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[keep-it-cool]

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,18850014-23212,00.html

SUNIL Gavaskar has scoffed at suggestions excessive cricket is causing player burnout, saying the hard grind is part of the honour of representing one's country.
Gavaskar, the India batting legend who heads the powerful cricket committee of the sport's world governing body, said he was shocked at players complaining of the gruelling international schedule.

"I can't see the problem," Gavaskar said on a television programme.

"These players are turning out for their countries, it's an honour to represent your country.

"I would be willing to sweat 365 days in a year for India.

"Those who can't stand the heat should stay out."

Gavaskar was speaking after Federation of International Cricketers Association president Tim May recently mentioned the possibility of a players' strike if the International Cricket Council (ICC) failed to change the cramped schedule.

May, a former Australia off spinner and president of Australia's players association, said his dealings with the ICC bordered on being a joke.

"We're frustrated, we're concerned, we're disappointed the ICC and the member countries aren't abiding by principles that are supposed to be abided by in the scheduling of tours," The Sun-Herald newspaper last weekend quoted May as saying.

"It's a revenue-raising frenzy. It's pushing the players into a position where they're just going to say: No, it's too much, we're walking away from this, we're not going to play in these games."

May reacted after world champion Australia went into a Test series in Bangladesh less than a week after ending a gruelling tour of South Africa.

Australia struggled to beat the minnow in the first Test in Fatullah, where exhausted Australia fast bowler Brett Lee said after the match that he was "running on fumes".

India's obsession with lucrative limited-overs cricket meanwhile sees Rahul Dravid's men play Pakistan in Abu Dhabi later today and tomorrow, just three days after concluding a seven-game series against England at home.

Since August, India has played 32 one-dayers – an average of nearly one a week – in Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, Pakistan and far-flung venues in their own country.

This was in addition to two Test matches in Zimbabwe, three each against Sri Lanka and England at home, and three more in Pakistan.

Only Sri Lanka have played more limited-overs in the same period: 36.

Australia, New Zealand and South Africa have played 22 each, Pakistan 13, England 11 and West Indies nine.

India will have a month off before touring the Caribbean for four Tests and five limited-overs matches against West Indies.

Australia will meanwhile rest for three months after the Bangladesh tour while England goes straight into its domestic season.

May said the players would be drained by the time the World Cup begins in the Caribbean next March.

"Guys start going through the motions," he said.

"Their bodies are extremely fatigued. They just can't keep doing it.

"Some players are already making a stand. Shane Warne only plays one form of the game. Brian Lara is becoming very selective in the tours he goes on, and the forms he plays.

"Shahid Afridi isn't playing Tests because he says the amount Pakistan are playing is ridiculous. He's taken a brave step and, quite frankly, it's a step countless players are contemplating.

"If that's good for the game, I'm in the wrong business."

Gavaskar, 56, played 125 Tests and 108 limited-overs matches during a 16-year career that ended in 1987.

The ICC has suggested that teams should be restricted to playing between 12 and 15 Tests and 30 limited-overs matches in a calendar year.

[achutank]

even the ATP guys travel all year round. and the F1 guys.

Except there is one significant difference

tennins players have to play only 13 mandatory tournaments for rankings

and the FI guys have what 15 weekends in the season.

for both these guys there is a significant offseason, plus for tennis stars there is a choice of how they want to schedule their events.

here there is a diktat from the boards and ICC and the players have to really grind it out. Sunny can talk. but look at the number of series he played versus dravid or even sehwag.


no i think for example this abu dhabi tournament is all wrong. we just finshed playing pak and then this gruelling summer series with england. we know how much fluids they have lsot, and the fibres take so much punishment. the bodies need to renergise. plus isn't family life inportant? some freetime for oneself? when you are 19 like SS its ok, you want that life, but when you are 25 and married you want some family life,some quiet somethings you want to do for yourself away from cricket.

look at all of us. don't we have times when we take it easy away from work? its called a weekend for you workholics and we get 52 of these in a year. imagine if your boss says ok, you finished your project and you are up for leave but company rules demand that you need to now go and do some training or do some internal project (the corporate version of ranji trophy). cmon give these guys a break man.

[LosingNow]

I have great respect for SMG ..but the old man is losing it...(fast)

"I would be willing to sweat 365 days in a year for India."

Hmm.. Come on, WTF .. not even the soldiers that protect us work 365 days a year.

[abhinav]

More cricket..more opportunities to be on TV as a commentator..more money..

