Match Point
Indian Premier League: Six weeks of pure delight

Indian Premier League: Six weeks of pure delight

Although Pakistani cricketers will sorely be missed, this IPL season promises an exciting few weeks to cricket fans.

Dr Amyn Malyk April 11, 2011

The fourth season of the Indian Premier League – the most glamorous league of cricket - kicked off on Friday.

The game went down to the wire and confirmed Dhoni’s reputation as one of the shrewdest captains in the world of cricket today.

You gotta love the IPL

IPL was the brain child of Lalit Modi, and was born out of the commercialisation of cricket.

The club design was adopted from football, where it has been successful for decades, and is now making money for players and the sport alike.

Although it is a domestic league, IPL promises to bring players from different nations under one roof and has a fan following in all major cricket playing countries.

Any diehard cricket fan will marvel at the sight of Dilshan and Zaheer Khan, the rivals who fought for the cup a mere week ago, celebrating a wicket together. County cricket did provide opportunities for such match ups but they were limited and nothing like the IPL which has actualized the fantasies of cricket fans

Its popular

One would think that it started at a bad time after all the legal battles it has faced in recent times or the fact that it started right after the World Cup, but these thoughts should be dispelled. The league’s popularity has resulted in packed stadiums and sponsors have increased from nine to 11, confirming it as the premier league of cricket.

Who are they representing?

Some fans may find it difficult to reconcile with the fact that some players that played for one franchise will now be in the opposing team. Here lies the question: will player-loyalty take precedence over franchise-loyalty? After the reshuffle of players, this question will be answered.

No Team Green

Despite all that we are looking forward to, one thing that will be missed from this season is Pakistan’s representation.

It must be remembered that the Rajastan Royals built their successful campaign in the first season on the back of two Pakistanis, Kamran Akmal and Sohail Tanvir. Younus Khan was also on the team.

For this season, fans will be left wondering what it would be like if Razzaq and Yusuf Pathan, two of the cleanest hitters in the game, were batting together.

Malinga and Gul, two bowlers who bowl yorkers at will, bowling in tandem will only be a fantasy for now. The IPL experience will be somewhat diluted but nevertheless, an exciting six weeks are in store for fans!

WRITTEN BY:
Dr Amyn Malyk The author is a PhD student at Emory University Rollins School of Public Health. He is a former Fulbright Scholar who likes to write. He tweets as @amynmalik

The views expressed by the writer and the reader comments do not necassarily reflect the views and policies of the Express Tribune.

COMMENTS (29)

ashwin | 12 years ago | Reply @M.Asad: wow how well put

Naveed Javed | 12 years ago | Reply As a Pakistani its a complete shame for me to watch or follow IPL, But hates off to the GEO(The biggest traitor)!

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Mohammad Abbas | 12 years ago | Reply I am quite amazed at the way Pakistanis tend to uh...'suck balls' if i may say so. IPL is good? its good for Indians. Garuanteed their financial hold over cricket and its players...i guess ur one of the GEO super freaks without any self respect..pathetic!

Raj | 13 years ago | Reply @ Joy...very sincere thank you...I bet you anything, the cricket lovers will forget county, world cup and IPL crap. Billions of cricket lovers would look for the super six days of cricket in the second week of August. The days should be 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 and 13 of August of every year anywhere on any ground in any cricket playing country. The pattern could be ODI followed by T-20 followed by ODI followed by T-20.....and then followed by Independence Celebrations...Everybody will be the winner and look forward for the next August encounter of the Titans.

joy | 13 years ago | Reply @ Raj what an idea sir jee.........:)

Raj | 13 years ago | Reply India and Pakistan are two unparalleled cricket rivals in the history of any sport known to man kind. We love to hate each other. The best cricket competition can be some thing called Jashan-i- Azadi SeriesEvery year in the second week of August, India and Pakistan should play three ODIs and three T-20s..six days of super cricket followed by independence days. Just an idea.

