Shame on you, Mohali!

The day was supposed to be a big day for Indian cricket. The world knew that Sachin was just 15 away from becoming the highest run getter in Tests. And moreover, the wait seemed to be over after India had won the toss and decided to bat. In short, the script was ready for the event to unfold. But what we got to see was shocking, to say the least. The crowd for the D-day was so sparse that it would have put even South Africa to shame. The mere definition of cricket in India cannot be separated from the man we call ‘little master’. The man who had carried the hopes of the entire nation for the past 18 years was on the verge of the greatest milestone of his career. In return, what did he get? He certainly deserved more than an empty and echoing PCA stadium, Mohali. This humiliating act by the people of Mohali needs to be condemned. It is difficult for me to convey the emotions that I went through while watching this act unfold. It was more than an eyesore for me.

            This leads us to a serious issue regarding the allotting of matches to Test venues.Having excellent infrastructure and facilities would lead to nothing if you don’t have the crowd to cheer on. Stadium facilities should not be the sole criterion for allotting matches. The BCCI should take this matter seriously and look into its ‘rotation policy’. Even at its present form, the ‘rotation policy’ is flawed. Check this. It is the list of matches in major venues in India since 2007 WC to the end of 2009(inc. Eng series)

    

Ahmedabad Nagpur Kolkata Chennai Delhi Chandigarh Kanpur Bangalore Mumbai

Tests      2      1      1      1      2      1      1      2      1

ODIs 0 1 0 0 0 2 2 2 1

             So why should the players be forced to play in front of empty stadiums when you have other options? The list clearly indicates that Eden Gardens and Chepauk have been the most neglected venues. Series as important as the Ind-Aus needs these venues. Where else would you get to see such atmosphere? The crowds are an integral part of any cricket match. In fact they are the soul of epic battles. Imagine Ashes 2005 or Eden 2001 minus the crowd. There is a unique charm is watching matches in front of huge crowds, even through the TV. Greatest cricketing battles are fought in jam-packed stadiums, not in front of bare concrete structures.

PITCHES that KILL odis-KARACHI

Cricket is at the crossroads. In this times of T20 tamashas , one would have expected the ongoing Asia Cup to be whiff of fresh air, away from the glitz and glamour of the IPL. But what do the fans get? Pitches strong enough to drive away even the most die hard fans of 50-50. In my view, watching teams chase 300 scores without any sort of fuss is as boring as watching Test matches that go into the last day without even the first innings complete. Karachi is an example of a odi killer thus preventing any chance of the Asia Cup being a"serial killer"( daily soaps and reality shows can breathe easy now). For me as a viewer, most interesting odis generally come from the land of the Poms and the Kangaroos because of the bowler-freindly conditions.I think BCCI has its task cut out in trying to maintain the same level of spectator interests in inOdis.Odis have given us our fair share of cricketing delights and contributed immensely to our love for the game.In these times of crisis due to the threaat of T20, let not the guardians of the game try to kick this format by producing sleeping beauties like the Karachi one. What do you say????????????