IPL or the Indian Premier League kicked off yesterday in a grand fashion at Bangalore yesterday. the new Twenty-Twenty format is aimed at attracting more viewers and more money. lets look at some of the pros and cons of such a format

pros:

1. several cities of india will compete with each other for the ultimate crown. inclusion of international players like ricky pointing, shane warne is a major plus point.

2. many young domestic players will get a chance to impress the selectors who may make them a part of the regular international squad

3. its short and sweet. in flat 90 minutes (each side) one will definitely have a result in hand!

4. cheerleaders, filmstars dancing is good in wooing crowds. so its entertainment plus good cricketing skills on display

now lets look at some of the con’s

1. Money is an important factors. many players have signed up for this format to earn quick bucks. as england bowler kevin pietersen was quoted somewhere in the media as saying the money from such formats was enough to ensure funding for his children’s education in the latter part of life

2. india is a cricket crazy nation. we have several sponsors who have come forward and supported this initiative. but apart from a few like kingfisher who already supports tennis, will the others sponsor other sports like tennis, hockey, squash in this country?

3. wouldn’t it be nice to have such a knock out format even in football in our country? similar events already exist like the santosh trophy, but they could be done on a larger scale.

4. player burnout is a major concern. already the international cricket calendar is filled with numerous events. add to it if ipl becomes a yearly event, then players will not get adequate rest and in case of injuries will not get enough time to recover

5. and finally its great to see so much money being spent for the opening ceremony like laser show, acrobats, cheerleaders, etc. but the same money can be used to upgrade existing infrastructure in the country like football stadiums, badminton courts, coaches, etc.

6. ‘doctored or tailor-made pitches’: Just yesterday in the match between Kolkotta Knight Riders and Deccan Chargers of Hyderbad the pitch was really horrible. it had so much bounce that very third player got hurt. and then the drama of a ‘power failure’. play was disrupted for half an hour thus disrupting the concentration of the players.

Deccan Chargers at that moment had a very good chance to win the game. I don’t understand why did the home team create a pitch suitable to their requirements. Can’t you play a game on a fair pitch? Is it asking for too much? By cheating and using such unfair means they can’t continue to win for long

What say guys?