The sporting world changed years ago, I get it. The world has changed and continues to change at a bewildering pace, I get it. Test cricket was created almost a century and a half ago and has done brilliantly to survive for as long as it has, and it will have to reinvent itself ever more dramatically to stay relevant and alive.
I also get that T20 cricket is the new food for the masses and that everybody wants to be involved and a piece of the action. If that is the way cricket has to move to retain its place on the sporting landscape, then let’s make the best of it. There will still be other, longer, subtler formats for those who prefer. Maybe not so much at international level.
Amongst the many confusing aspects of ‘new cricket’ however, is the willingness of administrators to allow cricketers to jump not just from tournament to tournament, but between them. Sign up for the beginning of one league and jump to another after half a dozen games because it pays more. Never mind whether that is sustainable, is it even feasible to start?
The South African League has, at least, a chance of creating and establishing a territorial fan-base based on the regions in which their IPL teams are based. Perhaps the IPL ‘brands’ and their fusions with the Gauteng Lions and the Cape Cobras, err, Western Province, umm, or the Warriors, or the Dolphins – nope, they don’t exist either.
Some players, like Moeen Ali, have literally been signed up and announced – and continue to be proclaimed – as elite signings for two leagues starting at the same time. Moeen is STILL being used on bill-boards for both the UAE and SA leagues. While agents and commissioners and others on a cut haggle over their dividend, confusion continues.
Add this to the mayhem: South Africa’s scheduled ODI series against England for late January clashes with the late group stages of the ‘new’ league, just before the play-off matches. If the war-dogs of the free-agency world and their ruthless, commission-reaping managers are enjoying the current free-for-all, imagine how helpless the national boards are feeling.
The status of England’s ODI series in South Africa, scheduled for late January, hangs by a thread. It coincides with the last group games of the ‘new league’ and the play-off games. If it goes ahead the prospect of England’s white-ball captain, Jos Buttler, playing for his country in the middle of a domestic tournament in unavoidable. And others, like Liam Livingstone and Jason Roy. Never mind a dozen South Africans. Paarl Royals, MI Cape Town or Chennai Wanderers one day, England or South Africa the next. And back again the next day.
Even that is understandable from a monetary and marketing perspective. The game and the world has changed. I get it. England and India were playing concurrent international series two years ago, in different formats, and India did it this year in the same format. I get it.
What I don’t get is this: has anybody taken the time to research the likelihood that all these T20 tournaments will ‘last’? There appears to be an assumption that billions of dollars from India guarantee their future. But 95% of the IPL cash is under-written by the India market. Which would suggest that the UAE and SA leagues are ‘loss-leaders’, a bells-and-whistles ‘add-on’. Let’s see what happens. It may add to our corporate, global profile, or it may not. A $5m initial investment isn’t much compared the $600m we’re spending in the IPL.
It’s hard to see beyond the assumption that people will always watch T20 leagues. And that assumption is based on solid information, given current ratings. But it doesn’t mean people are ‘watching’ them, or even particularly ‘interested’ in them. They are, however, convenient and sporting wall-paper for production houses which have thousands of hours of advertising to sell.
The IPL, the mother-body, is different. The success of the tournament, now the second richest in the world behind the NFL, has been built on real numbers, real results and real dollars. The off-shoots, in the Caribbean, the UAE and South Africa, can survive for at least the next five or six years on the small change from their IPL parents.
But how much traction can teams gain in local communities with international ‘stars’ who are unashamedly playing for money – and happy, and permitted – to move, mid-tournament – to another league for more money?
For years I have spent many hours writing and perfecting this column before publication. Many readers (thank you) have suggested I should write more often. I always told them I didn’t have time to do justice to publishing more, with editing etc. One dear reader suggested: “An occasional, unedited rant would be lovely.” So, thank you, Ruth. It’s not a rant at all. But it is ‘raw thought’ which always leaves you open to equally raw criticism.
For those of us who still prefer test cricket, all this t20 stuff is quite funny. Professional cricketers throwing themselves at the biggest bucks anywhere in the world. Can’t imagine Geoffrey Boycott doing that in his day, mind you his scoring rate wouldn’t have cut it. I truly believe that t20 will diminish once local crowds realise that there is no loyalty from these players who just follow the money. Let’s hop test cricket can survive long enough to outlast these leagues and bring back to ‘real cricket’!
Excellent piece. This whole T20 leagues debate is set to run and run and I for one love it. I would offer the following in support.
The Hundred, into its closing stages, has revealed three notable things:
1) Teams are about local affiliations to their cities or, in the case of Welsh Fire, their country. Spectators at the grounds wear their sides colours. Matches between Oval Invincibles and London Spirit bring with them a real sense of a local derby. Same for The aforementioned Welsh Fire, who unfortunately lost 8 out of 8 games, with barely a welshman in the playing side. This no doubt a consequence of a draft system. In fact, were it not for his taking leave to rest before the SA test series, a Yorkshireman (Bairstow) would have captained the side.
2) Big name overseas players have not lived up to their big name billing. When WI players rushed off to join the CPL, people moved on very quickly. When Aus players were called away to international duties, we got over it. As for those staying, with the exception of a handful (e.g. Shamsi - top man!), few have set the tournament alight. The real big names are Hales, Malan, Morgan, Buttler, Ali, Salt et al. Basically, the local heroes. And plenty of others seen at county level in the T20 Blast. But gee, how the Welsh Fire would have loved David Miller’s A-game.
On the flip side, there must be some good that comes from county players sharing changing rooms with these big names. And in fairness, Kieron Pollard did turn out to a local outreach programme.
3) Tournaments have an optimum time limit of a month. Hopefully, leaving the spectatosr wanting more.
I wonder if there will be soon be a commentator draft. SA v UAE. Bring it on. But who will commentate?