A 2 billion rand investment (as per President Zuma, in his speech) by the tournament in the SA economy, in current times, is "no gain?"

I don't believe T20 tournaments like the IPL are as diabolical as you make them out to be. Also, I don't think T20 will kill Test cricket, just as ODIs didn't either. The top international cricketers won't turn down IPL offers, but they will still value Test performances higher due to the greater respect and love evoked among their countrymen while representing their nations, as well as the greater respect from opponents and past cricketers. On the other hand, you've got to admit that in new markets (associate ICC member states, China, LatAm, US, etc.) T20 has a greater chance than Test cricket of succeeding against sports such as football, basketball, baseball, etc. due to its duration, result-orientation and high energy. Also, high remuneration T20 tournaments like the IPL may be the only way to attract / retain talent in places like the Caribbean, where young athletic talent has been drained away to the US shores by the NBA, MLB, NFL etc.

Such vituperation, unworthy of even a barb. Get off the high horse and enjoy the game that is not just the premise of the knowing few. This event will globalise cricket, and as a die hard Test cricket fan, I'm delighted.

So if your assessment is valid, that implies that the 35,000+ at the Bull Ring and the millions watching on TV were basically young libertines and wannabe models / actresses...all depraved souls! Or maybe, just maybe, somebody has a rather cynical, closed mind.

@ace - i suspect gareth isn't taking issue with the obvious financial mileage the ipl affords whoever is involved. his point is one about the game itself and what merit the ipl has in this regard.

@avid.cricket.watcher - i see no reference in the article to the threat the ipl poses to test cricket. quote: 'Test matches will still pull the same crowds'. the rest of your comment goes off on some tangent.

@sanjay - one: simple language is a virtue. two: no need to get on your own moral high horse if gareth's opinion doesn't agree with yours.

the piece is evidently pessimistic. and for good reason. the ipl is a cricketing farce. fun, sure. but of less cricketing merit than commercial. this is the heart of the article. that said, the pessimism is a bit excessive, and the generalisations are not necessarily true.

i just wish people wouldn't get so defensive. it is tiresome. gareth is just expressing his views. if they are invalid, attack them with argument, not emotive reactions.

"But simply know that Modi's minions are exploiting the men around the world for their drunken, leery nature and the females in the pursuit of being the next big thing." so all the men at the grounds are drunk and all the women are wannabe SRK heroines, according to u. look quality will come thru whether it is test, T-20 or 5-over cricket. i dont think gilly, hayden, kumble are exactly "I want all the glory for as little effort as possible" cricketers. agreed the crass commercialization and the cacophony of cosying up to the sponsors in the guise of commentary was disgusting but to rant against the IPL as a whole just becoz the fans look for a little extra entertainment is just nonsense.

@gph - I read this piece again to see if I missed any merits. I don't believe I did. There are no arguments to rebut. The author simply expresses his personal hatred for the IPL, including fans who liked it and cricketers who took part. Is it then surprising that some responses are also in similar vein?

@gph, the cricket played by the teams at the IPL was no more a 'farce' than that at the T20 World Cup in SA. Or that to be played in Eng. Unless of course you are a 'purist' and believe T20 is itself a farce. The effort, intensity and competitiveness of the players were as real as it gets in any limited overs game. No doubt, the strategy break was a farce. Some of the 'commentary' was a farce. The catching was pathetic in many instances (even safe hands like Gibbs, McCullum, Hodge, Dravid dropped sitters). However, there was nothing farcical about the contest between the teams.

I just wish people like the author and you could appreciate the actual contest between bat and ball. Between player and player. Instead of only harping on about the garish peripherals (which irritated almost all). That too is tiresome.

Fine. Let's enumerate a few gains (cricketing) for SA players: 1) Abdullah - high profile stage to perform; selected for T20 WC (the purple cap didn't hurt his chances, did they?). 2) Duminy - chance to play / discuss cricket with greats like Sachin / Pollock / Sanath / Jonty. 3) Boetha - talk spin and learn from arguably the greatest leg spinner, Warne. 4) Smith - discuss / learn leadership aspects from the great Warne.

Not to mention the friendships formed and exposure to players from different cultures. (Or do such 'non-cricketing' things not matter?)

A great article Gareth and you are right. There is nothing wrong with 20/20 as such, but the IPL is only interested in the IPL and the Great God Dollar and therein lies the problem. If the IPL financial bubble bursts, will it still be played on it's cricketing merits, or will it just fade away and all this carry on would have been for nothing.

generally the standard of cricket has fallen in recent years, crowds havnt been great in test matches and pitches are producing dull and drab draws. In this context, IPL definitely has added some color, and is producing some very talented cricketers (especially Indians). However, there is an all too obvious stamp of consumerism and commercialisation on this tournament, watching celebrities lacking much cricket literacy commanding teams of highly-skilled players is not the best sight for a cricket connoisseur or a mere fan like me, yet IPL is about making profits, like any other business activity in the world today. Hence, you cant blame modi for running it like a business!!

Many of us love good test cricket. But why is it that even after a century it is played in only 9 nations (Zim is currently out)? Isn't a new way of spreading the game worth encouraging? (even if profit is a big motive)

In my view T20 cricket, and high profile events like the IPL, are the only way fans & players from new countries (China, Japan, etc.) will ever give cricket a serious shot. Becoz first and FOREMOST, a sport needs to be fun and entertaining to attract new audiences.

To me, it would be GREAT if the future brings us: a) Test cricket involving 8-10 nations and b) T20 World Cups / leagues with 20-25 nations.

Modi is a businessman, no doubt. Let him make his profits if he can bring more nations to cricket. The start could be with T20, which would lay the base for higher forms. And remember that in business the customer's opinion matters. So they will have to keep improving the IPL (a work-in-progress) to better satisfy the audience.

Gains may follow, Gareth!

Modern times call for professionals. Batsmen and bowlers that is. Not mediocre all rounders. Therefore I suggest a golden midway between the 5 day game and T20 that will produce that. Lets consider a 50 over a side consisting of 2 innings of 25 overs as per test cricket, combining the scores to make the game far more even, whether played at day or night. The chances of bowling a side out in an innings will be similar to T20 but far more even and exiting. The scores are added but there must be a winner or a rare draw as the highest score of combined innings count. Now only true batsmen and bowlers will be picked, considering they can obviously field, and we have the GOLDEN MIDWAY with the best of all 3 worlds and specialists coming back to their own in stead of mediocre all rounders dragging the quality of the game down ever lower.
I furthermore suggest less rules like over restrictions per bowler as batsmen have no such restrictions and maybe more restricted negative field placings

Sports Theatre (play between designer results projected to maximize revenues)isn't a novel concept.

A veil(over economy, results etc) is an essential element of sport to some fans (Test cricket etc) while others fail to differentiate between varieties of Sports Theatre.

Guys like Gareth have become so intoxicated by their own importance in society thanks to a distorted value place on ENTERTAINMENT that they'll pontificate asif SPORT is a matter of life or death. I suppose everyone needs something to base their self-importance upon.

Chasing a piece of leather does the trick surprisingly well.