Coming Up: Cricket Shortcuts!

Shortcuts may not be appropriate for everything. One has to get education for years to be fit for life. Imagine what a shortcut to education can do to future generations! Likewise, imposed shortcuts may sound the death knell for the game of cricket.

Money does speak decisively in cricket, particularly for India. Thanks to its cricket crazy millions the game has been a money spinner and thanks to dashing Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni India has been doing well in playing it too. Dhoni and Sachin Tendulkar are in the top two spots of the global list of richest cricketers respectively. Combined with this, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has been performing at its commercial best. So, it is only natural for the International Cricket Council (ICC) to wonder ponder and consider any proposal linked to India.

Shortcuts usually help restless impatient and shallow people. They say they have no time for long drawn out proceedings even if means they being 'busy' with their pets for hours everyday. They just cannot afford time for test and now even one day cricket. Of course, they are flush with money.

Marketing success of the Twenty20 cricket is not a 'problem'. It highlights once again the popularity of the game despite 'they' being the sizeable part of the surging crowds. If Madonna is a huge success it does not mean that western classical be converted to her kind.

Unfortunately today's market economy is guided only by money matters which have shrouded cricket too. First, future of test cricket was doing the rounds and now one day cricket is threatened.

The ICC is considering reformatting one day match into a one day test of four innings of 25 overs each thanks to suggestions by Tendulkar. It's still a one day affair but filled with shortcuts. So that people who have no time would still be kind enough to pour in to fill the coffers with fresh cash.

Game of cricket is a well thought out calculated sport that has been entertaining sport lovers for nearly two centuries. There is always a method or purpose in everything it does. Twenty20 cricket is like a sudden death with desperate dashers going for everything possible and with bowlers reduced to mockery. Though the logic behind one day matches was also money, this variant was welcomed as a unique change and also since world cup cricket in the test format was practically impossible. With progress of the market economy changes kept on coming like flat pitches, white balls, small boundaries, colorful costumes and bowler restrictions so that the batsmen carry on 'entertaining' the crowds. Still, one day cricket retained the inner charm and the suspense. It allowed the players to evolve and show their real mettle which appealed to both connoisseurs and revelers.

Now, one day cricket is threatened with a series of sudden deaths that supposedly will only favor the moneyed revelers. Yes, big money creates clouts and clouts can dictate terms.

Save Cricket!