The Hindu : Killing the hen that lays the golden egg

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jul 10, 2002

Sport

Sport - Cricket

Killing the hen that lays the golden egg

There is far too much international cricket being played these days. Though the players may not be complaining because of the commercial aspect, they would be paying the price in the long run.

Right now, everyone appears to be happy. The players, the Boards, and the television channels are all raking in the money. But they could be killing the hen that lays the golden egg.

There hardly appears to be any respite for the players. It's just cricket, cricket and more cricket.

Look at the Indians. They finished a busy home season, then flew to the West Indies for a gruelling five Test and ODI series, almost immediately travelled to England, and within days of completing the present campaign, will journey to Lanka.

Even though the cricketers are benefiting monetarily, I am sure deep down, they would be hoping for an international schedule that is more phased out. That provides them a welcome breather.

Under the current scenario, there is far too much pressure on the players, with that need to perform in every game. If a player goes through a bad patch or suffers an injury, there is hardly any time to recover.

The emotional stress, apart from the physical strain, can just be too much to bear. I am sure when things are not going his way, a player will be looking to catch the first flight home. The present-day schedules are cruel on fast bowlers, and it is hardly surprising that we are witnessing so many breakdowns.

There have also been occasions when a team, mentally and physically drained out, appears to be just going through the motions. The sheer joy of turning out for the country is missing. And you cannot really blame the cricketers for this under the present circumstances.

I am also concerned by the reduction of tour games before and during a Test series. This has obviously been done to accommodate more ODIs, but the cricketers on the fringe are the biggest sufferers.

These days, if a side fails in the first Test or in the first two, the team-management still cannot change the composition of the eleven because there are hardly any first class matches to test the others.

Players should be able to cherish their performances and that of the side's victory. What's happening now is that they hardly have the time to pack before leaving for the next venue.

Even the fans tend to forget the individual displays. Before the 90s, if you asked any average cricket lover about the performances that have stayed in his mind, he would list out at least five to six efforts.

Now most of them will be confused. There are so many matches being played simultaneously all around the world. How can they keep track of all of them. Where does he begin, and where will he end.

What has happened is that the value of international cricket has got devalued. And the administrators are responsible for it. An international contest should never be allowed to look common place.

And the busy international schedule means the stars are seldom around to take part in domestic competitions. This is one of the principal reasons for the decline in the standard of our domestic cricket. The youngsters need to pit their skills against the international cricketers to know how good they are.

Today, there is a pressing need to reduce the number of ODIs. It is time for the ICC to step in. Otherwise it could be too late.

www.krishsrikkanth.com

by K.SRIKKANTH

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