The Match Makers

Since the 1983 World Cup win, when the Indian media and fans switched their focus onto the players, demigods have been born into cricket almost as often as in that other field of pageantry — Bollywood. And, the constant innovations in viewing formats have further broadened the scope of its ability to ‘entertain’. Snehal Pradhan examines the formerly unassuming game’s shift from sport to spectacle…

In October 2015, the usually serene Barabati Stadium in Cuttack was transformed into a cauldron of roiling anger. Usually serene because it is usually empty, but on this warm night, it was packed; all 45,000 seats taken as India hosted South Africa for the first ever T20I at the venue. And roiling in anger because India were in trouble. Big trouble.

After being asked to field first, India had sunk to 92 all out, their lowest T20 total at home at the time. In the innings break, a disgusted fan threw a plastic bottle onto the field of play, and many others followed suit. The projectile violence occurred once more in the game, during South Africa’s facile chase, putting the players at risk and halting play for nearly an hour.

One might look at that incident and bemoan the intolerance that is seeping into our society. I blame something much more pernicious and sinister: Bollywood. For the flawed expectations it breeds. Many of us no longer look at a cricket match as an unscripted event involving 23 variables (22 players and the pitch) where it is normal for one team to lose — our film industry has ensured that. It is, after all, the members of the cult of happily-ever-after who stone houses after big-tournament debacles.

But ever since 1983, cricket has slowly been transforming itself from sport to spectacle. So, it must take some of the blame now too.

Genesis

Sports development managers, the ones responsible for the growth of sport, have tough jobs. They can plan and plot, push and promote, package and polish all they can, but the fate of a sport lies in the hands of its athletes, who are not only employees but also products. No marketing campaign can compete with a winning team, and even the best one cannot make a losing team look good.