Is India the New Mecca of Cricket ?
Is India the New Mecca of Cricket ?
Two British cultures have continued to greatly influence India even after its Independence:
1. The Education System. ( Indians schools continue to churn out babus )
2. Cricket . ( Yes Cricket !, I just read that the 2009 budget of NASA was only a fraction of IPL extravaganza)
Does the success of IPL indicate that India is the new Mecca of cricket? Has India really overthrown England from this crown? The fact can be argued with the following developments.
- 70 % of the cricket money is with BCCI
- 2 of the biggest cricketing extravaganzas (IPL & ICL) are in India. (which means that many international cricketers earn a living by playing in India)
- MRF pace foundation at Chennai trains the best bowling talent around the world.
- The public craze for cricket in India is unparallel to anything seen elsewhere.
Considering the above facts, one is tempted to agree with the fact that India is where the cricket is. But a careful study would indicate that this is far from truth.
- One only needs to look at the attendance of Ranji Trophy matches to know the love for cricket in India. Not only are spectators negligible, the amenities for players are far from ideal.
- Whereas the domestic cricket in England still draws a decent number of cricket lovers.
- 3 weeks of 20-20 cricket does not make the nation a Cricketing Superpower. In England, the duration of domestic cricket & the levels of professionalism are much higher.
- (Rana Naveed who was a good bowler and an average fielder during his stint with Pakistan, returned as an all rounder & an excellent fielder after his experience in county cricket. Even Zaheer found his rhythm once he spent a few days playing cricket in England.
- A country without a single umpire in the Elite panel certainly cannot claim to be the supreme power of cricket
The Verdict: - The birthplace of Cricket, “England” is still the Mecca of cricket.
|
 |
Did you enjoy this post? Why not leave a comment below and continue the conversation, or subscribe to my feed and get articles like this delivered automatically to your feed reader.
Comments
No comments yet.
Leave a comment