Breakaway Indian League - Lara, Warne, McGrath?

[shortpitched713]

Personally I think its BS on Zee's part. WE haven't recieved any confirmation on the part of the stars in question, and theres no doubt in my mind that Zee would be willing to say anything to hype up this event.

 

[shortpitched713]

Wrong. Any cricket run by a professional outfit will invariably be better than a worthless cricket league run by corrupt beaurocrats with the primary interest of lining their pockets and not the paying public, let alone the sport itself.

I don't see how Zee's league is anything other than that.

 

[silentstriker]

The BCCI is as much a professional outfit as Zee TV. I cannot believe you think Zee have any interest in staging a genuine cricket competition, all they care about is subscribers.

The difference being the BCCI does not even care about them? I'd much rather have a competition dedicated to attracting more viewers rather than having a competition dedicated to nothing except to further their own bureaucracy.

 

[silentstriker]

I don't see how Zee's league is anything other than that.

Its about attracting the paying public away from the BCCI. If the viewers have a choice, that can only be a good thing.

 

[Richard]

The difference being the BCCI does not even care about them? I'd much rather have a competition dedicated to attracting more viewers rather than having a competition dedicated to nothing except to further their own bureaucracy.

You seriously think there is no-one in Indian domestic cricket who cares about anything other than lining their own pockets?

Most of the worst perpetrators at The BCCI top level might be so, but there's a hell of a lot more to it than that, and some people are actually interested in producing players for India, otherwise India would be a nothing force in international cricket.

 

[silentstriker]

Course it wasn't. You think Packer gave a **** about improving players' wages? That was just an opportunity he saw to enable him to get what he wanted.

If The ACB had accepted his initial offer there'd have been no WSC and Packer would not have gone about moaning that players weren't paid enough.

Who cares what the motive was? The end result was that cricket was better for it. No one is claiming Zee has some altruisitic motive, but neither does the BCCI. My contention is that regardless of Zee's motive (which as a public company, should always be to their shareholders), the end result will be good for the game.

 

[silentstriker]

You seriously think there is no-one in Indian domestic cricket who cares about anything other than lining their own pockets?

There might be, but none in the positions that have real power, as such people would never rise to the top.

Most of the worst perpetrators at The BCCI top level might be so, but there's a hell of a lot more to it than that, and some people are actually interested in producing players for India, otherwise India would be a nothing force in international cricket.

India IS a nothing force in international cricket. It survives because of its money and because some talented folks make it out in spite of the BCCI's system. Compared to the resources it demands, the product it puts out on the field is complete ****e. It would be like charging for a Rolce Royce $300,000 car and getting a burnt out $200 used Ford Pinto.

 

[Richard]

Who cares what the motive was? The end result was that cricket was better for it. No one is claiming Zee has some altruisitic motive, but neither does the BCCI. My contention is that regardless of Zee's motive (which as a public company, should always be to their shareholders), the end result will be good for the game.

That post was purely relating to WSC, which as y'all know IMO more harm than good came of.

 

[Richard]

There might be, but none in the positions that have real power, as such people would never rise to the top.

Why do they need to rise to the top? They seem to me to be doing the job even despite the people at the top?

India IS a nothing force in international cricket. It survives because of its money and because some talented folks make it out in spite of the BCCI's system. Compared to the resources it demands, the product it puts out on the field is complete ****e. It would be like charging for a Rolce Royce $300,000 car and getting a burnt out $200 used Pinto.

Haha, so we should be satisfied never until India have achieved a never-ending monopoly of the number-one spot, never losing so much as a single Test?

India is a Test team (and ODI, not that that matters to you) of seriousness. That's not being a nothing force.

 

[pasag]

Playing for Hampshire maybe, clearly Warne only there a gain some extra money at the end of his career. I don't see anything different for him to play in a league like this, if they get some decent money.

Warne is only playing at Hampshire to honour his contract and also because he enjoys it heaps I suspect. He's not doing it for the money, he's damn well-off as it is and anyways as soon as he finishes he will slot right into the commentary box or any other role he chooses here. His popularity can't be underestimated. Furthermore, it's not ungraceful for a player to quietly finish his career in county cricket or any other domestic arena, far from it.

This however is tacky to the extreme. I want my lasting memories of Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath to be them walking off the SCG, not this rubbish. Obviously if they're offered millions of dollars for doing barley anything, they'll go. Who wouldn't? All I'm saying is it's a shame, a real shame (although as has been said, none of the reports are substantiated yet).

