IPL is pretty sad except for ................Warnie!

I have never been a big T-20 fan let alone the razzmatazz that is the IPL. There is too much glitz and glamour associated with it and almost every aspect of it being commercialized doesn't seem to appeal to me. I might be branded a traditionalist and someone who is refusing to accept the changing times but I'd rather be one..I sure hope that all this tinkering with the game is restricted to this abbreviated form..

A plethora of ads and sponsors, ever increasing presence of Bollywood stars and a most puerile effort on to select the next 'pretty lass' from the crowds for Bollywood seems to add to the already crazy drama and hype that surround this tournament. Frankly to me it is just a sure shot way to rake in the moolah whilst sacrificing quality. The commentary is fairly crass with innumerable sponsor names being mentioned in almost every line for example a 'citi' moment of success and 'DLF' maximum. Adding to it is an almost artificial effort being made by commentators to try and shout louder every ball in order to 'enthrall' the viewers..sadly for all the extradorinary hype and burgeoning flow of cash this tournament in particular and T-20 in general generates, it fails to achieve one thing- leaving behind memories of matches and individual performances like what test matches do..

But the IPL does bring with all this a few positives and the most glorious among them is the joy of watching some legends and superstars of the game we have so come to love perform together in the same teams and also face off..Warne vs Tendulkar will probably never evoke the same charm as it did in a test match but there is still the opportunity to watch these fantastic players perform in the game that is supposedly designed for the young...

The first day of the IPL featured some of the greatest names to have graced the game in the peerless Sachin Tendulkar, the wizard Shane Warne who incidentally showcased his exceptional leadership skill in the first edition by taking a bunch of no hopers in Rajasthan all the way to the title, Matthew Hayden- the huge Aussie opening legend and many more superstars. The day had it all - some great bowling and dazzling fielding, excellent batting by Tendulkar and oh yeah a dog entering the field and refusing to leave..perhaps it didn't like the IPL and the format too much...!



The one reason I am even thinking about writing about this tournament is because I was utterly mesmerized, bewitched, stunned and captivated and what not by watching Shane Warne unfurl his bag of tricks against Bangalore. It is nothing new and I have watched the blond genius make a fool and confound many a great batsman- Mike Gatting, Graham Gooch, Herschelle Gibbs, Andrew Strauss to name a few..Warne bowling has without a shadow of doubt been the best thing to happen to the game in a long time..The very air of drama, sense of anticipation and the extraordinary theatre that surround the man who is surely larger than the game is quite unbelievable. Whether he gets a wicket, goes for a boundary, appeals or even marks his run up this man has the ability to capture the imagination of the viewers. T-20 may not quite be the arena for the great champion that he is but it was just fascinating to watch the wily spinner showcase why he is right up there...Reviving the dying art of leg spin and almost single handedly making it a great joy to watch, Warnie has ruled numerous cricketing hearts like mine for years. All the controversies, personal problems, rifts and the bad boy image only seem to add to the enduring image of a genius who is all too human. Thank GOD for Shane Warne...test cricket is definitely a lot poorer without a player like him but atleast we have the IPL to watch the man bowl which I believe to be the greatest sight on a cricket field!

AND YEAH the best moment in my life has been being able to meet the man face to face at the Taj West End in Bangalore on OCT 10 2004...WOW!!!

PS: Always wanted to write a piece on Warne..article by Sambit Bal in cricinfo proved to be the inspiration to do so..!