 

[kubukde]

rhetoric is a powerful weapon when used well..  SG has lost it..  overselling kills the market..  even Indian fans wouldn't be happy if the quality of cricket deteriorates beyond a point..  golf and tennis, e.g., retain their appeal with 4 majors each year..  the other events just make up the count..  less is more..  i can't imagine this continuing for another 20 years..  hopefully, the icc will learn soon that less is more..

[vijay]

Some of the problem (excessive match play) can be solved by having bigger squads e.g. 22 players in a squad versus 15 or 16- and rotating players during the course of matches.  But, there is another issue with these large number of games. The value/tension associated with each game is less. Who is going to remember or care about some odd game played in Sharjah or Toronto? Players could go through motions and there would be more chances for match fixing. And- if that happens, the golden goose will have been cooked. I still remember how close I was to chucking my addiction to this Indian team when the match fixing scandal broke out. It took Laxman's innings and that miracle in Kolkatta to get me interested again.

[senthilpeter]

I have great respect for SMG ..but the old man is losing it...(fast)

"I would be willing to sweat 365 days in a year for India."

Hmm.. Come on, WTF .. not even the soldiers that protect us work 365 days a year.

Losing it??? man, he's long lost it.... he may have been a great great player, but he never seemed to graduate to the upper echelons in terms of nuanced thinking. just shoots off his mouth, from the raised pedestal that his batting provided him. take a look at this issue itself -- somehow a thing meriting analysis i.e. player workload has to him been simplified to a patriotic sweating for your country. Almost like he is not capable of deeper and braoder thinking. But then why expect that of him!!!!

Achu, good post.. appluase on the way...

[ruchir]

Prem had this Sunny statement on his blog too and this is what I wrote in comments there:

By making comments like -- I would be willing to sweat 365 days in a year for India -- Gavaskar is putting himself in the same catagory as that of BS Bedi. In his days, cricket was played at a leisurely pace. A series here and a series there. So, maybe Gavaskar feels now that he missed out on a lot of cricket. That's why he is not able to empathise with today's cricketers when they say that they are playing too much cricket. I wonder how many injuries Gavaskar had to bear in his career. We know how many injuries Sachin, Srinath, Kumble etc. had to face. Regularly our players have groin and hamstring problems. Did players of Gavaskar era face any of these injuries? Probably not. Heck, I never remember Gavaskar coming off the field in dirty clothes, so ofcourse he wants players to play 365 days. His mind is still stuck in 1970s style of cricket which involved running with the ball to the boundary line, picking it up in style and throwing it softly to the keep.....

Adding to the above: I think Gavaskar is getting the same jealousy pangs that BS Bedi get hit by very often. Gavaskar has also started making fun of players by pointing at their physical attributes, like Bedi. Recently he said that Powar has a heart as big as his waist. Was there any reason to bring Powar's waist in the comment when speaking about his big heart?

I feel Players like Bedi, Gavaskar, Srikkanth, Amarnath etc. they are all slowly and slowly getting jealous of current players. Players are earning more now, they are more in news, getting more media coverage, their faces are more on TV because of Ads. Older players think that they have mised out on all these things are are critisizing current players for getting whatever they missed.

Gavaskar is speaking crap because he has an opportunity of doing so. Media goes to him for comments and he sees it as a chance of being in news. And what better way of being in news than saying something that ie exactly opposite of what common sense would say.

[tombaan]

gavaskar has another problem he wanted beta to play for india and he cannot see aira gaira play while his golden wonder boy is playing in the maidans for west bengal

[Stumped]

SMG lost it long time ago......If he has some brains left and want to be 'patriotic' ,scrap the stupid Asian Test Championship just before the WC.......

[dextrous]

Right and so have Kapil Dev and all other ex-greats that say anything about the issue.

[dhruvdeepak]

yeah these cricketers are now our slaves. if they arent on LIVE whenever we turn on the tv they are doing the nation a disservice. Gavaskar sir himself has endorsed this. It is an honor to play for your country. Yeah, make it feel like an honor by letting them be human beings also. How in the blue hell do our boys pack up in Indore, connect to Mumbai, then land in Abu Dhabi, prepare for new opponents and a new series, get a grasp of the new conditions and take a rest after a f***ing long ODI series, all in 2 days? And what of their families? No need for family. The team is the family. The nation is the family. Hum hain naa. Why would you want to meet your family anyway when you're doing your nation such a great service and being so honored by representing your nation? You should want to play 365 days a year.

