cricket watching cricket has been much more easier on the eye than test matches.

I also understand the beauty in playing a Test match but to watch it on T.V or from the stands can be a punishment.

My interest in cricket has waned over the years. A friend of mine and who is probably one of the best experts on the game even gave me adverse reports of the BCCI and several match fixing things of the past that made me ditch cricket for good although I always liked a good match.

The other aspect was the probability of the rate of victory for a team. Except for Australia who have been very consistent there was hardly any other teams that I thought was consistently winning. Worst of all was Ganguly's decision to field in the world cup that India reached after 20 years and lost it purely due the decision of going to field and that too after winning the toss. It was one of the most stupid decisions ever made and asking Australia to bat easily put the World cup in their lap. Australia thrashed India with the biggest scores ever in a World cup final. Who can then forget the way India struggled with under dogs Bangaldesh and even getting a bashing from them.

Enter IPL, the Indian Premier League. It has saved cricket and even got me to change my decision on abandoning cricket. In fact what IPL has served in the last one month of games has no parallel even from the limited 50 over version of the game played all these years. I have a strong feeling even the players who played IPL 20/20 may be reluctant to go back to play the 50-50 format. The Finals concluded yesterday and spectators and viewers got their money's worth. Honestly it feels a big void that there is nothing to watch on T.V from today evening onwards.

Though initially cheerleaders didn't fit in I think gradually the audience and viewers have accepted them. It still looked phony and poorly imitated from the west where even getting into the cheerleading team is considered a prestigious issue.

I have had the experience of watching live in Singapore a Pakistan vs India match live but I never enjoyed it amidst the heat and the sweat and the screaming. A friend who also went to one of the IPL matches in Chennai also had a similar story saying the noise was unbearable and one finds it difficult to appreciate the game. Even here I think imitating the shows abroad is more the norm.

However on T.V nothing came close to the entertainment IPL could deliver. If only they had cut down on the same ads being repeated all over again. But then that's how the sponsors and advertisers make their money, don't they? The excitement of watching live cricket with sixers and fours a plenty was truly a treat. Not forgetting the great, catches, bowling and dismissals. Truly IPL made this years summer vacation a great one. Looking forward to the next season.