Balance to retain dignity of cricket & player needed

Gurbachan Jagat

Former Governor, Manipur

Just a few days ago, the final match of the ICC World Test Championship took place between the teams of Indian ‘millionaires’ and Australian professionals. The Aussies won the match by a wide margin as the Indians put up a tired, jaded performance. Please excuse them as most of them had come from almost three months of the IPL, whereas probably only two of the Aussies participated in the IPL.

I have started with the final scene whereas I should have started from the beginning, that is, the beginning of my memories of cricket from the 1950s. One was in school at Pune and cricket was the flavour of those times. Of course, there was only Test cricket then and the Ranji Trophy. The Test-playing countries were England, Australia, South Africa, India, West Indies and Pakistan. The Test matches were played over five days, with a day of rest in between. The top cricketers of those days are still the legends of today and, if I remember correctly, they were all amateurs. They had jobs in the private or public sectors. The names come flooding into the mind, but it would be a longish list from another world.

It was in the 1970s that we saw the advent of the limited-overs cricket when Kerry Packer (an Australian millionaire, along with the Nine Network, which he owned) organised the World Series. The feeling at the time was that players were not paid enough to be full-time cricketers. Also, the advent of colour TV had led to a greater interest in sports television, leading to the unavoidable correlation of sports, corporate sponsorship and television exposure. Notably, not a single Indian player participated in this series. I would like to quote Sir Donald Bradman (he did not like to be addressed as ‘Sir’): “I set great store in certain qualities which I believe to be essential in addition to skill. They are that the person conduct his or her life with dignity, with integrity, courage, and, perhaps, most of all, with modesty.” The Don himself was the embodiment of all these qualities. What do we see on display today?

As technology has grown — and it has by many leaps and bounds in the past few decades — the greatest impact has been felt in communication and the medium through which it is transmitted. From newspapers and radio, we have moved to handheld devices of vast computing power, capable of delivering real-time news telecasts, event coverage, videos, movies, podcasts, et al. The entertainment industry has grown manifold and is intensely competitive with many a channel/app/website vying for attention and a new lexicon of ‘hits’, ‘views’, ‘followers’, ‘likes’, etc has evolved. The graphics have become more innovative and eye-catching, the result being that the attention span of the viewer is gradually reducing — he expects instant gratification. Gone are the days of five-day cricket or, for that matter, even the 50-over format is fast becoming history. The time of the T20 is here. The corporates love it, the media and advertisement companies are all over it and, more importantly, the crowds love the intensely charged adrenalin-filled theatre — our new gladiators regaling the crowds to feats of sixes and fours. The question in all this is — is it cricket?

The BCCI has become richer and the IPL auctions involve players from all over. The BCCI, run by politicians, is the richest cricket board in the world and is in a position to bestow huge financial favours on cricketers and organisers. Like in the slave markets of yore, the players are put up for auction and the franchises put in their bids. In all this, where are the dignity and integrity of the individual and the game? When you become a commodity and the franchisee treats you as it wants to? Mitchell Starc, the Australian fast bowler who withdrew from the IPL, told The Guardian, “But it also about getting myself into a position where I can play my best cricket for Australia….I don’t regret any of it, money will come and go, but I’m very grateful for the opportunities I have had. For over 100 years of Test cricket, there have been less than 500 men who have played for Australia. That in itself makes it very special to be a part of.”

With all the money at its disposal, the BCCI could have started academies in all states to groom youngsters with the skills and values integral to being not only great athletes but also humble human beings. Not only cricket, but other less fortunate sports associations could be helped. For example, the hockey association, where a new revival is taking place, or in athletics, where dozens of Chopras (javelin throwers) are waiting for support.

From the sponsorships of brands and ads, cricketers are the new models of today. They are giving Bollywood a run for its money — they sell just about everything. In fact, the worlds of Bollywood and cricket are getting enmeshed and power marriages are taking place, bringing in a new era of matrimonial alliances. Today, the earnings of our top cricketers run into hundreds of crores of rupees and in one case, they are said to have crossed Rs 1,000 crore. Add to this mix the bookie — can he be left out when big money is floating around? Common people, rich people are all betting on matches…over by over and ball by ball, the ‘satta bazaar’ is involved in a big way. From amateur cricketers who played for the love of the game but had no money to a world where money is the sole purpose, it has been a quick decline.

Can’t we find a balance and retain some of the dignity of the game and the player? It is inspiring to see some players from remote parts of the country finding success and glory. They are not only finding fame but also carrying their families along. But is auctioning them to the highest bidder and endlessly milking the game for corporate profit the only route left? I wonder what the old greats would say if they were around now, men such as Lala Amarnath, Vijay Merchant, Vijay Hazare, Vinoo Mankad… I quote the Don once again: “Reading poetry and watching cricket were the sum of my world, and the two are not so far apart as many aesthetes might believe.” He was, of course, talking of Test cricket.

The writer is former Chairman, UPSC, and former DGP, BSF/J&K

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