Some extra context: the bcci's communique to kkr would have been informed by the upcoming Bengal election. Politics would have dictated that in order to win the state from the TMC, polarising people would be the first step. One easy way to do that would be to rile up Bangladesh.
In turn, Bangladesh had to save face given that its own election is fast approaching. So they too stuck to their guns.
I would say, this is not about the market at all. Had there been no elections on either side of the border, the fizz would have been here with his team!
I grew up playing at Sonnet Club under Tarek Sinha, back when cricket felt like it belonged to everyone who loved it. Watching the BCCI's religious-political agenda poison the ecosystem - it's made loving the game complicated in ways I never imagined. The sport's still beautiful. The machinery around it? Unrecognizable.
Wonderful piece once again, Sarthak. Love reading your posts.
On the mess that is India and World Cricket, I think it is time to start a #AnyoneButBCCI movement akin to Anyone but England. There should be no national pride in behaving like bullies just becasue you were once bullied.
We don’t seem capable of learning from history. Power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely. And human connection and in this case the sport suffers.
Yet again, an incisive piece on the absurdity that is Indian (and therefore world cricket). Thank you for making that important distinction between BCCI followers and Indian cricket fans. No, we are not the same.
The fact that it was never a fair game could be one reason why we are still not a global sport? Earlier a world cup was mostly the commonwealth cup, and now the world cup is BCCI and Pals Association Cup.
100%, Karthik. So many of us watch cricket because the love exists for the sport and its practitioners, not the insignia on the jersey. We'd watch this team even if had no commercial value and tanked to the bottom of the ICC rankings.
Re: the ICC. Totally. The anglo ownership wanted the game to themselves. They were exclusionary in every aspects. One stat that blows my mind is—until 1998, England only gave Sri Lanka one-Test tours. Play one and leave. Australia, similarly, doesn't entertain Bangladesh or Zimbabwe or Afghanistan over at theirs. Now that the BCCI is in that position, it wants every ounce of power and influence.
Shashi Tharoor s question was correct. The BCCI could have shown maturity, but they opted for communal appeal. Indians by and large wouldn’t have cared. The noise from the right wing was always there, nothing new. The VHPisation of the BCCI is bad news.
Bangladesh’s reaction while predictable was also juvenile. As for the PCB, they will do what is ordered by the generals.
Some extra context: the bcci's communique to kkr would have been informed by the upcoming Bengal election. Politics would have dictated that in order to win the state from the TMC, polarising people would be the first step. One easy way to do that would be to rile up Bangladesh.
In turn, Bangladesh had to save face given that its own election is fast approaching. So they too stuck to their guns.
I would say, this is not about the market at all. Had there been no elections on either side of the border, the fizz would have been here with his team!
Fully agree. The market remark for BCCI's general demeanour. But this move is very much election-based.
I grew up playing at Sonnet Club under Tarek Sinha, back when cricket felt like it belonged to everyone who loved it. Watching the BCCI's religious-political agenda poison the ecosystem - it's made loving the game complicated in ways I never imagined. The sport's still beautiful. The machinery around it? Unrecognizable.
Oh, woah. Sonnet was *the* shiz back in the day.
And the surrounding mechanics are indeed nauseating.
solid read as always sir!
Thanks man!
Very insightful about the arrogance of the nouveau riche....
Thank you!
Wonderful piece once again, Sarthak. Love reading your posts.
On the mess that is India and World Cricket, I think it is time to start a #AnyoneButBCCI movement akin to Anyone but England. There should be no national pride in behaving like bullies just becasue you were once bullied.
Thank you, Vineet. We take national pride on how fat BCCI's coffers are, and how we're using to exclude convenient foes.
I have a v limited knowledge of what’s going on in modern cricket, but l love reading your pieces, they have a nostalgic, old school feel!
Thank you for reading, Sophia :) So glad they speak to you.
We don’t seem capable of learning from history. Power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely. And human connection and in this case the sport suffers.
Totally, Binu.
Yet again, an incisive piece on the absurdity that is Indian (and therefore world cricket). Thank you for making that important distinction between BCCI followers and Indian cricket fans. No, we are not the same.
The fact that it was never a fair game could be one reason why we are still not a global sport? Earlier a world cup was mostly the commonwealth cup, and now the world cup is BCCI and Pals Association Cup.
100%, Karthik. So many of us watch cricket because the love exists for the sport and its practitioners, not the insignia on the jersey. We'd watch this team even if had no commercial value and tanked to the bottom of the ICC rankings.
Re: the ICC. Totally. The anglo ownership wanted the game to themselves. They were exclusionary in every aspects. One stat that blows my mind is—until 1998, England only gave Sri Lanka one-Test tours. Play one and leave. Australia, similarly, doesn't entertain Bangladesh or Zimbabwe or Afghanistan over at theirs. Now that the BCCI is in that position, it wants every ounce of power and influence.
Shashi Tharoor s question was correct. The BCCI could have shown maturity, but they opted for communal appeal. Indians by and large wouldn’t have cared. The noise from the right wing was always there, nothing new. The VHPisation of the BCCI is bad news.
Bangladesh’s reaction while predictable was also juvenile. As for the PCB, they will do what is ordered by the generals.