India-An economic Superpower of the Cricketing World

With due respect to all the lovers of the Spirit of the Game,and to all those who believe cricket should be played for the sake of cricket, and with due reverence to India's long and enchanting history for this wonderful sport, I wish to present a prospect that seems imminent and surprisingly tempting .

I was reading through this post in rediff dated 13th February 2008, under the title

"Aussies May Retire to Play the IPL"

(Read the full article at http://www.rediff.com/cricket/2008/feb/13aus.htm)

I will present an extract from the same, that says

"Sending a strong signal to Cricket Australia, Indian Premier League's agent Neil Maxwell has warned that players (Aussie)may take premature retirement or simply walk away if they are not allowed to take part in the BCCI-backed lucrative Twenty20 venture.Maxwell, who manages Brett Lee and Mike Hussey, said if the conflicting issues are not resolved, the lure of money may persuade players to opt for the IPL instead of their national teams."

The Sydney test will be remembered for reasons that will probably not be termed as "The true spirit of the game". But I must admit entertainment was never in the lacking. Surprising elements of national pride were evoked which one never associated with the harmless game of cricket. Like for example the theory on how Indians could never be racists, to how Indians must fight fire with fire ,even how Sachin Tendulkar could never lie etc.

Another element that was widely discussed (Especially by the Aussie media) on India being able to exercise "Muscle Power" or even "Money Power" to influence decisions of the ICC. Interestingly Money and Muscle were never in the jargon of anyone discussing India in any other context in the past. So if one were to await the day India would emerge a superpower, I should say we have already done so, in the world of cricket.

Both these two events (The IPL case and the Sydney Test) puts me into thinking , what exactly is "The Spirit of Cricket"? Or whether the true spirit has changed over the years into assuming its current form. Where Advertising, Money and Muscle have redifined the rules, the passions, and rendered India in its domain an economic superpower.