Edward Craig: The IPL sneerers are wrong
March 16th, 2010 by Edward Craig in IPL
I am loving this season’s IPL. I want to loathe it, I want to sneer at its over-commercialisation, its arrogance, how it’s the battering-ball that will topple Test cricket’s remaining ramparts – but I just can’t.
England are playing Bangladesh in a missionary Test series. West Indies are playing Zimbabwe in a battle of the dampest squibs. The world’s best players are appearing daily on terrestrial television, free on the internet, with full, crazy stands and explosive cricket. Which one is working best?
Watching the IPL, supporting Delhi Daredevils with its top-four of Sehwag, Gambhir, Dilshan and de Villiers (what’s not to love!?), is not putting me off Test cricket – it’s making me want more. The IPL is like a trailer for a film, it’s a tease, a mini-, high-production advertisement for something that requires more mental investment. Watching trailers doesn’t put me off films.
Yes, there are some squeamish, odious (DLF) moments but on the whole, I’d take all that for the strokeplay, fielding, some of the bowling and – yes – the noise, the lights and the glamour.
How can you sneer at IPL when it’s filled out Eden Gardens? A full Eden Gardens, whatever the match, is one of the world’s great sporting spectacles – on any top-10 must-see-before-you-die lists – alongside The Masters at Augusta, the Superbowl and the Cheltenham Gold Cup.
Then you get to see Dravid lean into a cover-drive of such perfection that even the commentators shut up for a moment.
I am even loving ITV4’s coverage – for all its failings. Matt Smith is a little too football for me but Mandira Bedi adds Indian authenticity and they’ve even had Clive Lloyd on the sofa. How cool is he?
So, who has got it right? The governing body who has organised fixtures against sub-standard teams played out on a network broadcasting to an exclusive, paying elite, which continues into the summer (ECB and Sky Sports)? Or the event that has gone out of its way to be available to as many people as possible, to have as many stars as possible, to have as much entertainment as possible?
There is a patronising sneer coming from many England fans directed at the IPL – I am guilty of it myself at times – but when you look at the bare facts, Modi’s right, us sneerers are wrong.
But it doesn’t mean the death of Test cricket, it’ll ultimately become a boost to that format. It does mean more cricket available to more people more of the time across the more of the world. What’s so bad about that?
Edward Craig is deputy editor of The Wisden Cricketer
Posted in IPL | 9 Comments »
March 16th, 2010 at 2:12 pm
That really was a gorgeous cover drive, wasn’t it?
I agree, if we get to see cricket of that quality, there can’t be much wrong with the IPL. And full stadiums definitely add to the fun.
March 16th, 2010 at 3:00 pm
I agree. I’ve never questioned the merits of the cricketing side of the IPL, I just don’t like the way Modi lauds it over everyone! But he can, he’s got an astonishingly good and ‘current’ product on his hands, so good luck to him. The IPL has been gripping so far, when you’ve got so many genuine world class performers in one tournament, how can it fail to be compelling viewing?!
March 16th, 2010 at 3:29 pm
Nice to see Kallis going top over Bopara as well, isn’t it? Doesn’t matter if it’s T20 or test cricket, class is class. Great match as well that, Bangalore vs. Punjab.
March 16th, 2010 at 4:11 pm
Amazing cover drive…
March 16th, 2010 at 4:43 pm
I never quite understand how more people being interested in cricket is bad for Tests.
Twenty20 can function as a gateway format.
If you’ve watched Tests for 20 years, Twenty20 isn’t enough, but if you’ve watched Twenty20 for a couple of years, Tests might just be intriguing.
March 16th, 2010 at 5:22 pm
I’ve quite enjoyed what I’ve seen of IPL so far.
A copule of comments about ITV4’s coverage:
It was inevitable that it would be fronted by Matt Smith – I doubt any of their other sports presenters has the foggiest idea about cricket.
What a shame that they couldn’t manage without the execrable Ronald Irani.
March 17th, 2010 at 1:34 am
The IPL is enjoyable, I’m just sick of everything being given a ’special’ name for everything. I constantly find myself shouting (in my head) at the tv whenever DLF Maximum is yelled by a commentator ‘Just call it a 6′ also some of the gimmick names are hard to understand ie Carbon Kamal Catch, (This being my first IPL season) I don’t know what a kamal catch was in the first place. But other than the small things like that it’s a pretty good event.
March 26th, 2010 at 4:02 pm
It is great to to able to see IPL on free to air television. However, I have to question the decision to employ a presenter (Mahendri Bedi) on ITV who obviously has no idea about the game. Some of her comments are cringe making and you can see the pros on the sofa wishing they were being asked a sensible question. Hopefully for the next IPl ITV will employ a presenter who knows what they are talking about and can make a suitable contribution to the show.
April 6th, 2010 at 4:29 am
@ Matt , Kamal is a Hindi word for “excellent” or “etraordinary”. Carbon and DLF are some of the Companies which pay IPL for marketting their Brand Name.
I seriously do not bother myself with a brand name getting assosiated to various aspects of the game because , finally they get their money’s worth and that money flows into the game and the players’ pockets …
And , trust me , listening to a catch is far better than selling the Game to Sky at the expense of its own Viewers , which the ECB has doen for you people !