Of course, dont forget anytime some result happens to go against us like today, the nation that backs its honorable team so willingly goes into a national uproar over the pathetic performance of the spoilt, lazy, useless cricketers. Drop them all. Actually, dont worry. They will fall like dead flies by themselves if we continue to slave-drive them at this rate.

[dhruvdeepak]

what disgusts me even more is these pompous mofos coming to the lovely new stadium and sitting on THRONES, actual THRONES. Ppl like Pervez, Praful Patel, Pawar et al who have absolutely nothing to do with the cricket. Same for despicable characters like Sallu Khan. Act like they are donating their kidneys to the 'honorable cause' while they watch their playthings, the cricketers, sweat it out and earn the money that will be given away.

God, and if i see Pervez waving like Caesar at the Colisseum again I might destroy my computer.

[toney]

dhruv, cool down, boy!!! You really seem to have lost it.
I agree, our players are like slaves right now. And a bigger pool of 25-30 cricketers is not the answer. As a nation, we always want the best eleven to play. That wont be possiblle if we play 365 days a year (of course, unless you are Gavaskar). This is where a players' association needs to make itself heard. Do we have one? Even if we have, it clearly isnt doing enough. I know the BCCI is against a players' union. But why should it feel insecure if it is doing the right things?

[fineleg]

Lets make a mockery of it, I am all for it - Dont care if we lose tomorrow.
Lets put out a team without RD, YS, MSD, IP tomorrow - show the Sheikhs and BCCI, we dont care.

Wave the finger at BCCI 

But, we are all here fighting for REST for our players which they deserve.
I DONT UNDERSTAND THIS AT ALL -
THE Cricket with FILM stars! RD, YS, MSD, IP, VS - wtf

[toney]

surely, the movie stars game wasnt organized by BCCI, right? Then, the players have themselves to blame there.

And our team or anyone else (barring Aus who have a good players' union under Tim May) wont dare field a second string.

[pieterSAN]

Well...you know things are getting out of control when someone says that playing a game for you country is a round the clock job.

"Yuvi...wake up!! The Pakis are threatening us with inswinging yorkers. You have to bat for the country."
"Er...okay"

Yuvi gets out of bed and says "Sorry babe, duty calls!"
Babe: "At 3AM?"
Yuvi: "I would sweat for my country 365 days a year"
Babe (getting out of bed) : " Fine...I'll find a hockey player. At least they sweat for me at night"

[toney]

I will sweat for the babe too

[dextrous]

You know...most of these former cricketers played almost as much cricket in terms of # of days as do the current crop. Most of the former players were fc regulars and/or county players. And they also played for pennies. So just because they have an opinion on the matter doesn't make them "crazy".

[Cover Point]

Well...you know things are getting out of control when someone says that playing a game for you country is a round the clock job.

"Yuvi...wake up!! The Pakis are threatening us with inswinging yorkers. You have to bat for the country."
"Er...okay"

Yuvi gets out of bed and says "Sorry babe, duty calls!"
Babe: "At 3AM?"
Yuvi: "I would sweat for my country 365 days a year"
Babe (getting out of bed) : " Fine...I'll find a hockey player. At least they sweat for me at night"

I think Hockey Players do it very quickly!

And just curious .. what time did Yuvi start that he is still not done sweating for the babe at 3:00 AM! He must be a bigger stud than I thought! The chicks on the board may want to take notice!

[pieterSAN]

Sachin has played 132 Tests and 362 ODIs in 17 years.
Gavaskar played 125 Tests and 108 ODIs in 16 years.

Besides the intensity of the game has gone up a notch in terms of fielding and running between the wickets in both forms of the game. Batting pitches make the job a lot more difficult for bowlers.

[pieterSAN]

Well...you know things are getting out of control when someone says that playing a game for you country is a round the clock job.

"Yuvi...wake up!! The Pakis are threatening us with inswinging yorkers. You have to bat for the country."
"Er...okay"

Yuvi gets out of bed and says "Sorry babe, duty calls!"
Babe: "At 3AM?"
Yuvi: "I would sweat for my country 365 days a year"
Babe (getting out of bed) : " Fine...I'll find a hockey player. At least they sweat for me at night"

I think Hockey Players do it very quickly!

And just curious .. what time did Yuvi start that he is still not done sweating for the babe at 3:00 AM! He must be a bigger stud than I thought! The chicks on the board may want to take notice!

