The IPL’s Tampered Ball
The player auction represented the tragic blurring of two distinct spheres of experience: politics and cricket.
If one sought to imagine how India might act as a superpower, one could do worse than follow the world of cricket, where it already is one. The last decade has witnessed not just a resurgence of India as a top international side, but also its complete domination of the administrative and financial levers of the sport.
With power comes privilege. After 96 years of being based in London, the International Cricket Council moved its headquarters eastwards, to Dubai, to be closer to the new centre of power. The ‘liberal’ entente regarding the rotation of World Cup hosting rights between continents was done away with, the subcontinent demanding a second helping over Australia and New Zealand’s protestations. And now, the world’s richest and most high-profile league is based in India, attracting the best international talent. Rich, brash, ruthless and unforgiving, Indian cricket has acted much like a hegemon might have been expected to act in international politics.
The dynamics of this parallel world order, however, rarely matched those of the international political system. The other poles of power in cricket have been Australia, South Africa and England, none of whom would count themselves among India’s chief political competitors. Along with Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, India formed a powerful subcontinental bloc, despite constant political friction with its neighbours. While perhaps ‘unnatural,’ the parallel universes could exist in relative harmony, their distinction, in fact, proving mutually invigorating. Cricket could always thrive, while helping to overcome and dilute political conflict.
But the third IPL player auction, held today in Mumbai, represents a tragic blurring of the two spheres of experience. Several star Pakistani players on the auction block were painfully, publicly passed over by Indian franchises. The cricketing logic for this collective decision on the part of IPL teams is certainly questionable. On present form and future potential, there is no reason that Umar Akmal and Mohammed Aamer should have been passed over. Shahid Afridi may arguably be past his destructive prime, but few non-Indian players are bigger draws for Indian cricket fans. And Sohail Tanvir and Umar Gul already proved themselves Twenty20 superstars in the 2008 edition of the IPL, with the former finishing top wicket-taker. Added insult to their snub came in the form of players who were picked instead: the long-ordinary Mohammad Kaif, retired stroke-maker Damien Martyn, and the chronically unfit Yusuf Abdulla.
The publicly-stated reason for the snub was unsatisfactory: teams were simply unwilling to deal with the added security and uncertainty that Pakistani players would bring with them. Given the security necessary to hold the IPL (the absence of which forced a move of last year’s edition to South Africa) and the draw their inclusion would bring the tournament in Pakistan, these excuses ring hollow.
Worst, the manner in which this was done (the Pakistani players were reportedly included in the auction following demonstrations of interest by teams), renders irrelevant all the cloying calls for peace, understanding and Track IV dialogue being made by the Indian and Pakistani media in recent weeks and months. If cricket—perhaps the last bastion of Indian popular culture left untainted by the worst aspects of international politics—is to be tarnished in this manner, it is a sad day indeed.
Further reading: INI alumnus Offstumped provides another reason for outrage: the franchises’ tacit collusion is suggestive of cartelisation—in other words, bad business practices.
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Yossarin Offstumped, Chaitanya S. Chaitanya S said: RT @offstumped: With great power comes privilege and responsibility http://is.gd/6BERr Dhruva Jaishankar's take on IPL passing over Pak … [...]
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This post was mentioned on Twitter by offstumped: With great power comes privilege and responsibility http://is.gd/6BERr Dhruva Jaishankar’s take on IPL passing over Pak players…
IPL auction was the best snub delivered to Pak yet. I’m 100% with the teams for passing over Pak players, protests by “intellectuals” not withstanding.
Terrorism cannot exist without support civil society, specially locals. That US has to use drones rather than ground based operations by Pak or US Army to take out terror ring masters speaks volumes of the ground support these leaders and their men enjoy in Pak.
Isn’t it rather dumb of us if we continue to engage in social activities with Pak, such as cricket, when we know fully well that next batch of terrorists are being judiciously trained to unleash terror on Indian civil society
if Pak govt., and its people were supportive of attempts to stem the terror camps, things could have been different.
Oh, infiltration is up J&K in recent days. Atleast Indian Army Jawans and J&K police will appreciate IPL’s snub to Pak players.
[...] Jaishankar over at the Polaris/INI has a longish post on his take on the [...]
[...] Jaishankar over at the Polaris/INI has a longish post on his take on the [...]
