Time to re-assess the IPL

I am back at home base now and have eventually had an opportunity to alight from the relentless carnival ride of the last 7½ weeks. As an event, IPL 2011was spectacular without quite reaching the heights of the previous editions. There were reasons for the slight drop in potency and the power brokers must now recognise that fact and act accordingly.

Now is the perfect time to take stock of this runaway phenomenon which will only go from strength to strength if some critical tweaks are made.

Only the most optimistic would have thought that the World Cup euphoria would have no effect on this celebration of Indian cricket. It unquestionably did, and an overkill of cricket in India was evident and subsequently displayed through numbers both at the venues and eyeballs at home.

I have said this many times before regarding the IPL but some are not taking heed. It is essential that all identify that this is an Indian event. About 90 percent of the revenue stream originates from that base and that is the epicentre of all things Indian Premier League.

Ground Zero is Mumbai and views expressed outside the country are noticed but not regarded with any authority. That is just the way it is and it will never change. You truly do need to experience it first-hand in India to appreciate the magnitude of the occasion.

There are six more years of this golden goose. That is why it is now a must to reassess everything with an internal revue to ensure next season reaches the heights it deserves.

First and foremost, the league is too elongated. An optimistic initial business model was responsible for the expansion of that programme but a lesser duration will satisfy the instant gratification theme that nowadays permeates lives. A shorter version would certainly carry more weight with the ICC when an IPL window discussion is officially tabled. Further player defection from country representation is a definite reality should a compromise not be reached.

Without doubt the quality of play has also dropped and that must be addressed immediately. The introduction of an additional two teams has watered down the essential young Indian talent base and stretched it too far. Some formerly spectacular overseas guns are not delivering in the twilights of their careers whilst other imports are simply not gifted enough to match the extraordinary talents of those who lit the skies and skyrocketed emotions during the inaugural explosive event.

Those points in themselves are in my mind startlingly worrisome. If the raw available talent base is not consistently good enough then ... Mumbai, we have a problem.

Another area of concern that was always going to raise its ugly head should have been discussed after the second edition of the IPL when the reality of this issue was becoming apparent. A group of gifted individuals in this format at that time had decided to take an intriguing career leap and compete solely in similar satellite events for greenbacks around the globe. That meant that the only cricket they would play at an optimum level was a form of bash cricket, be it big or small. Every single time that they strode out expectantly with their oversized stick in hand, a quickfire cameo was the desired result. A twelve-ball twenty doesn't hone skills. If anything it has the greedy potential to feed an overinflated ego.

The entertainer who has chosen this path has zero substance to fall back on to ensure his technique is based on excellence and endurance. The same can be said of the leather hurlers. There is no substitute for hours of success in the middle whilst fine-tuning and elevating skills. That avenue is null and void in the T20 arena. Where now do these players turn in order to ensure their bashing impact remains consistently big? How do they ensure technical erosion is halted?

Is it time to up the ante and include five overseas players in each starting line-up to raise playing standards? Is it time to reduce the numbers of players on each franchise to ensure quality not quantity? Is it time to correctly price entrance tickets to maximise venue atmosphere which previously proved spectacular in the premier cricketing centres? Should those accepted venues be the only ones utilised to guarantee the fever-pitched response from the punters that the organisers crave? Should players be forced to play some longer-version formats to qualify for the IPL to insure against diminishing skill levels? Should those who have retired from consistent professional representation more that twelve months prior still be eligible for IPL selection?

Now is the time that many questions need to be asked … and importantly answered. Six more years of an original ten-year contract is a long time.

The answers are there.