A CRASSLY COMMERCIAL BALL GAME
There was a time, when I remember being completely aghast that Sharad Pawar a political King of the time wanted to join the Cricket Management Board. I was, I confess naive about the implications in the long run and about his shrewd behaviour and thinking. Even his colleagues of NCP (Nationalist Congress Party) were taken aback and were unhappy. Of course as the years rolled on it did cut into his political time.
Cricket is a religion in this country. The public of this nation, hero- worship every cricketer and will do anything for the game. But sadly it has been commercialized beyond belief. One cannot even imagine the amount of money that this sport has now got. Politicians have overrun this sport and used it for their benefits. As usual businessmen and politicians go merrily hand in hand and exploit every opportunity available. They have always played with the weakness of the public and used it for their benefits. From Jammu & Kashmir’s Farookh Abdullah to Himachal’s Chief Minister’s son to the Maratha king and now a Union Minister from Rajasthan, all of them are in this sport as the Presidents from their states. And, some in more roles than one.
It is absolutely absurd for the common man who cannot fathom why a politician spends so much time in this gentleman’s game? Well it is to exploit their weakness. The entertainment that Cricket supplies is one big reason. How can the youth of this country not be a part of Cricket? So to get a hold on their youth it is a must to sell them a collective dream. Every sports person in the villages wants to become a Kapil Dev or a Dhoni and that is not possible anymore, it seems now without a politician’s pull or a businessman’s sponsorship.
In the elections now-a-days, I have noticed free kits for playing Cricket were being distributed to youth. One may say whatever for but then, the child is happy. And when the parents are happy their vote is yours. That is not a compensation for no electricity or no water in the village but yes it is child’s play for politicians to get these votes. I also wonder why politicians want to head these odd sports committees. Why don’t the politicians just stick to their jobs and let the sportspersons to take over the sports bodies. Whether it is Hockey, Shooting or Badminton most of the money supplied to the players of these sports are actually eaten up by the people who head these sports committees. They are unfamiliar with the needs of sportspersons but are very familiar with the money which is meant for the sportspersons and not for their comforts. The sportsman travels cattle class whereas the politician with him travels first class. The kits for participants they cannot afford but once again politicians stay in five stars.
But as for Cricket it sells. Hence we have business people like Lalit Modi who have capitalized on it and made a fortune cheering the owners of the teams they back. He has made a money making machine and commercialized to the hilt by giving opportunities to new talents but ruined the essence of the real Cricket. It has become a rich man’s toy and once again it has made Lalit Modi a force to reckon with. Because of the power that Cricket has given him he can buy his way through any problem whether it is Shashi Tharoor over his stake in the Kochi team or Chief Minister Ashok Chauhan in Maharashtra to do away with the 25 percent entertainment tax.
How and when it will finish, one wonders! But we have been much interested in watching the show.
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