March 19, 2008
Interesting Times for Cricket
"May you live in interesting times", says the ancient Chinese proverb.
Well, these are certainly interesting times for international cricket. The Indian Premier League, due to start on 18 April, has thrown the cat among the pigeons as far as the upcoming Test series between the West Indies and Australia is concerned.
Chris Gayle, Ramnaresh Sarwan and Shivnarine Chanderpaul, three of the West Indies' best and most experienced players, have been signed by the IPL. Consequently, they may miss the first two Tests against Australia. As former Australian opening batsmen and current West Indies coach John Dyson says, it is up to the IPL to honour the generally accepted agreement that international cricket takes priority and ensure that the three players are released for the Test Series. The ICC may have formalised guidelines for the IPL, including the principle "that every ICC member had the right to object to a player from its country taking part in the IPL". However, in reality, this is useless in the relatively poor countries that comprise the West Indies team. The amount Chris Gayle can earn from representing the West Indies is a pittance compared to the $800,000 he has been signed up for by the IPL. Who is going to stand is his way?
Then there is the power game within the ICC, which is effectively controlled by India. If push comes to shove, is the ICC going to stand up to the IPL and ensure that international cricket takes priority?
Interesting times indeed. Oh, and by the way, I think New South Wales has just about got it's hands on the Pura Cup trophy. With a day's play remaining, Victoria only needs another 533 runs for victory with 8 wickets in hand.
Posted to Cricket by Keith Pitty