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[dextrous]

Summer of 2007 not too hot on cricket
Joe Williams
Tuesday, April 17, 2007  01:38 IST

http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?NewsID=1091342

MUMBAI: India’s debacle at the Cricket World Cup has come as a blow to the summer private cricket camps across Mumbai. The vacant Azad Maidan, Cross Maidan and the famous Shivaji Park stand testimony to this with all these grounds recording a very poor turn out.

There has been drastic a 60 percent cut in this year overall entries. The hardest hit are the small time coaches. The clubs and gymkhanas have not shown any inclination after the Indian team’s performance and suddenly cricket has taken a back seat.

Most of the coaches are worried about the summer camps as they have not received entries. The charm of cricket at the age-old Azad maidan, one of the nurseries of Mumbai cricket, has been dealt a double blow with families moving to the suburbs in the recent years. “The poor World Cup show by the team has eroded the charm of the game,” feels former cricketer Sudhir Naik and coach of National Cricket Club at Oval maidan.

“Overall there has been a decline in the cricket playing culture as most of the boys who played the game have moved to places like Navi Mumbai, but the major jolt this year as been the West Indies debacle,” says Shailesh Salunkhe, one of the coaches at Azad Maidan. 

The famous Shivaji Park also wears a deserted look nowadays. The empty nets spell out the sad story of the summer holidays. Says Sachin Sawant, a coach at Shivaji Park: “This year the coaching camps have seen the poorest response in the last few years,” states Sawant. Last year, by this time, I had to close entries but this year I have just six boys so far,” adds Sawant.

Hemant Futiawala, who coaches at Azad Maidan, agrees with Sawant’s words.

“It’s pathetic. Parents and the boys now prefer other games. I have a couple of boys who were with me for last two years, but now have switched on to other games such as football, and some indoor games. Cricket is going down,” feels Futiawala.

[sudzz]

This was bound to happen and cities before hinterland. But I think the causes are not as a simplistic as the ones explained.

Cricket has started the slide like hockey except that right now there a huge bank balance that will help it out for the time being...

There is more to the issue but I dont have time right now, will write later during the day

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

The truth is that in many urban centres where it was fashionable to play cricket it is now more fashionable to say my child does not have any interest in cricket etc. There is a slight shift towards playing or at least indulging in other sports and this range from the usual suspects of Tennis, Swimming etc to even some not so regular sports (for India) like Basketball etc.

The reasons for this is not too hard to understand, there is a heavy influx of cricketing talent from the hinterland and it is getting its due recognition and therefore the middle class is choosing its options well by not attempting to go the area where there is highest level of competition.

Secondly the image that BCCI and the rest have presented over the past few years also must be off putting for a lot of families where in their either dont want to or cant fight these corrupt, sleazy BCCI officials

Thirdly crickets image has been consistently taking a beating over the years with scandal after scandal surfacing and icon after icon actually showing fallability (domestically and internationally) so for the kids it sort of negates the whole hero worship opportunity.

Fourthly Cricket is a high risk investment these days with returns almost negligable therefore many parents may well want to utilise this time and money towards something with slightly better returns

Finally India's performance in this world cup and the earlier treatment of youngsters by BCCI/Coach/Selectors etc would have cooled the ardour of the most die hard aspirants for the short term at least.

While these seem like drastic over the top reactions it infact is not and the slide downwards has begun unless arrested immediately it will see cricket in India along with hockey and football at the bottom of the hill and then a Bangladesh beating India wont seem that odd (it happens once in a regular while in Footie).

[fineleg]

Sudzz,
How do you write abt points 1 & 2 - have you experienced this or seen somewhere like this?

Just curious - IMO, BCCI money machine will sustain cricket for many more years thro marketing.

[sudzz]

Sudzz,
How do you write abt points 1 & 2 - have you experienced this or seen somewhere like this?

Just curious - IMO, BCCI money machine will sustain cricket for many more years thro marketing.

Finey one is obvious if you see todays team composition there are more people in team India from rural/semi urban backgrounds than the big cities.

If you look at the NKOB's even there you will find at least 50% from non metro centres so obviously talent is emerging from the insides of the nation and the selectors etc have started looking at them and therefore surely there is increased competition and its no longer enough to know someone to ensure selection.

Point # 2 is very apparent the way BCCI goes around sticking its own foot in its mouth and showing off a general apathy towards people (viz-the baton charging incident at UP during the India Eng series where a kid almost died, the tickets scam in Goa, the umpteen number of stadium issues that paying public face. Not to mention the sex scandal involving some senior selectors from Delhi etc).

While a lot of it based on reading and looking at what emerges but Iam sure on ground it might not be very different. To give you a personal example..

I know of people that wanted their kids to get into formal cricket coaching but when it came to making the actual decision they switched to other sports like tennis, squash, even cue sports like billiards because here relative levels of competition is lower (though equally if not more fierce). While this is anecdotal but is symptomatic of what is an underlying malaise.

[fineleg]

I guess I was more curious abt when you say "its becoming less fashionable"...

I still thought cricket is very much fashionable...yes after WC07 things are a bit glum...but before then, quite fashionable (although super competitive).

[sudzz]

I guess I was more curious abt when you say "its becoming less fashionable"...

I still thought cricket is very much fashionable...yes after WC07 things are a bit glum...but before then, quite fashionable (although super competitive).

Its all relative (like the talk in mens washroom...mera tujh se bada hai varieties... )...its more fashionable to say did you watch Kobe last night/today morning than to say Chanderpaul scored 120 to help Guyana win...you get the drift...

[fineleg]

I guess I was more curious abt when you say "its becoming less fashionable"...

I still thought cricket is very much fashionable...yes after WC07 things are a bit glum...but before then, quite fashionable (although super competitive).

Its all relative (like the talk in mens washroom...mera tujh se bada hai varieties... )...its more fashionable to say did you watch Kobe last night/today morning than to say Chanderpaul scored 120 to help Guyana win...you get the drift...

  Paging RJo!