Cricket: Break to banta hai!

Too much is too bad they say, but how much is too much? Who is the judge here? What is the yardstick? As it always happens, especially in India, the only scale used is the monetary scale. As long as there is demand there will be supply, and as long as the viewers are ready to feed on the bat-ball game, the ICC will give them that. But what about the players? The people who sometimes get tired of earning millions, don’t they deserve a break?

Money always has the final say!

A tennis elbow here, a broken shoulder there. Indian cricket’s major problem for long, apart from their fielding, has been injuries, injuries to their major players especially. From one corner of the globe to another, from a five day game to a 3 hour game, the Indian cricketers have been hustling relentlessly. The administrators forget that even machines need rest and is the only way a player can perform at his best consistently!

Cricket is one of the many good things that British did to India. From being a mere sport, it has grown to become a mania, and a ubiquitous mania at that!. It’s a sport which has unwittingly killed other sports. In a country like India where even the mobile networks count to dozens, what happens when a single sport enjoys overwhelming majority? Overdose! Overdose to such levels that not only the players but even the viewers are complaining! Now this leaves the administrators hoping they haven’t seen the peak of the curve yet, from where the only way is down.

Injuries are a common thing these days!!

Bowlers need breaks to rest their tired limbs and return to the battle revitalized. The sheer physical strain caused by endless training, traveling and playing drains them, making them highly vulnerable to the risk of a serious breakdown. Similar deliberation is required for the batsmen, given the rate at which matches are held. They need to go slow to make sure they can produce quality performances.

A bigger problem than physical breakdown is mental fatigue, a problem arising from relentless top level competition. The competition in top level cricket is very intense and it demands a lot from the player. Right now the team is winning and everything seems fine but one wrong step could trigger a downfall and this will not be due to lack of competency but because of mental enervation!!

The players need and want rest, but have multiple fears and apprehensions. Complaints come, but in whispers. The financial angle always comes into the picture, but there is also the threat of the stand-in player shining and taking the place forever. In a way, this might be good for the country. For case in point, look at Virat Kohli’s rise, he first got a chance when both Sachin and Sehwag were injured, and again when Yuvraj had to sit out due to a hand injury! Kohli has made ample use of these opportunities, graduating to become a permanent member of the Indian team.

Kohli has utilised the opportunities he got!

ICC needs to come up with a schedule which allows a player to play all formats of the game. A separate IPL window is definitely something to be contemplated. There should be enough time for a player to play in the domestic competitions if he wishes to. Each country, regardless of how much revenue it can generate, should be given an equal opportunity.

The boards should stop treating players like bonded labourers, for there is a danger of the players losing spirit and focus on the game. Lets not forget that cricketers are entertainers, not puppets. Sometimes, the cricketers need to be rewarded with something more precious than money. For all the effort they put in and the entertainment they provide, Break toh Banta hai!!!