The entire cricketing world turned on it's head when the Indian team won the Cricket World Cup(CWC). Given the richness in talent and form, they played well as expected and won emphatically.
When it mattered, the BCCI also flexed it's money muscles and ensured that the team was never shortchanged. Whether it be television or sponsorship rights, the BCCI has ensured that the valuations never go down and stretched them to the limit to ensure it's coffers are full, no matter what.What was started by Jagmohan Dalmiya has been carried forward, very effectively, by Sharad Pawar and Co. And now with Sharad Pawar becoming the President of the ICC, things look more rosy for Indian cricket than ever before.
With the advent of the IPL, budding cricketers can look at a good future as players even if they don't make it to the final eleven. This initiative of the BCCI will spawn a completely new set of careers for cricketers, support staff, commentators and officials from across the country and beyond.
But while everything, with our favorite sport, is hunky dory, it's happening only in India. One gets a feeling that as time goes on the game will get restricted only to Indian shores. A sport will grow only if more countries take to it, more people start understanding and playing the same. Till such time cricket crosses the Atlantic, moves to the Americas, Europe and Africa, it will not grow and one fears that it might meet the same fate as rugby today (in fact there are more countries playing rugby than cricket).
A record viewership of 67.6 million for the India v/s Sri Lanka match pales in comparison to over 700 million for the Spain v/s Netherlands match for the World Cup final in 2010.
Cricket, for the outside world, is still polarized and viewed as a game played by former British colonies. Anshu Jain from Deutsche Bank was criticized by the German press for writing an opinion article about cricket ahead of the World Cup. They went hammer and tongs at him for writing about a game not identified by German culture (while the fact remains that Germany is an Associate member of the ICC).
Let's look at some numbers and facts to validate the same:
The ICC has 10 permanent members, 35 associate member and 60 affiliate members.
Amongst the permanent members only India, Australia, England and South Africa are on a decent wicket with quite a few young players coming through and some thought being given by their respective boards on the future of the game.
New Zealand lost all quality, they had, in the fight between the IPL and the ICL (Shane Bond being a prime example) and now will struggle to put up a decent enough side which will take on bigger teams.
Bangladesh simply doesn't have the quality to compete with the World's best as is quite evident from their test record.
Zimbabwe and the West Indies are more known for their run-in's between the players and the officials. Given their situation, youngsters are more interested in taking up individual sport or getting into the NBA as the chances of earning are quite bright.
Barring the Netherlands no other country comes close to competiting against the Top 10, which goes to say that the associate and the affiliate members do not have what it takes to improve.
The ICC too has been taking quite a few steps to make the game more interesting:
They are tinkering with the idea of Test matches being played from 4 - 10 pm to get more audience
Pink cricket balls for night cricket
New cricket balls each for both bowlers
No runner for a batsman, incase he's injured.
While they are at it, the powers that be should realise that these steps are more internal in nature. They'll help promote the game but only in countries where it's played. (having said that the game is quite a hit amongst non-resident Indians, Pakistanis and Sri Lankans. But then that forms only a part of the population and doesn't necessarily commands a fan following).
Definitive action needs to be taken not just to promote but save the game in countries where it's dying. Prime examples of these are Zimbabwe, Kenya,Pakistan, New Zealand and the West Indies. With an Indian at the helm of the ICC, the BCCI could lend it's mite to improve the sagging standards of cricket in these countries plus promote the game in all the associate and affiliate regions.
While the ICC has nominated former players from India to coach these countries, the BCCI and the ICC can together help in setting up a good domestic first class circuit in all these countries, which could ensure a good conveyor belt of players being churned out.
Promising youngsters could be coached in either India, Australia, South Africa or England which would help them gain confidence and represent their country.
Second string teams from the permanent member countries could regularly tour the associate and affiliate countries and play either formats to help them get more competitive.
A seperate budget could be set aside by the ICC to pay the players and support staff. The pay has to ensure a decent standard of living for them so as make it a commercially viable career option.
League cricket to be introduced in these regions and encourage colleges and schools to take up the sport as a part of their cirruculum.
Employ former legends of the game to become brand ambassadors and promote the game in targetted countries.
Launch a sustained marketing plan at these targetted regions to promote the game
Africa, being dubbed as the new Asia, is the lowest hanging fruit where you have second or third generation families from the subcontinent. The game could be developed in these countries with their help. Quite a few known corporates like Airtel and Godrej are investing in Africa. With the kind of population they have, the ICC and the BCCI could take their help to promote the game, locally.
The plan, jointly drawn up and implemented by the ICC and the BCCI should look at a 4 pronged strategy that involves
- grassroot initiatives,
- domestic setup,
- a robust player exchange programme and
- marketing of the game to promote cricket.
