Is the spirit of the game lost... Cricket is more commercial now.?

Question

I wanna ask... when did cricket became all about money? I remember a few years ago when i played just for fun...

It's not that anymore...

A few years ago, my and most cricketer's dream was to play for their country... To go out and play the game we love... It was never about the money i ll earn.

But now, my and most cricketer's dream would be to get a 1.5 m bid like dhoni. It's about the money now... not about the game itself.

Yes, the people are loving it,

the players... EVEN MORE and the organisers and the owners... THE MOST.

But I think that the spirit of the game is lost...

Do you think that IPL might get popular, be a huge success... But do you think it has made the game more commercial...

Cricket now is an Investment, atleast where i live....

What do u think... Is the spirit of the game lost? or m i over-reacting?

Answer 1

Look the other side of mirror, if a player plays for country, his earning is not enough for his family and that's only skills they have. So they are selling their skills and the best bidder will get them. As its happen in other games.

Answer 2

There a few form of cricket now 20 oves 50 over and the unlimited overs test match...  cricket is still a traditional game and players are playing for their country when it's a test match but I know what you mean I woke up this morning and turned telly on and watched IPL, it was a rather very fast and moving game it was a bit odd to me as I like the slow and unlimited overs, and also I noticed that other batsman didn't get a chance to show their ability as before it reached to 20 overs Brendon Mccullum already has century and plus runs, I thought it's just not cricket at all......  but the crowd was loving it and obviously becoming very popular there in India....

I am sure gamblers are loving it too... and there is no country unity in IPL, players are being paid accordingly,  oh well, things change all the time, but time will only tell if IPL will last....  it only popular in India I think and the players are rushing to play it coz of the good source of income too.. too good to resist.

Answer 3

Yes, of course. The spirit of the game is lost. Now it is the time of crass commercialisation of the game.

Answer 4

Yes. Cricket has become more of a money minting game as compared to the past, when no commercial interest was involved in the game. In India, popularity of cricket has increased after India's victory in c4ricket world cup 1983.

Answer 5

I honestly thought the IPL was a big mistake and it was going to ruin cricket.

But when i saw Ricky ponting running up to congratulate Ishant sharma on getting a wicket with a big smile on his face and brendon Mcullum's exciting innings it changed my mind.

I think the players get to know each other and realise that they need to have more respect for each other.

However I don't think the IPL or T20 cricket should be taken seriously. It should only be used for entertainment and fun.

The IPL will become a huge success but that doesn't mean that the ICC should chuck out test and 50 over cricket.

PLayers should play for their country.

I think everything in the cricket world should stay as it is, IPL should be included but shouldn't be exagerated and taken to seriously because if money becomes the importance of cricket they're going to loose many fans including myself.

Answer 6

I 100% agree with you Bhaskar...

Like i said yesterday what happened to playing for the love of your country or for the love of the game?These days it has become so commercialised it is not funny anymore..Gone are the days when a player thought it would be great to play for my country and the bonus was being able to earn a few bucks from it,now it is to see how many millions can i make this year...

Yes unfortunatly the IPL will proberly become hugely popular(for some),and yes it has commercialised the game-too much too soon i say...What player would not love earning over a million dollars in 6 weeks?

No your not over reacting as there are plenty of people who feel the same as you...

Answer 7

one day cricket would be all about money. Now also there are some such as betting , taking international cricketers for ad's.

Answer 8

Yes, i agree... IPL has becum more of a 'paisa feko, tamasha dekho' stuff! No doubt, it will b popular... crores r involved bt yes! at d expense of d spirit of such an incredible game. wat do u make of auctioning players in crores??wat is d point in having dose stupid cheerleaders from Latin America?? IPL has indeed brot indecency in2 d game of cricket! yet ppl will luv wachin' it 4 d sake of entertainment! bt dose who really luv cricket 4 its values, 4 its gentlemanliness n 4 its spirit will definitely giv a 2nd thought 2 did IPL ...will try realising dat it is dividing INDIA i2 regions!

U know, i had a loyalty crisis wile cheering 4 RBC yesterday... it didn't giv me d same hapines dat i got wile cheering 4 India!i found it jst a piece of entertainment... no real cricket at all!

Answer 9

i know i dont even like the new version of cricket that they introduced in the world cup :O

Answer 10

I don't think it has.

Many of the players are only playing to secure their financial future. Test Cricket is still the players favourite i guess, as it takes alot more effort to succeed, where in 20-20 it's just big hitting.

The IPL is exactly what cricket has been lacking.  A league where all the top player a playing together.  It will help cricket grow around the world.

Answer 11

Yes, I think cricket is becoming all about the money. I feel that the introduction of domestic 20 - 20 tournaments will take over in the years to come. It would be sad if this happens, as theres nothing better than to see two tough teams competing in a test match. 20 - 20 has become popular and i feel in the next generation, there are going to be very few test cricketers..

d**n..!

Answer 12

I don't think IPL is bad but rather it's good for cricket

and the game cricket will be more popular by IPL in

the whole world . Today I saw the inaugural match between

Kolkatta and Banglore, I am happy to see the players

of the whole world was playing together with the team

spirit . It was very Interesting to watch Ponting, Hussey,

Ganguli, Ishant and the other Indian and foreign player

was playing together and when on very 1st ball Ishant

bold out to Dravid ,Ponting spirit of game was very clearly

indicated the spirit of a team and he was so happy as

Brattlee bold to Dravid on 1st ball. The most important

that you must be remember India's tour to Aus. few months

ago so many controversy was between both the teams these

type of tournament will definitely help to improve the relation of countries as well as players  .

I am not at all agree with your opinion.

Answer 13

You need to change according to the times. You can't keep on living in this new millennium as if it were the 1980s, when wearing a bikini & a pair of jeans was "un-Indian".

This is 2008, fella's. Just because some guys at their peak didn't get to be a part of this "PARTY OF THE CENTURY", doesn't mean that the spirit of the game has been lost. I keep on hearing some "uncles" who call themselves experts complaining on TV that cricket is getting too commercial and that the players are getting too much money to early. Now its not fair to single out the young kid earning big bucks just because you didn't get the chance to, Sir ! And its a very well know fact that deep down, they too enjoy watching T20.

These kids are smart. They know that performance is what is earning them the bucks. They perform they earn. They perish, they don't !

So isn't it actually GOOD for cricket to see players giving their 100% in every game so that they don't get fizzed out?

As for the money, well, if your that d**n good, you deserve the price your getting. For someone like Dhoni, getting the kinda money he does is well deserved coz-

1. HE WINS GAMES AS A CAPTAIN.

2. HE WINS GAMES AS A PLAYER.

3. HE CAN SLOG THE BALL OUT OF THE GROUND AT WILL.

As for the players getting greedy, I think Mr. Tino Best's comment is the best I have ever heard -

"It's a little sad, but I can't go to the supermarket and say that my name is Tino Best, I bowl at 90 miles an hour, I want $400 in groceries," Best told Barbados daily the Nation. "People will ask me if I'm going mad. It is about securing myself and my family. It was a very tough [decision], but at the end of the day you have to live. I'm not a carpenter, a lawyer or a doctor. I'm a cricketer. I have to apply my trade to survive.

"It hurts me sometimes, but it is a decision I had to stick by. At the end of the day, I can't carry prestige to build a house or to feed my family."

Your over-reacting man; chillax and enjoy the game. Enjoy the fact that BCCI is more powerful than the ICC. Enjoy world domination. Enjoy the youngsters slogging it out in EVERY GAME and taking cricket to ANOTHER level altogether !