Home > Cricket > No boundaries: How the IPL is sidelining South Africa, the West Indies, Pakistan and Sri Lanka
No boundaries: How the IPL is sidelining South Africa, the West Indies, Pakistan and Sri Lanka
The Indian circus is leaving half the cricketing world in the wilderness. And the ICC is powerless to do anything about it.
by Greg Smith on 18 May 2008
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The Proteas are worried about the future of cricket.
Things don’t look rosy from a South African perspective and the recent launch of the IPL is a further concern, and it seems the ICC or any other cricket board are unable to offer any resistance.
The consequences of this marketing scheme called IPL will be negative, for not only South African cricket but for the game as a whole.
The current set-up of the IPL is a billboard for Fox Sport. The Rupert Murdoch sports channel provides a window into Australian and New Zealand sport and it is clear to see they are the major beneficiaries of the IPL.
Murdoch has set his sights on the billion viewers in India and the IPL is an hors d’oeuvre for them to tune into Australian and Kiwi sports and to follow the stars they are being baited with.
The Australians and New Zealanders are the major stars of the IPL when singing the Fox Sport song - the rest are merely the chorus. This can clearly be seen in the relative importance of players.
I would be shot down if I stopped here and left it at an accusation only against the Aussies, as they do have some great stars. It is difficult to work around that, but when you add the stardom eagerly heaped on the traditionally hapless New Zealanders, it is obvious this is a window on Fox Sport.
The ultimate consequence of the IPL will be that cricket in India and Oceania will surge ahead.
In a relative media wilderness, South Africa, the West Indies, Pakistan and Sri Lanka will be further marginalised and this does highlight the necessity for a Caribbean competition as mooted by Allen Stanford.
This rival league could include and highlight South Africans, the English and the West Indians while similarly having minor co-stars from Australia, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
Aiming this league at Africa, the Americas and Europe would be an excellent ploy and could lure a bigger TV audience than the billion cricket lovers of India, who are being primed for sub-continental cricket spiced exclusively with the Aussie and Kiwi stars.
Comments (6)
by Homer on May 18, 2008
Have the Proteas decided on who has the cricket broadcasting rights because, last checked, plenty of people were losing their jobs over the kerfuffle, and by the way, it is Channel 10 and not Fox Sports that carries the IPL in Australia - so what is the import of your article?
by Sen Kun on May 18, 2008
Mr.Smith if you researched a little(tiny, minute) bit before publishing your propaganda, it might have been effective. I can easily say football premier league of European countries is stopping the growth of football in subcontinent but I would sound like a fool. Research a bit and have respect for others, don't go on blaming others for your failures.
by Rohit Gangwani on May 18, 2008
Mr. Smith, perhaps you suffer from a mathematical disability, which prevents you from counting, otherwise it is impossible for any one to moiss the number of South African, Pakistani, West Indian and Sri Lankan cricketers presently playing in the IPL. Your wishful or wilful lack of vision prevents you from seeing that the Australians and New Zealanders have mostly left after the first few matches. In fact, it is now the South Africans and the Sri Lankans who are the dominant foreign presence in the IPL. Please research the composition of the teams - and it is easily available online - before making such comments.
by Andrew Cohen on May 19, 2008
This is the most ridiculous article I ever read. Devoid of research, unabashedly biased with it's aim seems to fool its readers. IPL is benefiting every cricket playing nation. Its the first tournament in which players are selected based on performance rather than boards whims and fancies. For the first time spectators are given their worth, anywhere in the cricketing world.. ECB or Stamford or anybody can not come close to IPL because to be successful like IPL, you need Four 'P' s - Players, Population, Passion and Paisa. None of these Four are there with either ECB or Stamford. Just for your information IPl's rival in India called ICL has spent more than US $100 million. But still its not created any dent in IPL, So how can ECB and or Stanford or any other tournament do any harm to IPL?
by Mr T on May 19, 2008
Greg Smith from south africa comes up with this crap everyday his articles are pathetic and boring honestly who gives a toss about south africa anyway. get over it fool.
by John Hogwards on May 20, 2008
Not a single comment which agrees with the writer.....lol I pity Sportingo!
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