These initiatives will also provide a huge boost for discarded and retired players who can contribute with their experience by helping out to promote the game.
Only then would the game survive and truly become global.
Apart from the players one needs to laud the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for providing every support required and backing all players to the hilt.
When it mattered, the BCCI also flexed it's money muscles and ensured that the team was never shortchanged. Whether it be television or sponsorship rights, the BCCI has ensured that the valuations never go down and stretched them to the limit to ensure it's coffers are full, no matter what.With the advent of the IPL, budding cricketers can look at a good future as players even if they don't make it to the final eleven. This initiative of the BCCI will spawn a completely new set of careers for cricketers, support staff, commentators and officials from across the country and beyond.
But while everything, with our favorite sport, is hunky dory, it's happening only in India. One gets a feeling that as time goes on the game will get restricted only to Indian shores. A sport will grow only if more countries take to it, more people start understanding and playing the same. Till such time cricket crosses the Atlantic, moves to the Americas, Europe and Africa, it will not grow and one fears that it might meet the same fate as rugby today (in fact there are more countries playing rugby than cricket).
A record viewership of 67.6 million for the India v/s Sri Lanka match pales in comparison to over 700 million for the Spain v/s Netherlands match for the World Cup final in 2010.
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| Anshu Jain |
Let's look at some numbers and facts to validate the same:
The ICC has 10 permanent members, 35 associate member and 60 affiliate members.
Amongst the permanent members only India, Australia, England and South Africa are on a decent wicket with quite a few young players coming through and some thought being given by their respective boards on the future of the game.
The scenario is quite dodgy in Sri Lanka and Pakistan where the boards do not have enough bench strength and not a good enough first class circuit to pick and choose from.
Bangladesh simply doesn't have the quality to compete with the World's best as is quite evident from their test record.
Zimbabwe and the West Indies are more known for their run-in's between the players and the officials. Given their situation, youngsters are more interested in taking up individual sport or getting into the NBA as the chances of earning are quite bright.
Barring the Netherlands no other country comes close to competiting against the Top 10, which goes to say that the associate and the affiliate members do not have what it takes to improve.
The ICC too has been taking quite a few steps to make the game more interesting:
They are tinkering with the idea of Test matches being played from 4 - 10 pm to get more audience
Pink cricket balls for night cricket
New cricket balls each for both bowlers
No runner for a batsman, incase he's injured.
While they are at it, the powers that be should realise that these steps are more internal in nature. They'll help promote the game but only in countries where it's played. (having said that the game is quite a hit amongst non-resident Indians, Pakistanis and Sri Lankans. But then that forms only a part of the population and doesn't necessarily commands a fan following).
Definitive action needs to be taken not just to promote but save the game in countries where it's dying. Prime examples of these are Zimbabwe, Kenya,Pakistan, New Zealand and the West Indies. With an Indian at the helm of the ICC, the BCCI could lend it's mite to improve the sagging standards of cricket in these countries plus promote the game in all the associate and affiliate regions.
While the ICC has nominated former players from India to coach these countries, the BCCI and the ICC can together help in setting up a good domestic first class circuit in all these countries, which could ensure a good conveyor belt of players being churned out.
Promising youngsters could be coached in either India, Australia, South Africa or England which would help them gain confidence and represent their country.
Second string teams from the permanent member countries could regularly tour the associate and affiliate countries and play either formats to help them get more competitive.
 |
| Sandeep Patil - Former Kenyan coach |
League cricket to be introduced in these regions and encourage colleges and schools to take up the sport as a part of their cirruculum.
Employ former legends of the game to become brand ambassadors and promote the game in targetted countries.
Launch a sustained marketing plan at these targetted regions to promote the game
Africa, being dubbed as the new Asia, is the lowest hanging fruit where you have second or third generation families from the subcontinent. The game could be developed in these countries with their help. Quite a few known corporates like Airtel and Godrej are investing in Africa. With the kind of population they have, the ICC and the BCCI could take their help to promote the game, locally.
The plan, jointly drawn up and implemented by the ICC and the BCCI should look at a 4 pronged strategy that involves
- grassroot initiatives,
- domestic setup,
- a robust player exchange programme and
- marketing of the game to promote cricket.
These initiatives will also provide a huge boost for discarded and retired players who can contribute with their experience by helping out to promote the game.
Only then would the game survive and truly become global.
I was not very well versed with the numbers and the popularity of the sport globally, but the points put up are really thought in deeply, as a sport enthusiast; not only in this game but others too. Enjoy reading your articles to get a different perspective of sports.
ReplyDeleteTose are great ideas, thoughts and suggestions Sporty Sundae! Look forward to see how soccer, basketball and baseball countries adopt cricket.
ReplyDelete