IPL's influence on Indian Cricket

[ankitj]

So Indian cricket is perhaps at the all time low point. And I have always felt (even before we hit this low) that IPL has a disastrous influence on Indian Cricket's fortune. I want to know what others here think. Is IPL's arrival affecting the kind of preparation that youngsters and others doing before going in for tests? Is playing a 5 over cameo or bowling a 4 over spell interfering their ability to perform in longer format? Is standard of first class cricket gone down too?

 

[AlwaysProteas]

IPL is fine and can coexist with Tests as long as Indian selectors realize the difference between a good test player and a T20 basher. The problem lies with players themselves who might want to cash in on the bang bang cricket rather than grind out a good test career.

 

[Agent Nationaux]

$ causing Indian slide

 

[Agent Nationaux]

Need to keep your Test team away from T20.

 

[ankitj]

IPL is fine and can coexist with Tests as long as Indian selectors realize the difference between a good test player and a T20 basher.

But what about talented cricketers spending more time preparing and playing T20? Two formats can't exist without interfering with one another, can they?

 

[Xuhaib]

You can have a solid First Class competition despite the IPL can't see how both are mutually exclusive. I think sooner or later young Indian players will realize that as long you have a soild longer version skills you can still be successful in the shortest format however opposite cannot happen. IPL despite its corniness its been good for the indian game as it provides fringe players an opportunity to make a decent living from the game this will attract more youngsters to the game.

 

[Xuhaib]

also I feel there is massive pressure on young Indian cricketers the emulate the Tendualkar's and the darvid's. Its very much possible this was India's golden generation and it might be a while before we see the same class again. The domestic game in India is still not strong enough to churn out greats every so often.

 

[AlwaysProteas]

But what about talented cricketers spending more time preparing and playing T20? Two formats can't exist without interfering with one another, can they?

That is prerogative of the player himself, players like Clarke have realized T20 is not his style and retired from it. A simple thing BCCI can help to alleviate the problem of all the youngsters changing their style to make themselves attractive T20 players is make playing longer format of the game a bit more lucrative, even at the domestic level. I'm not sure if domestic players get paid enough, and perhaps you know more about this.

 

[Black_Warrior]

So Indian cricket is perhaps at the all time low point. And I have always felt (even before we hit this low) that IPL has a disastrous influence on Indian Cricket's fortune. I want to know what others here think. Is IPL's arrival affecting the kind of preparation that youngsters and others doing before going in for tests? Is playing a 5 over cameo or bowling a 4 over spell interfering their ability to perform in longer format? Is standard of first class cricket gone down too?

There are numerous ways in which T20 cricket effects the technique...For example..if you look at someone like Cook and compare him with someone like Gambhir or Watson..one of the striking differences is Cook's ability to leave so many deliveries outside the off stump early in his innings..he allows himself the time to adjust whereas T20 because of its very nature has no scope for that...as a result people like Gambhir have a natural instinct of playing at everything.

I remember in late 2009 India were playing against Bangladesh and this is right after they became number 1..and India got bowled out for 240 in the first innings. Gambhir got out slashing at a really wide and short delivery from one of the Bangladeshi bowlers in the first innings. That is a direct effect of T20. Of course in the second innings they made a conscious effort to counter that and managed to score enough to win the match. But you'll get to to that against Bangladesh..but you won't get to do that against top quality sides. If you play poorly in the first innings, they won't let you come back into the game.

There are other effects which are more mental than technical.. See as a sportsman your goal is to excel..now ideally there should only be one way of excelling - by means of your performance..but with the IPL..you can excel if your performance is not great because you can still make millions through the IPL. Hence that ultimately weakens your drive and desire to excel and be considered a great player. It is subtle and players might not even notice it themselves.

