The Hindu : Opinion / Letters to the Editor : Player auction

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Tuesday, Feb 26, 2008
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Opinion

Opinion - Letters to the Editor

Player auction

The recent auction of cricket players for the IPL has been described as ostentatious and against the spirit of the game. It has been argued that the huge sum of money involved in the auction could have been used for more beneficial causes.

I feel such an argument can be extended to any entrepreneurial act which is done with a commercial purpose. The revenues and the forex that will be generated, as in the soccer leagues and basketball leagues of the European countries, is being overlooked.

The revenue earned from IPL matches can be used for improving sports like hockey.

Amit Arora,

Mumbai

* * *

Sport is an entertainment and in India, cricket is the top draw. This is what gives it money value.

Sports like weightlifting and shooting are not entertaining, nobody watches them and their sportspersons don’t earn a lot of money. Is this such a difficult concept to understand?

If anything, IPL is putting an artificial cap on the salaries of cricketers. Sachin Tendulkar’s true market value should be comparable to what top movie stars make.

Ashok Rajamani,

Hillsboro

* * *

The blatant commercialisation of cricket is good for neither the players nor the game. The BCCI is killing the goose that lays the golden eggs.

Player burnout has been an issue for some time with cricket being played throughout the year. The Twehty20 format will be a further strain on players and will ultimately cut short their career.

C.M. Umanath,

Kozhikode

* * *

It was amusing to see industrialists and film stars auctioning human beings like cattle in village fairs. Worse, they claim it was done in the interest of the game. In fact, the auction will create jealousy and demoralise the players. Justice V.R. Krishna Iyer’s clarion call to “boycott the mercenaries” was a fitting response.

A.J. Venkatasubramanyam,

Chennai

* * *

By shortening the game and introducing big money into it, the essence of cricket will be lost. How can a player’s talent, technicality, effectiveness and team spirit be expressed in a game that is played only for the sake of money and for such a short time?

What will drive the players who are not going to play for their country or good cricket? Will IPL be able to sustain the interest of the people by giving them short doses of a sport which can be enjoyed better only when it is played for a longer duration?

Sumathi Chandrashekaran,

Chennai

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