IPL-INDIAN CRICKET GATE

Indian Premier League, Indian Cricket's cash cow. Power play, manipulation by the powers to be, drugs, romance, sex.The plot has all the trappings of a block buster movie. But this is real life and spun around the most popular game of all time in India, Cricket.

I still distinctly remember the 80's when cricket took it's root in Indian psyche. It was with the advent of TV. The first televised event was the Benson & Hedges World Cup . I still distinctively  remember getting up early in the morning just to watch the one day series. That was the beginning of the evolution of cricket to be the unofficial national game with religious following through out India. When television became popular, the advertisements  started increasing and brands from Potato chip makers to Detergent makers flocked to get a pie of this Jamboree/ Extravaganza that we call cricket. 80's was also the hay day on Indian cricket with such icons like Gavaskar and   Kapil Dev making their presence felt. 

By the 90's, cricket became a true cash cow spinning out Millions of Dollar$. The players became one of the most paid professionals in India. But such evolution came at the cost of other sports which diminished in popularity and were relegated to secondary position, seen only by dedicated fans with out much media hype or following. But controversy was to follow including charges of match fixing which brought bad light to this iconic game. 

Then was the advent of the IPL, the league that made BCCI the reachest cricketing body in the world with a unique pattern of 20 limited over matches. which assured fast paced matches. The franchisee was divided into 8 teams, each owned by either powerful corporates or a group of investors. The ownership came at a cost with bidding going up to millions of dollars, taking the value of the game to whole new level unheard off in Indian sporting history. Celebrates from film stars to business tycoons wanted a slice of the glamor and bought out one team or the other as it was the most happening thing to do. But controversy had dogged the IPL from day-1 with confrontation with government in more than one occasion. The man Lalit Modi became the face of India cricket. But nobody wanted to upset the cart. Defying even the a direct plea by the home minister, Modi took IPL to South Africa. 

Now come 2010, the palace built on the house of cards started crumbling. Controversy erupted when Modi decided to take on Sasi Tharoor who had just bought the new Cochin team on issue of ownership. But little did Modi realize that he was biting off more than he can chew. With this erupted a volcano which brought the skeletons out of the closet, things were said in public that were never meant to be, dirty linen washed in public. Now it has reached a stage where the existence of IPL is in doubt.

THINGS TO DO TO MAKE THE SHOW CLEAN

It is time to set the house in order. The government ought to make a through investigation through it's agencies and bring out the truth desisting from being buckled under the influence of interested parties. The IPL and all those involved are bound to answer to questions as to what happened to the millions of dollars collected through the IPL. If they have done anything wrong, then they ought to be made answerable in the eyes of law. IPL ought to be rejuvenated under a new committee with deeply committed and involved cricketers to save the league. Some sanity ought to be brought to the IPL. Ownership pattern and holding need to be made public. Owners need to be made aware that the teams that they hold are not their private property.  Money laundering and gaming including betting need to be curbed with effective policing and checks. The government also need to promote other games and sufficient funds and resources. It is time to bring out some sanity and order to the game of cricket and save the game from natural death where it seems to be headed.

REMEMBER CRICKET MIGHT BE A GAME. BUT IT IS NOT BEYOND OR ABOVE LAW AS SOME OFFICIALS THINK THEMSELVES TO BE.