“Catch-22” (March 6) represents the classic moaning about the days gone by. Even in a cricket-crazy India, Test matches had become boring, and while the 50-over matches were more exciting, they too were losing some of their appeal. The fact that the IPL has been such a stunning success shows just how tired the audience was getting. If the new format is attracting audiences and is a win-win for everyone, where is the question of asking whether it is good for Indian cricket? Anything that brings in spectators is good for the game.
The argument is made that the IPL has not thrown up really fresh talent and so it must be bad. Given how India has just had one or two good opening pairs in the last several years — even before IPL came up — that would suggest the pre-IPL system wasn’t delivering that well either!
The question is not whether Test cricket is more absorbing than the IPL, or whether a good book is better than a movie. For a lot of people, especially those with more time on their hands, the book and the five-dayer with no result are better options. But increasingly people have less time and so they watch movies and the IPL. Does that mean the market for books is over? Of course not. Both have to co-exist and, as Chetan Bhagat has shown, they draw sustenance from each other.
Abhishek Varma, New Delhi
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