CricDigs Blogs

It was suppose to be a masterful stroke by the ICL by initiating their second season in conjunction with the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, 2008. However if the initial reports are to be believed, the supposedly well-planned manoeuvre hasn’t exactly come off the way the ICL managing committee was expecting it. The prime reason lies in the fact that there is an increasing rivalry between India and Australia. The series has gained so much hype and is bordering on becoming greater than even the Ashes. In this regard, for the ICL to expect that they would have been able to steal the viewership from this much-awaited test series, appears like far-fetched thinking.

The second ICL season was inaugurated with a lot of fanfare and gained momentum with the induction of new teams like the Dhaka Warriors. But they forgot to evaluate one very important aspect of cricket in India. The fans are very sentimental and club royalties haven’t been able to challenge the national sentiments. So, what if a test match lasts for over 90 overs-a-day? It does give the viewer a chance to witness some of the best tactics being employed by the opposing teams and see quality cricket.

The ICL managing committee was counting upon the lure of offering a shortened version of the game and fast-food kind of entertainment for the crowds wanting to escape the grind of a test match. Agreed, T20 may be more exciting but it doesn’t offer the kind of history and rivalry that is associated with an India-Australia encounter these days.

The ICL has made another blunder by organising some Day matches. Again, the ICL doesn’t have the kind of star attractions that the ongoing test series has or the forthcoming season of the IPL would have. Thus, organising matches during a time of the day when TV viewership is already limited doesn’t make much sense.