 

[silentstriker]

Why do they need to rise to the top? They seem to me to be doing the job even despite the people at the top?

Because they aren't? We are producing relatively crap players.

Haha, so we should be satisfied never until India have achieved a never-ending monopoly of the number-one spot, never losing so much as a single Test?

No, we should never be satisfied until we go undefeated. That should obviously be the goal of every board, but the BCCI is the only one who would disagree.

But in terms of what I'd be happy with? How about just consistent competitiveness home and away? With a population of 1.2 billion, and untold amounts of money coming in, surely that is not too much to ask.

 

[Richard]

Warne is only playing at Hampshire to honour his contract and also because he enjoys it heaps I suspect. He's not doing it for the money, he's damn well-off as it is and anyways as soon as he finishes he will slot right into the commentary box or any other role he chooses here. His popularity can't be underestimated. Furthermore, it's not ungraceful for a player to quietly finish his career in county cricket or any other domestic arena, far from it.

This however is tacky to the extreme. I want my lasting memories of Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath to be them walking off the SCG, not this rubbish. Obviously if they're offered millions of dollars for doing barley anything, they'll go. Who wouldn't? All I'm saying is it's a shame, a real shame (although as has been said, none of the reports are substantiated yet).

I feel that the domestic level is a far more appropriate place to finish your career, myself, TBH, than the international.

Mind, it's unlikely that Warne and McGrath will never so much as pick-up a cricket ball again, and as I understand it McGrath intends to continue playing in the grades?

 

[Richard]

Because they aren't? We are producing relatively crap players.

You're kidding, right? There are loads of promising players in their late teens and early 20s at present.

No, we should never be satisfied until we go undefeated. That should obviously be the goal of every board, but the BCCI is the only one who would disagree.

But in terms of what I'd be happy with? How about just consistent competitiveness home and away? With a population of 1.2 billion, and untold amounts of money coming in, surely that is not too much to ask.

Competitiveness away is not something I expect of India, as I've mentioned - history shows such a thing to be exceedingly rare.

India, for me, are categorically not a nothing force in international cricket.

 

[silentstriker]

Competitiveness away is not something I expect of India, as I've mentioned - history shows such a thing to be exceedingly rare.

Because it has always been run by incompetent and corrupt bastards. Unless that changes, the history will continue.

India, for me, are categorically not a nothing force in international cricket.

I guess we disagree. For me, if they were to stop playing completely, Cricket wouldn't really be much poorer for it (in terms of quality, not $$). A couple players here and there, but on the whole? Total nothing.

 

[shortpitched713]

Who cares what the motive was? The end result was that cricket was better for it. No one is claiming Zee has some altruisitic motive, but neither does the BCCI. My contention is that regardless of Zee's motive (which as a public company, should always be to their shareholders), the end result will be good for the game.

Rich from a guy who thinks one-day cricket is some kind of abomination.

 

[Richard]

Because it has always been run by incompetent and corrupt bastards. Unless that changes, the history will continue.

Do you see it changing even if, for instance, you were in charge?

I don't, personally. And has it really always been run by incompetent and corrupt bastards? I never knew you were an expert on the machinations of The BCCI in 1971? Never mind 1937.

I guess we disagree. For me, if they were to stop playing completely, Cricket wouldn't really be much poorer for it (in terms of quality, not $$). A couple players here and there, but on the whole? Total nothing.

Any side stopping playing, especially with a sum-total of 8 sides in the family (plus one baby and an exile who has been removed from the family pic on the mantlepiece but whose name still haunts many discussions), would be a massive disaster for the game. Not to mention the fact that there'd be several million Indians (and a fair few Yankee expats, for that matter) who'd be everso slightly disappointed.

 

[shortpitched713]

I guess we disagree. For me, if they were to stop playing completely, Cricket wouldn't really be much poorer for it (in terms of quality, not $$). A couple players here and there, but on the whole? Total nothing.

That could really be said about any cricketing nation barring Australia. India have some really quality players in Dravid and Kumble and to say that cricket wouldn't be the poorer for it is uncomprehendible.

 

[Richard]

Many people have argued that cricket would be far better if Australia stopped playing - and while it's ridiculous, it's also not a completely baseless claim.

 

[Pratters]

Richard.. BCCI has been crap for ages. There have been shameful incidents in the past and horrendous administrators.

 

[marc71178]

That post was purely relating to WSC, which as y'all know IMO more harm than good came of.

In your opinion maybe.