Adeel Lakhani
( Entrepreneur)
Writer's Home »

Cricket records which had previously stood for years are now almost tumbling with the same frequency with which we change our undergarments. From world record test opening partnerships to most ODIs played, no record is now safe from being broken again and again and again. Why is this happening? Is it because of the increasing number of matched played in all versions of the game (tests, ODIs, 20/20), or the quality gap between the top and lower tier teams, or the fact that the current era has more all time greats to playing the game than ever before? Whatever the reason, I don’t think the fans, spectators and cricket experts are complaining since this is what they live for.

However; having said that, the Pakistani fans and spectators have not been so fortunate. From shortened series to “postponed” tours, they always seem to be getting the short end of the stick. The postponement announcement of the series against Australia, which was to be staged this month, did not come as a major surprise. Let’s hope that Pakistan is not deprived of its right to host the Asia Cup this summer and the Champions Trophy later this year.

As for the Australians, suddenly they are looking vulnerable in almost a decade, and are certain to lose their top spot in ODI rankings to South Africa when the new rankings are released later next month. This vulnerability provides teams like India and South Africa a great opportunity to dethrone the champions in all forms of the game; however, my bet is still on the champions who I think are in no mood to relinquish their supremacy; not just yet. Australia has been lucky over the past decade to have all time greats like Gilchrist, McGrath, the Waugh brothers, Warney, and other great players like Martyn, Langer, Bevan and Gillespie all playing alongside each other at the same time and yes, the aura of invincibility has evaporated with the retirement of these stalwarts as exploited by India during their tour down under.

Coming to the Indians, hats of to them, not once but twice (the players, BCCI, fans). Just look at what they have done with the IPL. No wonder Harbajhan got a favorable decision from the ICC in Australia, for most of the revenue generated in international cricket is a direct or indirect result of Team India and Board India (BCCI will probably be a brand in the near future). As a result, there is no way ICC or any other board wants to be in their bad books, which just proves that the sport is no longer a pure sport like it was prior to the nineties but has become a business first and a sport second.

The IPL is eagerly awaited globally when it launches on the 18th of April. I was watching the ICL last night and I really feel the next big thing on the cards by the BCCI will be a series pitting the winners of the ICL and the winners of the IPL against each other. Look for Inzi and the Lahore Badshahs rubbing shoulders with Shahrukh Khan and Preity Zinta in the near future which might be the sequel to Chakde India, anyone?