Cricket beyond retirement!

The abundance of T20 cricket leagues around the world is a bliss for many people. At a time when cricket and commerce have been fused, the Indian Premier League has become a trend-setter for various countries.

However, even before the IPL took birth, it was the Indian Cricket League (ICL), conceived by Kapil Dev, which had sown the seeds for instant cricket. The Indian cricket board (BCCI) did not like the ICL but was quick to pounce on the concept.

That Lalit Modi, now in hiding in London, took charge and showed the way as to how the IPL should be run, is now history. Today, the IPL is a multi-billion-dollar baby. It has a massive brand following with its growth flummoxing the best brains. During the highs and lows in the global market, or to use an economic word called "recession", the IPL still boomed.

For the IPL to have sustained even the Covid-19 pandemic was a big plus. It showed that when you have intent, then anything is possible. Today, the team owners in the IPL are not content with just the league in India. Most of the IPL team owners/franchises have invested in T20 teams in South Africa for a new league.

This is the true commercialisation of T20 cricket, which creates another economy. That profits will come from it is certain. With the BCCI not ready to release players for leagues outside India, many players are in a Catch 22 situation. Some have been rejected by team owners at the IPL auction.

Today, the Indian cricketer is a professional who wants to earn his/her livelihood. It does not matter to him or her where the money comes from. If there is no scope to earn in India and no future for them at home, they are ready to work overseas.

The trend is not new. It was a certain West Indian, Chris Gayle, turned 40 on Thursday, who showed he could play in T20 leagues anywhere around the world. His lusty hitting and the Bajan touch made him a big hit. A similar trend has been followed by the cricketers from Afghanistan.

Despite the nation undergoing huge political turmoil and being governed by the worst people, their cricketers have still been lucky. They play in T20 leagues, wherever possible, around the world. The best part is, they are able to mesh as well in a team environment. This was witnessed in the Asia Cup held in the desert venues of Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah.

Nobody minds the new trend where Chris Gayle has been the trend-setter. India, too, is witnessing a massive change where cricketers are leaving the shores for assignments abroad. For those who may have forgotten, Unmukt Chand, who was captain of the winning Under-19 team in 2012, flopped at home.

He could never produce the same form in domestic cricket. He hung around for almost nine years and realised he was getting nowhere. There are two ways of making a mark for cricketers. In the good old days, Test cricket was the pinnacle. Then came the trend where cricketers loathed the five-day format and were content with white ball cricket.

Evolution of white ball cricket and, with It, coloured clothing becoming a fashion has resulted in instant cricket becoming sharper. The format is quick and cricket viewing is so fast, in a few hours you are done with the result. Whether you watch the match live or on television, T20 cricket is a bit like instant coffee or instant noodles.

Just that the coffee or noodles may ruin your health but watching instant cricket does not. Today, fans can choose what they want to watch at the flick of remote-control buttons. So, Unmukt realised he had enough of rotting at home and decided to take a NOC (No Objection Certificate) from the BCCI and move to the United States of America.

The common man may think baseball, NBA, NASCAR and college football is what is consumed in the US. Yes, it is. But there is a growing market for cricket as well. Unmukt has effectively migrated to the US to play cricket there in the Minor League. There is no comparing the standards between India and the US in cricket but, at least, as a professional, he is getting to use his skills and earn money.

Unmukt is definitely the trend setter. If he can do well in the US, there is no reason one day why he cannot go on to represent the US. After all, the growth of T20 cricket has been so high, new nations are ready to get on board. To be sure, Unmukt was taking a chance. That he finds himself among the runs and not the ruins boosts his morale and money earning.

Lately, there have been two more cricketers, Suresh Raina and Robin Uthappa, who have taken the NOC from the BCCI. Both had their good run at home in international cricket as well as in the IPL. Raina was a super hit with Chennai Super Kings, though not being picked up after the 2020 edition had left him frustrated.

His decision to retire from all forms of Indian cricket was emotional. To think that he will stop playing the game he loves is foolish. The Uttar Pradesh cricketer is shrewd and can find a place for himself in leagues abroad. As he has been more in news vis a vis performance in the IPL, he could easily make it to the new league in South Africa or anywhere else in the world.

For all those who think Raina is past prime, be sure age is just a number. Batsmen have evolved in recent years. Playing T20 cricket is about fitness and agility. Yet, when you have the rich experience of playing top class T20 with a team like CSK, there will be a market for Raina. Officially, though, there is no news of where he is headed now.

Likewise, Uthappa has been a dasher in T20 cricket. He has played with multiple teams in the IPL. Obviously, retirement is something which today does not mean the end of the road. One should not be surprised if Uthappa finds himself playing for T20 leagues abroad, or migrating like Unmukt.

In the good old days, when one saw the "Singh" surname among hockey players in the Canadian team, there was no surprise. Some of them were born abroad and chose to represent Canada. At a time when athletes from Africa, especially in track and field are "bought" by rich countries like Britain and the Arab nations in the Middle East, cricketers finding a new market is great.

For long, it has been a market where the profits were being made by team owners, cricket boards and others involved at the business end. If a chance has come for cricketers to have a life even after retirement, it's great news.

After all, even in motorsport, drivers who have packed up from Formula One look for other pastures. Some go to race in Europe while others shift to oval racing in the US. For the race drivers, it does not matter whether they are at the wheels of a Formula car or that of a touring car.

Maybe, in the coming months we will see more cricketers from India emigrating. Gone are the days when County Cricket was the sole opportunity to earn good money in Britain. Even at that time, first class cricketers played Minor

Counties in Britain. What is interesting is the evolution of sport and how cricketers have more options today. Surely, the word pro has acquired new dimensions since the birth of the IPL.

Oh yes, the BCCI does allow a few Indian women cricketers to play in the Big Bash in Australia.

Views expressed are personal