Club vs Country?
The IPL that started over a month and half ago will reach its finale today. The series which started with 10 teams representing various parts of the nation, has come down to the final two with yesterday's win of Bengaluru Royal Challengers, they go on to meet Dhoni's Super Kings on their home turf.
As always the IPL has been as promised,full of entertainment.
The commercial value of tournament has been high as expected profiting everyone from the franchisee to the cricketers. Rarely had cricket seen money flow through its system as the IPL has shown. Though this may summerize the shiny side of the system,a rougher side exist to it.The latest Goutam Gambhir controversy has brought this side of the system to everybody's notice.
The shoulder injury which Gambhir experienced during the world cup final a month and a half back, aggravated to the order where he has to now skip the West Indies tour. The reason cited for this injury is Gambhir's choice to play in the IPL with a less than 100 percent fitness.This has brought the debate of club vs country back on the headlines.
With majority of the senior members rested for the series,a B string Indian team is being sent to the caribbean. The question that is being raised are pointed towards the commitment of the players towards playing for the country. Why was the rest not taken during the IPL as opposed to the caribbean tour? How right is it to send an inferior team to the West Indies, when once India itself raised voices against an inferior English or Australian team touring India during the early days of Indian cricket. The point behind having a cricket tour to different countries was so that cricket played there would generate revenue for the cricket board of that country allowing the boards there to generate revenue for creating better cricketing environment. But with star cricketer like Sachin Tendulkar,Zaheer Khan,MS Dhoni missing,the crowd turnout may not be high.
The Indian calender has been one of the most busiest one's in comparison with all the other teams, the players did deserve a break ,but with the introduction of the champions league and IPL the scope for rest has been removed, but how ethical on the part of a sportsman is it to choose to play a gruesomely scheduled tournament for a club and opt to rest out during an international match?
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