I believe he just finished playing the Aussies at 2:00 A.M. The game went to the 14th innings... Baseball Style

[toney]

In terms of intensity, the tests that SMG played in are definitely not as strenuous as the ones SRT played in. Also, a typical tour, say to England was a 3month affair then with plenty of opportunities to rest with county matches and rest days. But nowadays, tours are crammed and players keep travelling non stop across the breadth of a country playing 5-7 ODIs and 3-4 tests in a 1.5-2 month period

[dextrous]

Sachin has played 132 Tests and 362 ODIs in 17 years.
Gavaskar played 125 Tests and 108 ODIs in 17 years.

Besides the intensity of the game has gone up a notch in terms of fielding and running between the wickets in both forms of the game. Batting pitches make the job a lot more difficult for bowlers.

Scoring 10,000 runs means running between the wickets 10,000 times. Intensity, no-intensity, 22 yards is 22 yards. While Gavaskar played less ODIs than Sachin -- he played 348 FC ames as opposed to 228 games played by Tendulkar. Times 120*4=480 more days.

[toney]

FC matches are, unfortunately not played at the same intensity level. Also, SMG DID NOT run 10,000 times for his runs. Neither did SRT. Both of them score a huge % in boundaries.

[Cover Point]

I believe he just finished playing the Aussies at 2:00 A.M. The game went to the 14th innings... Baseball Style

So what was he doing from 2:00 AM to 2:59 AM? 

[dextrous]

FC matches are, unfortunately not played at the same intensity level. Also, SMG DID NOT run 10,000 times for his runs. Neither did SRT. Both of them score a huge % in boundaries.

well, it doesn't matter how many times he ran. that has nothing to do with my point -- that is, to score 10,000  runs both men ran about the same amount of time.

[toney]

dex, I raised the number of times they both ran simply because you mentioned it. Let me repeat: In Gavaskar's days (from early 70s to late 80s) there wasnt as much travelling, as many tours, as many ODIs (Srinath BTW says an ODI is much more taxing than a test even though he has to bowl only ten overs in each of them) and none of the tours were as crammed with fixtures. IMO, there isnt even a comparison to the two schedules

[dextrous]

dex, I raised the number of times they both ran simply because you mentioned it. Let me repeat: In Gavaskar's days (from early 70s to late 80s) there wasnt as much travelling, as many tours, as many ODIs (Srinath BTW says an ODI is much more taxing than a test even though he has to bowl only ten overs in each of them) and none of the tours were as crammed with fixtures. IMO, there isnt even a comparison to the two schedules

Well, the point is they weren't just sitting around while there were no ODIs -- they were playing (pretty high quality) cricket in England or even Ranji used to have a bit more importance. You CANNOT fault them for not having more ODIs and try to undermine Gavaskar's points.

If cricketers feel there's too much cricket, let them pick a version of the game -- there are enough cricketers to go around. Like Warne or Lara these days. It will give more players from FC cricket to make a bit more money.

[toney]

Dex, I for one didnt undermine SMG the person. I certainly will question his 365 day comment because neither has he ever done that nor has he ever played a season without having an extended rest period.

[toney]

If cricketers feel there's too much cricket, let them pick a version of the game -- there are enough cricketers to go around. Like Warne or Lara these days. It will give more players from FC cricket to make a bit more money.

There is a flaw in this. What if a player like SRT,who is(used to be) great in both forms of the game has to rest simply because his body cannot take it? That means, India misses out on playing its premier batsman in one version simply because of the over crowding. Now, if we instead opt for a planned season of fixtures, the best will continue to turn up for India and they will continue to provide high quality cricket. No one, as a spectator wants to see a second string team play for the country.

[fineleg]

BCCI and ICC scheduling is STUPID. Period.

It is meant to burn out great players.

[dextrous]

If cricketers feel there's too much cricket, let them pick a version of the game -- there are enough cricketers to go around. Like Warne or Lara these days. It will give more players from FC cricket to make a bit more money.

There is a flaw in this. What if a player like SRT,who is(used to be) great in both forms of the game has to rest simply because his body cannot take it? That means, India misses out on playing its premier batsman in one version simply because of the over crowding. Now, if we instead opt for a planned season of fixtures, the best will continue to turn up for India and they will continue to provide high quality cricket. No one, as a spectator wants to see a second string team play for the country.

