Indian Cricket Team Leaves for Bangladesh tour

Today Indian cricket team leaves for Bangladesh to play 3 Odis and 2 Test series amid the controversies created by the same old nexus of Players with high TVRPs ,their sponsors,the advertisers and their agents in the media and the BCCI.

Media is clamouring in one voice that endorsements should be unlimited for those who have rendered service to the cricket, and so to the nation for 16 years, despite the non-performance in world cup.It was just one bad day.

Some channels like NDTV - in their programme "cricket controversies" advocated that Sachin should earn more. One participant said that he will be happy if he(Tendulkar) earns 5000 crores. The participants collectively saw no reason that why Manoj Tiwari, a new entrant in the team by virtue of non-performance of those earning crores and crores, should earn as much as Tendulkar. In their words:"why tendulkar should earn as less as Tiwari." But, participants in the program could not point out even a single person amongst the billions who has objections to Sachin's earnings, or for that matter even TV participants earnings even from undeclared sources. Indian fans do not bother for such trivial matters as earnings . What they(the public ) demand is: "if you are great, respond when the team is in crisis and not to take an escape route via history of 16 years or so!" . Where is the future for Indian team in Tendulkar who just struggles with his body in pain and consequently mind in fear and out of focus ?

In another programme on NDTV India Ajay jadeja and ex-wicket keeper batsman Kirmani participated. Kirmani was virtually gagged by Jadeja when Kirmani begged to differ and commented that heavy endorsements do affect the mind set and ultimately performance of the player, who is saddled with more responsibility to perform because of fear of endorsements being denied if he does not perform.

From the tone and tenor of the utterances of the sponsored participants the sole view that emerged was that unlimited endorsements must be the order of the day.Only that way there is a hope for the Indian Cricketers and, thus, Indian cricket.

From such programmes, which are always perfectly timed to air the players' demands by the vested interests of the moneyed corporates and their agents,what else a street spectator can expect from them? It would be much better for these groups to consolidate,program,participate,and develop the virtual games of cricket on the Internet. Why make the fans sweat and suffer in scorching heat and fleece money from their pockets and make fun of their hopes and dreams.The fans will also enjoy more on the Internet, if they could afford it, than on the field. But to program virtual games requires more skill,programming knowledge,hard work,and application and devotion,than meaningless discussions on the channels by sponsored few whose interests are more in covering the losses suffered recently.

The advocacy of the greedy instincts of the some of the players top rated by the media takes the focus away from the performance and is highly shameful. Needles to say, that this nefarious link has been constantly wrecking not only Indian cricket which has always been in the hands of some of the seniors, their sponsors, advertisers and agents.What this tie up openly decries is wide spread public resentment for the strip tease done by the great names at the world cup 2007.Now they feel that the the team will easily beat Bangladesh and this will enhance the ratings of the big players which in turn will mean more revenue.

An argument is now being advanced is that money to board(BCCI) flows because of big players and their contracts. The board will not get TV rights if such big players are not in the team.It is a weak argument in defense of meek players who after huge earnings fail to perform against the minnows and then offer weeping apologies for their "one bad day" theory of escapism. It is easily forgotten that they have earned huge amounts only when their performance is paid for in terms of hard earned money by the spectators who come to watch the matches against all odds.And imagine the sufferings of TV viewers who are fed ads and ads more than bat and ball. By seeing the ads instead of performance ,what do the fans earn?Should not their money be refunded on poor performance?Many spectators in the world cup have demanded this of Indian team through placards.

This argument also exposes the view of the defenders of the players who feel India is devoid of talented young cricketers as suitable replacements?When tendulkar replaced Mohinder Amarnath ,where was the argument of suitable replacement gone? Only after 2 years of cricket did he become a suitable replacement.Also, it is a fact that the performance of under 19 team has always been better than the performance of the Indian team abroad.

Alas! the truth is that the Board of control for cricket in India has always been a timid board with randomly chosen selectors whose interests have been to sub serve the related interests of paying lobbies rather than the game of cricket.No one in India dare sack sachin! and Gangauly manoeuvred his way back to the team duly supported by regional politicians in Indian Parliament.

Now the Board, to eye wash its timidity has appointed a committee of 2 persons to look into the money earning demands of the players.If these players are so proud of their talents and consequent earning capacity why they do not openly refuse to sign the contracts ? Why they keep navigating two boats with one paddle? In fact they know that better replacements are always available in the Indian cricket, as elsewhere.No one is indispensable in any game in this world.

And, whosoever plays for India, however junior he may be ,Advertisers as well as Board are bound to earn.But what is feared how to recover the loss of crores which they have suffered in recent world cup by investing heavily on these players.

The Indian cricket has never earned the name or fame abroad except in the era of foreign coaches.Indian cricket has always been a story of individual performances and team's defeats abroad.

A the time when the team is leaving India- a team whose reckoning is lower to
Bangladesh-the media should have concentrated more on cricket rather than raising proxy wars through the channels.For, if the team happens to beat Bangladesh, as there is no reason to doubt, the channels will again make these players advertised heroes for the world cup 2011.

It is good in one sense that we have been converted to a nation of dreamers by well advertised campaigns.The ground realities are bitter.The truth is that the Indian team wont be able to beat Bangladesh as convincingly as Bermuda, and yet will get unrestricted endorsements on return from the tour due to the board's under performance.