After the first auction one was prepared for surprises, but still the current auction surprised one.One was not prepared for the kind of money that was on offer. Just imagine a Gautam Gambhir ( he atleast is more deserving ) getting $ 2 Mio and a Robin Uthappa getting $ 2 mio.
Robin Uthappa , one would think is more a baseball talent than a cricket talent. Twenty 20 is changing the way the game is played. You can't even call it cricket. There is more emphasis on raw strength rather than skill and finesses. Since in this format, there are very few attacking fielders, less skilled batsman get away with false shots.
And the remuneration is made to hitters and nor to skilled people.
Is Yusuf Pathan a better cricketer than Laxman.? This format has possibly brought hordes of people to the grounds and to watch but it will also kill the game as it was played earlier. It will get closer to baseball and move away from the conventional cricket.
While a Tendulkar still does well in this format, that is a tribute to his versatility rather than a credit to his unquestionable cricketing skill.
A Umesh Yadav gets close to $ 1 mio, that is around Rs 4 Crs. He is not a India regular , neither in One day format nor Tests.
Test matches which call for conventional skills and One day also which calls for skill +innovation to a large extent may die. One dayers, atleast was a healthy combination of technical skills and ability to test one's stroke making capability . While Test matches can sometime become completely defensive ( though these days , that is not the case ) , one day matches tested the defensive skills + attacking skills.
Twenty 20 just predominantly tests the strength and maximum remuneration is linked to that format, is a sure shot way to kill the game.
Markets override anything else. BCCI with its enormous money , can do something to make test matches and ODI s more popular. They do nothing. BCCI is doig well financially inspite of its unprofessional and lackadaisical approach. Indian talent , spin and pace is barren.After a Tendular, Dravid and Laxman, batting may also start looking thin. Less said about spinning talent in the country the better.