DM | 13 years ago | Reply @Kazmi.. For your kind information, Tribune is an American newspaper not Pakistani. Who are you to tell others not to write here. And don't write something just for the sake of it. You might like or dislike it but you can't avoid it.. There are still newly married Men in Pakistan who console their wife in the name of showing them a Bollywood movie. Just by your words they won't stop it. the same thing goes with IPL as well. Its just the diplomacy that is keeping Pakistani players out of IPL. And It's FAMOUS. You accept or discard(Doesn't matter). Once Pakistan players start playing I hope you will start watching it.

DM | 13 years ago | Reply @Kazmi Dont try to eat your own foot. Come out of that hypocrisy. IPL is still famous in Pakistan and people do not need to take your certification that its not famous.

Dan Martin | 13 years ago | Reply Dr Malik, this league has forced a pre mature retirment of many cricketers from test and one day cricket, with all that money on offer, few now care about playing for the national side.

Said Chaudhry | 13 years ago | Reply Yar eik to naraz bari jaldi ho jatay hain. I've never been a big fan of t20 to begin with. So if my opinion doesnt sit well with some folks, they dont have to get all worked up about it. Im sure the IPL has millions of fans world wide, and if Im not one - thats hardly going to make a difference. Recently, Ravi Bopara turned down IPL as well, saying that for him test cricket is the pinnacle of cricket. I respect that. I admired Modi for what he created but was appalled at his expulsion. And yes, if Pakistani players were playing IPL - I'd watch a few games here and there. Even when they did play in IPL1, I wasnt a big follower of IPL. In fact, I dont think it was a big hit in Pakistan. But hey, whatever floats your boat.

Anoop | 13 years ago | Reply @kazmi: Frankly, its just not that fun. :) "AND ALSO, IPL WAS NEVER FAMOUS IN PAKISTAN!!!" --> First of all it doesn't matter if IPL is popular in Pakistan or not because it is purely an Indian thing. I think IPL will go the way Indian Movies and Indian Songs will go. People will privately hate it but secretly watch it. The fact that you are talking about it goes to show that IPL is talked about in some degree in Pakistan and people are aware it has started. You might not watch it but someone else might. This is just another part of Indian Cultural Dominance over Pakistan Pakistani Cricketers will do anything to be in IPL, that is for sure.

Tony Singh | 13 years ago | Reply @Said Chaudhry: Sour grapes dear.

Ravindra | 13 years ago | Reply @deen shaikh- miya if india has right wing politician opposing pak players in ipl – ur own afridi lala has few days back omit venom against hindus and india. as far as srk has concern – he has more than enough security for mnik release.

Deen Sheikh | 13 years ago | Reply To all the Pakistani's out there, please join me in boycotting this excuse of a cricket league, where the franchises have intentionally marginalized Pakistani players for the third year in a row in an act of pure targeted discrimination. I think it is high time the ICC shows that it is not a BCCI puppet and steps in to keep politics and discrimination out of Cricket. I can not believe the only arguments against participation of Pakistani players coming from across the border are security reasons, or its the franchises personal private decision. I do not believe it a sheer coincidence that Pakistani players are left out 3rd year in a row. It is targeted discrimination towards Pakistani players their practising, and I am certain there is political pressure on the IPL franchises to exclude Pakistani players from Right Wing Anti Pak Indian Nationalist politicians. Does anyone remember SRK the owner of KKR speaking up on this last year, and I am sure people even remember the consequences he had to bear because of that.

Dr. Amyn Malik | 13 years ago | Reply @Sumair Khemani: Three cheers for PPL!!

kazmi | 13 years ago | Reply anoop y dont you write YOUR anti-Pakistani comments on your indian websites?? there will BE tons of pathetic jokers like you ... anyhow ... as for IPL .. YES ! there IS NO CHARM IN IPL IF OUR OWN PAKISTANI CRICKETES ARE NOT PLAYING!! ... AND ALSO, IPL WAS NEVER FAMOUS IN PAKISTAN!!!

