Cricket’s most lucrative competition, the Indian Premier League (IPL) is set for another year of awe-inspiring player salaries and unabashed fan worship.
Four Guyanese and six other West Indians will be in the mix, with many more wannabe types on the sidelines at home, hoping their time to cash-in, will be sooner rather than later.
All told, the highest IPL earners will be among the world’s best paid sportsmen in any single sports competition, given the team’s relatively brief two- month duration.
When football players, basket-ballers, base-ballers and American footballers have to grind five months and more per season for their multi-million dollar salaries, Australian speedster Mitchell Starc, the highest paid IPL star this year, will cash his close to US two million-dollar ($2,982,000) cheque for a mere two months of four-over bowling spells, in a maximum of 17 games.
None of the four Guyanese have salaries close to Starc’s record signing fee this year, with Shimron Hetmeyer’s retention with the Rajasthan Royals guaranteeing him the US 1 million plus earnings , he had last year, being the highest paid of the lot.
Nevertheless Shamar Joseph, Romario Shepherd and Sherfane Rutherford are enjoying life changing money that would’ve been unimaginable when they started their careers from humble beginnings.
Like every major event though, the IPL has its advantages and disadvantages which collectively have the potential to change the game forever.
In addition to its financial rewards, the IPL and other T20 competitions around the Globe have enhanced the batting and bowling skills of players. More ways have been found for batsmen to attack bowlers in quest for quick runs in all three formats.
On the other hand bowlers have become more versed in defensive skills, with pacemen being compelled to become more than mere one-dimensional types. These days Test contests are becoming more lively as run-scoring is being enhanced by scoops, reverse sweeps, reverse slogs, modern batting skills unheard of even in the era of the dominant West Indies teams of the 1970s and 80s.
Scoring 300 runs in a day’s play, considered ultra-positive 20 years ago is now more the norm in the five and four-day game. After four years of IPL exposure young Indian batting phenom Yashasvi Jaiswal has burst onto the Test scene with a refreshing, aggressive approach as he seemingly can hit sixes at will.
England’s attacking ‘bazz ball’ strategy, has significantly helped reduce drawn stalemates. The beautifully executed scoop for a boundary by Aussie Steve Smith in that brilliant unbeaten 91 that almost denied West Indies one of its more epic victories ever, recently in Brisbane, was a stroke of excellence, amidst unbearable pressure.
The IPL though, has its dark side which if not checked could have debilitating consequences for the sport down the road.
The loss of many top players from less affluent countries, not including India, through early retirement and unavailability to focus on the IPL and other spinoff T20 competitions worldwide, is having a watered-down effect on their Test competition performances.
When South Africa fielded a second-string team to oppose New Zealand not too ago, to allow its best players to compete in that country’s National T20 championships, it was an abomination to Test cricket.
Pakistan players being barred from the IPL, not for any other reason than politics, is another atrocity cricket’s world ruling body, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has seemingly not even attempted to address much less remove.
Such discrimination would be unheard of in international football, given the effective management of the sport by FIFA, football’s equivalent of the ICC. The extreme advantages batsmen enjoy in limited overs competitions didn’t start with the advent of T20s. Field restrictions and overs quotas for bowlers were first implemented in the 50 overs format, but the reduced boundaries for easier six and four hitting, has never been more pronounced than in the IPL, where the expression ‘child’s play ‘, in describing effortless scoring has been taken to another level. Bashing sixes and fours should be bigger challenges for batsmen where bowlers especially spinners, should enjoy a leveler playing field to take wickets.
The heart- stopping thrill of Joseph’s sensational seven- wicket haul that spurred West Indies’ jinx breaking Test victory at Brisbane in January, will never be had in the IPL or any other competition in the sport’s shortest format.
It is why West Indians are on tenterhooks as the team’s biggest fast bowling find in decades ventures into the unknown world of the IPL, where he will debut with the Lucknow Super Giants.
The Guyanese’s pace and accuracy are the hallmarks of the quality fast bowler, but not necessarily the modus operandi of the T20 specialist.
The concern is whether Joseph will lose his edge having to concentrate on delivering wide ones, off target yorkers, slow back- of-a -length cutters and half paced bouncers.
Will he feel pressured into wanting to try too hard to justify his US $361,000 salary, and being called up to replace Englishman Mark Wood , with almost zero experience and accomplishments in T20s?
Given his meteoric rise in Tests, the odds are in Joseph’s favor to overcome his latest challenges but the support of the Ricky Ponting – led Lucknow coaching staff will be vital.
The pressure is also on Joseph’s compatriots in India with the T20 World Cup looming and selection up for grabs in West Indies’ quest for a hat-trick of titles, playing at home. Rutherford and Shepherd made the last WI T20 squad to Australia earlier this year, but team selection is never written in stone even if Coach Darren Sammy has hinted otherwise.
Hetmyer, expected to be the Region’s premier white ball batter by now, following a blazing career start, will have a herculean task to regain his place after a bizarre loss of form last year resulted in an unceremonious axing. Being the most experienced of the Guyanese quartet, Hetmeyer’s fourth IPL stint will have to be his best.
As bowl- off day approaches, the pressure to produce IPL success will be tremendous for one and all as the cauldron boils and only time will tell whether our stars will summon the necessary mental toughness to prevail.
