Cricket is Passion and business is diluting this passion. Cricket emerged as unifying sport but business in cricket is dividing not only nation but national team. Cricket was played with the undying spirit of sportsmanship, now it is played with undying spirit of monetary gains. Where are we heading to?
Is this the game of cricket we were mad for? We worshipped for? Our heart beat for? We were familiar with? We were united for? Nah! This is not cricket in its purest form. How many of us remember the last time when whole family watched cricket together cheering up the team - perhaps the 2011 world cup finale. Our whole family used to pray, all of India used to stop and just admire cricket. I don’t think anyone admire cricket now, it has become a means of entertainment where players earn money for entertaining people and not for playing cricket in its truest sense. Every ball has some money written on it, if batsman smashes it for six, he earns that money and if bowler picks wicket he will be own that money. This is not restricted to only leagues but has spread to ODI’s. People used to take cricket as profession because they enjoyed playing it and they adored it but now people come in cricket because it is coolest means to earn money. Many of us would agree with me if I say that passion in cricket is gradually evaporating. Recently I read an article which said “Players who are not performing in IPL are not proving their worth for the price they were purchased for”. This is a proof in itself IPL is not cricket, players are not being encouraged to play cricket because they love the game, but are being encouraged to play cricket so that they keep earning huge through IPL. What message are we sending to to our new generation? A decade ago people used to say: “Bada ho kar mera beta Sachin banega aur desh ka naam roshan karega”. Soon they would say: “Bada ho kar mera beta IPL mein khalega aur Rich banega”.
Soon the definition of cricket in dictionary would change: Cricket is bat and ball business played between two (so-called) teams of 11 money lovers who play individually with the sole purpose to prove their worth and to secure their place, so that, they would satisfy their insatiate lust for money irrespective of how team performs as a whole.
For doing a reality check; let’s take money out of IPL and then see who all play cricket. They would be the true cricketers. It is said “Cricket is a gentleman’s game”; soon it would change to “Cricket is a businessman’s arena”. I know many would criticize me for this, but all would accept that the passion in (players) that used to be in 90’s has gradually declined.
People say IPL has given a lot to cricket to this I would say IPL is taking out cricket from cricket leaving the lust for money behind. Soon it would completely engulf ODI’s and Tests and destroy cricket from the root.