Cherish Raj | 13 years ago | Reply I do not understand why the Pakistanis are against the IPL. Even I would love to watch Pakistani cricketers ( except Afridi) to play in the IPL but the franchise owners do not want them to take part. And most importantly, IPL is a domestic league much like the Ranji trophy and the number of others organized in India. We, Indians do not have any dislike for the Faysal Bank T20 championship just because our players do not play for any franchise of that league.

Saad H | 13 years ago | Reply meh...no pakistani players equals no fun for me!

Anoop | 13 years ago | Reply To all those IPL haters, you didnt hate it much when Pakistani players were playing in it in 2008 did you. As long as IPL gets revenue from Pakistan, and part of that revenue goes to the Indian Government, who cares what you think! IPL is generating thousands of jobs and more importantly, millions of Rupees!

Sumair Khemani | 13 years ago | Reply Amyn.. Chor yar IPL.. we'll start our own PPL!! :p

Deen Sheikh | 13 years ago | Reply @Raj: they did that last season, with a Punjab game being played in Dharamsala, instead of Mohali I can not remember who their opposition was in that game, but they LOST the brand new cricket ground at Dharamsala was re-branded as Punjab 11's second home ground. I see greater potential in the Champions League T20, that tournament should be rotated around, like they had one in South Africa, one should take place in Australia, one year it should be in England, to get a global audience, and a place like England and Australia, where many diaspora communities exist, guaranteed to be a success.

M.Asad | 13 years ago | Reply We, Indians also know it is entertainment.Not a true game .But unless and untill Rich people and companies are spending and government gets the tax....we don't have any problem.

Raj | 13 years ago | Reply IPL has ten teams..my prediction is IPL will be there to stay..." Home" and "Away" games will not be confined to franchisee grounds. The games will be played on other cricket hungry grounds. For example, Delhi Daredevils playing in Kanpur, Rajasthan Royals in Ahmedabad..even a T20 match in a no name town will be a grand success.

Deen Sheikh | 13 years ago | Reply All the teams have been mixed up, bad move, all new line ups, they should have avoided the reshuffle, and we should boycott it though, Pak players intentionally snubbed due to what happened in Mumbai, nobody likes targetted discrimination.

Dr. Amyn Malik | 13 years ago | Reply @Said Chaudhry: Sir jee, I am very disappointed by Pakistan's exclusion from the IPL and hence it is not as much fun for me as I would like it to be but some of the pairing on offer like Tendulkar and Malinga playing for the same team is mouth watering and hence I still watch it :D @ others...It is fast paced cricket and places more value on a slog sweep then a beautiful cover drive, that traditionalists (including myself) love. But it presents its own form of entertainment and enjoyment.

Dr Mishra | 13 years ago | Reply Dear Said Chowdhry The moment Pak players are allowed, I am sure the IPL would win its charms for you in a nano second lol. I actually praised Shahid on various blogs after his gracious words in Mohali. Then the ungrateful uncouth had to open his mouth and spoil it all for us. I had actually posted on my facebook that now ppl should forget 2611 and allow Pak cricketers back in IPL. Not anymore. Now watch this clip of Shahid Afridi, can anyone please help him extricate his foot from his mouth- really, extreme yoga must not be practiced by the uninitiated !! http://sports.ndtv.com/world-cup-2011/videos/?video_id=195596&cat=worldcup2011 TRANSLATION- sorry Indians, I had forgotten about the IPL millions ! A saddened Dr Mishra, India and UK

Biryani Qorma Sheermal | 13 years ago | Reply IPL is cricket on steroids - too fast, edgy, and cheesy. Sometimes it is best to let things remain unchanged for example classic cricket. To me IPL is not really cricket, it's more like a game for people with short attention spans.

Hassan Farooqi | 13 years ago | Reply The WWE of cricket. Biggest circus since the Packer Circus. Most paying entertainment is always a scripted show.

Said Chaudhry | 13 years ago | Reply Amyn bhai, come on now! IPL is boycott here until our boys start playing in it :) Also, with all the charges of corruption, scandals and Lalit Modi's disgraceful expulsion, IPL has lost its charm for me.

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Indian Premier League: Six weeks of pure delight

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