Friday, April 23, 2010

Big Fat exploiters - ICC and the Cricket Boards

Five day cricket was losing its glamour. Drawn matches and yawns, cricket was in the pits. Now you would say that One Day and the T20 formats saved cricket. Yes it did. And we need to note that the so called guardians of the game did sweet nothing for Cricket except for passing rules and laws, making schedules, throwing their weight around and bullying innovators.

1977 Kerry Packer (WSC)_ pulled the biggest coup that rattled the cricket world. He brought in pyjama cricket, the one day format, and made it suitable for Television audience. The pharisees of game (ICC) got their crosses and the nails out. And copied the same format, with all its innovations. Cricket got a lease of life because of Kerry Packer. One day cricket even helped test cricket. Cricket survived.

2007 a maverick businessman from India, Subhash Chandra, started ICL. Packer like strategy. Response from the high priests of the game was the same. Finally they used their muscle power and brought down ICL only start a similar format _ IPL.

Now look for yourself, take a look at the biggies from BCCI and IPL do they look like innovators or those who care for the game? hardly. They are just businessmen, number crunchers who are there to exploit the game. Look at all the mess and irregularities.

Can we for a moment stand and in silence pay respect for those great men like Kerry Packer and Subhash Chandra who have done great things for the game but have lost millions and got crucified in the process?

Well this seems to happen in the simplest things in life. I have friend who took the initiative and sticks her neck out and does a good innovative design only to be stabbed by her own loved ones. Then she pays the price to correct it.

The travails of the innovators are aplenty. You stick your neck out thinking that they will hang that medal of gold around your neck but alas the guillotine awaits.

Its these innovators who keep the world on the move. The others just drink their blood and live off what these innovators do.

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