I remember back in 07 Mohammad Yousuf kept whining how PCB did not manage to get him an IPL contract despite promising to do so. At that time I was quite surprised because here is someone who just scored 1700 test runs the previous year, is just starting to be considered a great batsman, shouldn't his goal be to focus on scoring more test centuries and establish himself as a true great batsman rather than whining about not getting an IPL contract? The decline in his form and performance since then is for all to see. Its very subtle and players don't even notice it themselves when their drive and ambition starts lacking in intensity.

 

[Black_Warrior]

That is prerogative of the player himself, players like Clarke have realized T20 is not his style and retired from it. A simple thing BCCI can help to alleviate the problem of all the youngsters changing their style to make themselves attractive T20 players is make playing longer format of the game a bit more lucrative, even at the domestic level. I'm not sure if domestic players get paid enough, and perhaps you know more about this.

That is hard to do because the money comes from sponsorship and sponsors don't care about longer versions..they are only happy to spend money in T20 leagues.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Always going to happen and India will continue to be harmed as IPL is taking more and more of a priority, just look at players who put off operations just to play IPL last year and were then missing for India for long periods.

The funny thing is, India will go home and beat sides on their own turf for a while then wonder what the fuss was all about. As soon as they tour again they will get thrashed and they will be back in the same situation as now.

 

[AlwaysProteas]

That is hard to do because the money comes from sponsorship and sponsors don't care about longer versions..they are only happy to spend money in T20 leagues.

Does BCCI get percentage of IPL profits? If so, they could always channel the funds.

 

[NasserFan207]

You can have a solid First Class competition despite the IPL can't see how both are mutually exclusive. I think sooner or later young Indian players will realize that as long you have a soild longer version skills you can still be successful in the shortest format however opposite cannot happen. IPL despite its corniness its been good for the indian game as it provides fringe players an opportunity to make a decent living from the game this will attract more youngsters to the game.

Yeah, think this is too often overlooked. T20 is still cricket after all.

Nah, I don't think the IPL has much to do with India's current problems in tests. The batting order has barely changed over the years. Maybe you could blame it for poor bowling, but I think it comes down to not being used to the conditions, not being as good at cricket as the opposition, and being mentally weak.

 

[Daemon]

We did rise to number one during the duration where the IPL was huge thing

 

[smash84]

$ causing Indian slide

You can have a solid First Class competition despite the IPL can't see how both are mutually exclusive. I think sooner or later young Indian players will realize that as long you have a soild longer version skills you can still be successful in the shortest format however opposite cannot happen. IPL despite its corniness its been good for the indian game as it provides fringe players an opportunity to make a decent living from the game this will attract more youngsters to the game.

Pretty much this.

The IPL has brought in unprecedented amount of money in the game. Really does give the fringe players a good opportunity.

 

[Furball]

That is prerogative of the player himself, players like Clarke have realized T20 is not his style and retired from it. A simple thing BCCI can help to alleviate the problem of all the youngsters changing their style to make themselves attractive T20 players is make playing longer format of the game a bit more lucrative, even at the domestic level. I'm not sure if domestic players get paid enough, and perhaps you know more about this.

The problem with the IPL is that it lets the market dictate the value of a player - and as it is primarily an Indian domestic tournament, the market is going to favour Indian players, particularly 'superstar' batsmen. When guys like Uttapha, who have no international pedigree whatsoever can earn close to $2m from an IPL contract, where is the incentive to improve? Pride and a good Test record doesn't put food on the table or set your family up.

 

[smash84]

good point

 

[NasserFan207]

Harsha Bhogle: India have an athleticism problem | Opinion | Cricinfo Magazine | ESPN Cricinfo

Harsha Bhogle spot on.

 

[GIMH]

So Indian cricket is perhaps at the all time low point.

Really? You were #1 about 5 months ago, less in fact. And given you've never won in Australia, it's nothing new to get beat there. Not to say you should accept it, but just wondering if all time low is somewhat kneejerk.

 

[Xuhaib]

yeah most young Indian cricketers should be made to realize that going the Dravid-Sachin route can still earn them huge IPL money at the moment it seems they want to take the Yusuf Pathan- Raina easy way out.