Indian Cricket at a Loss!
Indian cricket today faces a crisis of culture and ethics amidst its riches in talent and money.
It was a muggy night in Manchester on July 9th, 2019. Old Trafford stadium was swollen with buoyant Indian fans wearing blue, confident their heroes would stride into another World Cup final. "India jeetega!" they chanted, as chants of "New Zealand jeetega!" rang out from a small knot of Kiwi supporters.
What unfolded next was agony and farce in equal measure. Amidst light rain, India stumbled to a shambolic 18-run defeat that eliminated them from the tournament's semi-final. Shellshocked Indian fans watched as the inspirational Kane Williamson led tiny New Zealand into the final. Once again, Indian cricket had inflicted upon its faithful another apocalypse of humiliation on the big stage.
"It breaks your heart when India loses like this", despaired veteran columnist Shyam Ponappa the next day. Yet unfortunately, such traumatic defeats have become numbingly predictable for Indian fans in recent ICC tournaments. Despite boasting some of cricket's supreme talents, India have failed to lift a major world title since the 2013 Champions Trophy.
Why do Men in Blue, despite their individual brilliance and star power, repeatedly falter when it matters most? What has gone so profoundly wrong with Indian cricket that it brings such agony to its devoted legions of followers?
In this opinion piece, I delve into the cultural, ethical and administrative failings that have corroded Indian cricket from within. The root cause is naked commercialization and corruption of the sport's governing bodies in pursuit of wealth and power. However, just as human greed created these flaws, so too can moral awareness help remedy them. Reviving ideals of integrity, selflessness and excellence is the path to restoring Indian cricket's lost sheen.
The Poisonous Flood of Money
To diagnose Indian cricket's ailments, we must first comprehend the obscene riches now swirling around it. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) earns exponentially more revenue than any other national cricket body. The Indian Premier League, launched in 2008, has commodified cricket into mass entertainment like nothing before.
The IPL's brand value alone touched $6.7 billion in 2019 a seventeen-fold rise over just a decade! Its 2020 television and digital rights were sold for a mammoth $6.2 billion for just five years. During the 2021 season, despite COVID disruptions, the IPL recorded a total viewership of 380 million.
For perspective, the English Premier League, the world's wealthiest football league, touched total revenues of $7.3 billion in 2020. The IPL has achieved nearly half that in just 13 years of existence!
This T20 bonanza has made the BCCI disproportionately powerful in international cricket. India is now the undisputed financial heavyweight steering the game's future.
However, money and naked capitalism have corrupted Indian cricket's ethics. Commercial interest has gained supremacy over principles like integrity, transparency and nurturing talent. When so much lucre is at stake, the temptation to game the system becomes irresistible.
As historian Ramachandra Guha critiqued: “Both the IPL and ICC events suggest Indian cricket is captured by a group who have little time for the sport itself.”
Legendary West Indies bowler Michael Holding concurs: “Too much importance is given to money these days. Cricket is just going down the drain with all this new money coming in."
The Rot Spreads
It is often said "the fish rots from the head down". Once greed and opacity took root in Indian cricket's administration, it was inevitable the national team too would be tainted.
With BCCI prioritizing profit over principles, players realize entertainment trumps discipline. When T20 leagues offer quick riches, motivation to sacrifice for one's country declines.
No wonder India's performances in ICC events are now beset by shocking inconsistency, indifference and lack of motivation. As Michael Atherton assessed: "India has unmatched depth in talent, only not in attitude."
At the same time, divisive "groupism" has surfaced in the dressing room. This stems from unchecked arrogance amidst the IPL's celebrity culture. After losses, senior players readily shift blame rather than accept collective responsibility.
As former skipper Sourav Ganguly observed: “There is lack of application from players when it matters most. Everyone wants to win but not work hard."
Contrast this with the camaraderie and gritty ethos in champion teams like New Zealand. Star all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja admitted recently: “When it comes to ICC tournaments, we need to be more expressive and flexible in our approach.”
Of course, we the fans are not blameless either in fueling this unethical cricket economy. Our celebrity worship makes players arrogant. Our addiction to hype and gossip distracts focus from the team's development. Our wallets continue filling the pockets of corrupt administrators.
As columnist Harsha Bhogle observed: “We have become besotted by glitz. The IPL is all about me and me now."
Until these troubling trends are acknowledged and corrected, Indian cricket will continue to flounder despite its embarrassment of riches in talent. For redemption, we must take an honest reckoning of how far our collective moral compass has veered off course.
Reclaiming Cricket's Higher Calling
Addiction to excessive wealth has corrupted Indian cricket. However, just as flaws originated from human greed, reform can arise through awakened conscience.
As philosopher J. Krishnamurti wrote: “There is no end to self-deception until there is an awakening.” The first step is for fans, players and administrators to wake up to how money has distorted cricket's ideals of integrity, selflessness and excellence.
Once consciousness evolves, positive actions and culture change will organically follow:
BCCI requires far-reaching reforms for transparency, accountability and professionalism. Conflicts of interest must be eliminated.
Domestic cricket needs upgrading across all regions of India to prevent the privileged cornering opportunities.
Past legends like Rahul Dravid and Anil Kumble should be recruited as mentors to instill strong ethics and excellence.
The captain and coach have to be strong role models who tackle greed and politics through collective accountability.
Selections must be based purely on merit, form and discipline rather than celebrity status.
We the fans have to become more responsible by judging cricketers on values, not just glamour and hype.
Our collective voices and choices can steer Indian cricket back towards its noble roots. We owe it to the game's intrinsic beauty to demand better from our heroes and leaders.
The Long Road Ahead
Reviving morality in Indian cricket after so much corrosion will require tremendous sustained effort. Those profiting from the present rotten state will resist change. Performances may stagnate before improving.
But the potential reward is huge reclaiming a cherished national institution that can inspire generations. As Nelson Mandela said: “Sport has the power to change the world. It has the power to unite people in a way that little else does.”
When diverse Indians come together in celebration of cricketing glory, it reaffirms bonds of community and patriotism. Repeated mediocrity breeds public cynicism and apathy. To rekindle cricket's uplifting force, we must fix what is broken.
I firmly believe India has all the talent needed to consistently triumph in cricket. But we must first cleanse the ecosystem holding us back. By reorienting Indian cricket towards its spiritual roots, redemption is possible.
If we stay committed to collective reform, our cricketing sun will shine again. We owe it to the beauty of this game. The time for national soul-searching and action is now.