Politics has long been a part and parcel of international gaming events. To say that cricket is cricket and politics is politics is simply being naive.
Besides, this sort of thing is not exactly without precedent.. Why are Indian businesses and the Indian govt. being held to a higher standard than what was prevalent in the days of the Cold War?
We don’t want Pak and Pakis. nation is above cricket. politics has to be mixed with economics, soft power of cricket.
Another confusion of cause and effect. Old Freddie Bastiat once said, “When goods cannot cross borders, armies will”. I, for one, would be willing to include even services in that, considering that cricketers are providing a service. One could then come to the conclusion that stronger economic ties are one nail in the coffin of terrorism. The fact that it does not show signs of dying is not the cause of over-looking the Pakistani players but a result of the weak trade relations.
[...] India wins by a large margin. But my INI co-blogger Dhruva Jaishankar is a genuine cricket fan. Read his take at [...]
I think its the Headly Syndrome. Many Bollywood ppl now have bitter experience with Headly issue and dont want Tablieg Jamaat ppl doing terror recce at their expense and ruin their careers..once bitten twice shy and reasonably so..
[...] The IPL’s Tampered Ball [...]
One can choose to be right or choose to be happy. They are neither mutually exclusive or always go hand in hand.
So, as much as I agree intellectually with your logic, I neither feel sorry for any Pakistani player nor feel the need for IPL franchises to change their ways - AS LONG AS such cartel-like behavior was NOT dictated by the Indian Government.
Pragmatic bhevarior requires reality check for Idealistic views. I wish some IPL franchises had openly argued that Pakistani players on their team in the current environment would not go well with the image they want to maintain & that they would have incurred financial losses due to reduced attendance adn TV viewership from their target audience and hence should have announced even before the bidding process that they would not be bidding for Pakistani players.
the problem with India is that our governments have always been confused and in-decisive. Indecision leads to impotence. So what do we have to show for Mumbai one year after it happened?? that’s right, NOTHING except the dead bodies.
So IPL, a private citizens group, took up the mantle. The only thing I find disturbing is that they did not have the galls to come forward and declare that they wont be hiring Pakistanis. Instead they let this play out in a rather shameful manner.
However, the intent is right on..
I can give away that manner should have been better and that, one expects better professionalism from a respected sports governing body like the BCCI in handling all this. Having said that, one wonders how much of this has depended on the subcontinental lethargy and last-minute decision making. Maybe the franchises were interested to start with in Pak players. But, as its an auction and one enters with limited money and choices, it is obvious 5/6th of the players on the anvil will go unsold! Also, as auction progresses, dynamics of auction affect choices and decision making. Who knows that had Mumbai not bid so highly for Kieron Pollard, they may have targeted Umar Gul or Sohail Tanvir! Another aspect of lethargy is of officialdom. Maybe our government was asked and took its own sweet time to convey to the franchise owners that they cannot guarantee clearance - by which time it migth have been too late and they took their decision at the last minute due to this. I do not think that the IPL’s stock will go down much. Pakistan is a big country in terms of eye balls but (I don’t think!) not in terms of advertising dollars. I am not sure IPL’s bosses will be concerned with its negative impact and yes, in that respect, we have shown our arrogance. But, we MUST NOT forget that this is a capitalist model of working and that franchise owners will put their money only where returns are assured. They will want accountability of each hard earned Rupee that they are putting out there. If Pakistan people are immature as a society to accept this, I understand. But, Indian analysts should learn to keep emotions out of this while analysing and not just slam the move on the part of franchises. The IPL on its part also must learn to be transparent! That’s a corporate virtue BCCI is strangely averse to..
Nicely written.
http://zainyjee.wordpress.com/2010/01/21/indian-premier-league-bowls-an-underarm-delivery-to-pakistan/
Rules for this blog site suggests that it tries to join dots of National interest and tell it like it is… But if only author can explain what India national interst is served if we allow pakis to play. Will they deport Dawwod Ibrahim? Will they return all the hijackers of flight IC 814 ? Just recently our home minister said that India folied 12 terror plots in 2009, I wonder where they were originated from? Even after 11/26 author who likes to be mentioned in NY times as an intellectual is more concern serving inidan natioanl interest by paying Pakis to play in IPL.. what a shame..
My recent blog article on this subject is here:
http://jitegabharat.com/blog.php?b=92