Golden Goose hatched too often!

The Indian cricket team is like the goose that lays the golden eggs.

By Jayaraj Pandya

Cricket is a religion in India. It runs in the blood of every Indian. It’s a game which unites Indians across the board when the national team plays Pakistan. This is the country where 40 percent of the population prefers spending their holidays playing cricket. But it’s also in this very nation where the world’s richest sports institution plays with the hearts of millions of cricket lovers across the country to attain their selfish interests. The Chas milked the cash cow to the hilt by packing the calendar year with international matches galore, the introduction of IPL being the latest and ultimate money spinner event for the board.

The overkill has seen people’s interest dwindle in the game. Test cricket is still considered to be the pinnacle of the cricket, but where are the spectators? Even when the stadiums are kept, people don’t show up.

There has been a surfeit of cricket. Considering India’s schedule in the last four years, there have been no more than one month’s breaks for the players, with IPL hogging two months (April-May) of the year when summer is at its peak in India. Then there is Sri Lanka, always ready to accept any opportunity to host India as result of which India has visited it Southern neighbours four times in the last two years.

But for the turmoil in Pakistan, a series a year is a certainty. The Australians, too, are familiar opponents. Australians now has toured India thrice in last four years with India touring them once in this period and scheduled to tour again this year end. The Australians are always a big catch and hence the board does not lose any opportunity of playing them – home or away.

Then there are ICC commitments like the Champions Trophy and World T20. The cricketers face severe injury problems and, sadly, there is little free time to recuperate and recover.

For sure, the Indian cricket team is like the goose that lays the golden eggs. But like in the proverbial story, if greed is not controlled, the golden eggs could become a casualty.

(Jayraj Pandya is a 19 year old avid cricket fan from Ahmedabad. He follows international cricket across the world. Jayraj has watched all the matches hosted in the city in last ten years )

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