I disagree. A country like Australia and India have enough players in FC cricket, if marketed properly to go around and add value to cricket if they play international cricket.

[toney]

What abt countries like Bangladesh, SL, NZ, WI? OK, forget Bang..

[Stumped]

Dextrous,
Sorry to say, but you are REALLY being ridiculous. You are arguing for the sake of it. Just to oppose some guys who you had opposed on some other issues.
Just go back and read ur posts and see if they make any sense to you.

We have a players' union with Kumble as the President but stupid BCCI is not allowing them to join the Intl players' union. When Kumble&Co were pushing the case, they somehow calmed them down by sidelining the subject with contract system.
Anyone who had watched the game today know how jaded our team looked. Half the team was sleeping. I hope our stupid BCCI realises this. Its killing the golden goose. If they dont stop this, I am sure, someday in the near future something on the lines of Packer will happen.

[fineleg]

Dextrous,
Sorry to say, but you are REALLY being ridiculous. You are arguing for the sake of it. Just to oppose some guys who you had opposed on some other issues.
Just go back and read ur posts and see if they make any sense to you.

We have a players' union with Kumble as the President but stupid BCCI is not allowing them to join the Intl players' union. When Kumble&Co were pushing the case, they somehow calmed them down by sidelining the subject with contract system.
Anyone who had watched the game today know how jaded our team looked. Half the team was sleeping. I hope our stupid BCCI realises this. Its killing the golden goose. If they dont stop this, I am sure, someday in the near future something on the lines of Packer will happen.

Its killing the golden goose - TRUE.

If they dont stop this, I am sure, someday in the near future something on the lines of Packer will happen.
- I WISH THIS HAPPENS...WANT TO SEE A PRIVATE TEAM (Professionally managed selection etc) - NO RELATION to STUPID bcci...that will be a good day.

[Stumped]

The worst thing would be a Tendulkar/Dravid/Pathan/Dhoni breakdown just before the world cup. Just imagine that scenario. Our Cup hopes would end right away. The other team which is running along with us, with this stupidity is, Australia. But the only positive thing in their schedule is after their high intensity Ashes, they go to WI and stay there until the end. so they will have more time to rest, more time to acclimatise and what not. What about us? We play the stupid Asian TC just before the WC. Someone should Gavaskar how patriotic that is

[pieterSAN]

Dextrous...your solution is interesting but is it really what is best for the game?

Afridi retired from Test cricket. Tomorrow we may say  Vaughan retire from ODIs. Matter of time before Pietersen retires from Test cricket (more money in ODIs means more diamond studs and mroe chicks) and then you will see Yvuraj retire from Test cricket. A matter of time before the most entertaining players are only in it for ODIs and Test cricket becomes a joke that nobody watches. And you think that ICC only needs to market it right? That is the solution to player burnout?

[dextrous]

Dextrous...your solution is interesting but is it really what is best for the game?

Afridi retired from Test cricket. Tomorrow we may say  Vaughan retire from ODIs. Matter of time before Pietersen retires from Test cricket (more money in ODIs means more diamond studs and mroe chicks) and then you will see Yvuraj retire from Test cricket. A matter of time before the most entertaining players are only in it for ODIs and Test cricket becomes a joke that nobody watches. And you think that ICC only needs to market it right? That is the solution to player burnout?

The whole argument is based on this -- that new stars don't come along. For every Yuvraj there's someone waiting in the wings. Let cricket expand, let there be more players that are international stars. Yuvraj didn't play test cricket for a very long time, did that mean he was any less of a star?

It's about expanding cricket. Have two seperate teams. If promotion is done right, hell yes, cricket will continue to grow. Teams like Bangladesh and Zimbabwe are not relevant to that debate because they do not play as much cricket as India and Australia do. Let both these teams have a bigger playing pool. Players have to pick and choose. After 15 years of international cricket, OF COURSE Tendulkar, Kumble, etc. will break down at some point. But they don't have to. They have the option of sitting out -- if they don't they should. They should have the right to choose and pick.

This argument that without Tendulkar playing Tests or Ponting playing ODIs the game standards will fall is ridiculous -- not everyone is going to quit one form of cricket, for starters. Most young players are probably going to be EAGER to play both forms of cricket -- which, also means more money. It's the older cricketers that have to pick. It only opens new doors.

[Stumped]

Dextrous, ur idea is very nice. But I dont think BCCIor whoever would think along those lines. Simple. They have to keep 50 players on contract instead of now 25.