One of the most rewarding events in the worldwide cricket calendar took place in March; suprisingly not the World Cup final or an Ashes test match, but the IPL auction. More than any single game, this annual event can change a players life, creating overnight millionaires for a mere 2 months of work!

Today marks the start of what is domestic crickets Premier competition; the best paid period of time for any cricketer as the worlds marquee players gather from all corners of the globe for the swashbuckling twenty twenty format of the IPL.

Cricket, while providing a comfortable life for those at the top end of the game, is not blessed with the funds enjoyed by some of the nations most popular team sports such as rugby union and football . With English county sides struggling for supporters in the longer first class format, the introduction of  Twenty Twenty cricket has created a new age trendy version of the game, which sees supporters flock to venues countrywide.

In Indian culture cricket has always been at the forefront and they have taken to Twenty Twenty cricket as vicariously as any other nation. Whether it be the literal millions of supporters watching cricket from the comfort of their homes or the large numbers who pack the stadiums,  India was always going to be the perfect place for the worlds premier display of the shorter format of cricket.

While there are extremely skilled players whose abilities lend themselves to a successful career in all three formats of international cricket,  the Chris Gayle’s, Kevin Pietersens and Shane Warne’s;  not all of the worlds greatest players’ games lend themselves to the shortened format.

cook

Alistair Cook recently relinquished his role as England test captain and has to his point enjoyed a truly incredible test career. This career will surely end with him capturing the mantle of being the top England test run scorer of all time. He is a specialist test cricketer; while he is a wealthy individual and will have enjoyed endorsements and perks alike while England’s main man, he has never enjoyed the type of instant pay off enjoyed by those in the IPL.
The IPL operates with teams bidding for any new players that have made themselves available for the tournament, or those who are now out of contract since last years competition. The amount of money that a single player attracts in the winning bid becomes the amount that the particular player earns for his season in the IPL.

To continue to use Cook as an example, while one of the best players of all time and a legend of English cricket, teams would have no interest using their funds to acquire his services regardless of his history in test cricket.

mills

In stark contrast English fast bowler Tymal Mills has just 4 England T20 caps to his name. Mills was bought at auction for 1.4 million pounds. While the amount of caps won is not a fair reflection of his skill, a chronic back problem being the main cause of his failure to participate in the other formats, the fact that someone of such little international pedigree and experience can attract such a bid questions the future of the longer format.

Mills, while talented is not going to go down as an all time great of the game. Regardless of this case he is a bowler who can bowl at speeds approaching 100mph. Such exceptional speed is a skill not shared by many in the game illustrating a unique skill which is attractive to those owning IPL franchises.

In a competition that thrives on excitement, power and speed, in a game centred on attracting viewers rather than traditions, Mills is a hot commodity. The cultured, steady elegance of Cook’s batting skills have no place in a competition dominated by powerful behemoths, ‘sex sells’ and those attracted to the IPL are crying out for sixes and wickets not a slow skilful battle of mentality and skill between bat and ball.

With the wages available at the top end of international test cricket being nowhere near the level of the IPL, it indicates that those hoping to make a career in cricket would be better served practicing their slog shot batting, their short format effective bowling techniques , power, pace , athleticism rather than the skills that international cricket has been built upon for generations.

Cricket is a team game that has evolved through generations, the game promotes variety in the way people play the game. There are different styles of bowling techniques and tactics; batsmen in different roles suit different abilities and styles of batting. A great cricket team is one with skilled performers who have a balance and blend of different player types and mentalities.

While Twenty Twenty cricket is an exciting wonderful spectator sport, it most certainly in such a short format has less room for certain players of a particular style who excel in long mental battles and as a result, celebrated player types may disappear as children grow up wanting to play Twenty Twenty cricket and become overnight millionaires.

The IPL and its many mimics, the big bash etc are incredible competitions that capture the imagination of fans worldwide. This can only be good for cricket on the whole as the game continues to gain new fans. Concerns must be that the growth of

Twenty Twenty cricket could certainly have a detrimental effect on Test cricket, less exciting to the masses who may not enjoy some of the purer aspects of cricket test cricket has always been seen as the pinnacle. The mismatch in wealth of the two formats must therefore be monitored and steps taken to ensure that test cricket does not suffer as a result. Players are choosing the wealth of playing in the IPL over representing their nations in test series, this if not addressed will ultimately lead to the death of test cricket.