Opinion - Letters to the Editor   

Player auction

This refers to the auction of world’s top cricketers for the DHL Indian Premier League in Mumbai. It is sad that cricketers have become commodities, exploited by corporates and celebrities. No doubt, any sport needs patronage but not at the cost of the sport and the sportive instinct with which it should be played. It is the money poured on the players that will pressure them to perform, not passion for the game.

The players would do well to remember that those who have bid for them will dump them unceremoniously if they fail to live up to their market expectations. Instead of lavishly spending their money on the auction of players, the bidders could have used it on some cause benefiting society.

C.P. Prasanth Gopal,

Chennai

The auction came with a glitz that cricket has not seen before. The format promises to be such high entertainment that it may compel even the sceptics to join the cheer leaders. So far, cricket has been quite adaptable to the modifications it has gone through since Kerry Packer turned it into a television spectacle. It appears that cricket has changed forever — for better or for worse only the returns, or the lack of them, will tell.

A. Vani,

Hyderabad

The ostentatious IPL is bound to flop. No one would, for instance, cheer for M.S. Dhoni playing for Chennai or Robin Uthappa for Mumbai. To say IPL is crass commercialisation of cricket is an understatement. It has corrupted the spirit of the game with its thrust on money.

K. Chidanand Kumar,

Bangalore

Cricket is slowly becoming a trade. Auctions are being held, and millions of dollars spent on buying cricketers. Each State is prepared to spend lavishly to procure a player of choice through matinee idols and business magnets. Overseas retired and current players will enrich themselves with fabulous sums in no time. They need no longer worry about their future. The Twenty20 matches are no doubt crowd pullers and the IPL will be flooded with collections. But the game of cricket will lose its charm. One wonders whether Test cricket and 50-over ODIs will exist in future.

C. Varadarajan,

Chennai

Gone are the days when aspiring cricketers dreamt of the day they would wear the cap for India. It is no surprise that cricket is also caught in the web of free trade. Nothing that adds glamour or has potential advertisement value can be spared. How can cricket with a massive fan following be? As for the price of individual cricketers, as the chairman of IPL has said, factors that count are glamour quotient and endorsement value.

No wonder Yusuf Pathan has been auctioned at a higher price than Shane Warne. It only means whatever is left in the game of cricket has been totally commercialised.

N. Sekar,

Salem

To bid for talent is to degrade the game enjoyed by millions. The auction was a bad trendsetter for the youth who are already wasting many man hours idling away. It was the height of avarice.

T. Prabhakara Rao,

Machilipatnam

The bid for cricket players made a mockery of the game. It is unfortunate to see just one sport being pampered thus while other sporting events are being ignored.

It is shameful that top cricket players are auctioned and they are pleased with the huge money showered on them. In what way will the auction help the game, the people or young players across the country? Such crude exploitation of the mania for the game should be banned.

Nisha Gopalan,

Chennai

It is very disturbing to find a sport thriving at the collective cost of other sports such as hockey, chess, and badminton, in which we have produced world class sportspersons and won several medals.

Bishal Bhardwaj,

Shimla

The auction will help only senior players rather than upcoming domestic cricketers. The BCCI should encourage domestic cricketers who are the future of Indian cricket. IPL should focus on improving the standard of Indian cricket.

T. Raam Kumar,

Coimbatore

The auction of cricket players exposed the ugly face of money power. What is surprising and shocking is that there was no objection from the players for the manner in which a price tag was attached to them.

It is clear that for them, money is more important than self-respect. The huge money involved in the game will surely take away its spirit.

N. Jayaraj,

Chennai

The auction may benefit some players, franchises, the media, bookies and the BCCI. But the game and upcoming cricketers will become the casualties. The Twenty20 and Fifty50 formats will make local tournaments less attractive for leading players and may die a natural death in due course.

N. Ramamurthy,

Chennai

It is heartening to note that cricketers of different countries accusing one another of various things will play together. Cricket is indeed a great leveller. Or is it money?

S. Ramnath,

Hyderabad

The news of the players’ auction made sad reading. It reminded me of an advertisement in an American newspaper dated January 10, 1855 which said: “Great sale of slaves.”

May I request our business houses and superstars to spend some money on other sporting events too and help an Indian win an Olympic gold medal?

A. Balagangadharan,

Pollachi

Without getting into a debate on whether it is desirable to have such auctions, let us agree that there should be more dignified ways of signing up players.

S. Srinivasan,

Chennai

Even if the auction leads to maximum happiness for all, is the means adopted, that is, auctioning of people like livestock correct?

V.K. Eswaran,

Chennai

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