IPL - Indian Patriots' League

The past two weeks have not been good for Indian sport. First, there was the pay-me-when-you-play-me hockey drama and then, the money-spinning gala that is the Indian Premier League. Both came together perfectly to prove to the rest of the world that, irrespective of the quantity of money in an Indian sport, there is no class. Rich - as in the case of the IPL, or poor - as in the case of Hockey India, it makes no difference.

Of course, the Indian hockey players were damn right to demand payment for their performances. Anybody who can play their heart out for their country despite being treated shabbily deserves credit. Still, that did not stop some officials from suggesting that money shouldn't matter - the 'pride' in playing for the country should be enough! The sheer stupidity of the statement astounds me - 'pride' doesn't pay for food, clothes, or decent accommodation, which are the bare necessities for any human being, let alone players representing the country. Sure, the timing of the protest may seem insensitive, but it was the only way they could get any attention. And it is a well-known fact that for a player to perform to his fullest, off-the-field issues have to be sorted so that the player can focus. Thankfully, after a lot of threatening and media barbs, common sense prevailed and the players did get some of their money, but the way the cheque was handed over - in front of dozens of cameramen - was as if it was a favour to the players. Like I said - no class!! Then there is the election issue - Hockey India has affiliation issues with some of the regional associations and until they are sorted out, the election is stalled. All this with the World Cup being hosted in Delhi less than a month away. Shame.

Just when people were pointing to cricket as an example of how sport should be run in this country, Lalit Modi and his comrades (read:franchise owners) decided that there was no way they would be outdone in the media by HOCKEY of all sports. The IPL(Indian Patriots League?) auction turned into a silent anti-Pakistani agenda, with no Pakistani player picked by any team, apparently due to doubts over their availability. Again, no class. At least we could have been given a decent excuse!! The Pakistani players were included in the auction after some teams had indicated that they would be picking them. The visa problem had been overcome, and since when has availability stopped players from being picked? The Mumbai Indians had Dwayne Bravo flown home mid-IPL by private charter so he could play a game extra - he won them that game. So the problem is clearly something else. If it is Government pressure, then it is sad that the franchise owners have given in, because this will just be the beginning. The other explanation could be that the owners feared a negative reaction to the Pakistani players' selection after the 26/11 attacks. Still, one would expect someone of the stature of Vijay Mallya to rise above the cowardice. His team could have done with Afridi. And after all, it wasn't a gun-toting Afridi who killed people on 26/11, so why should he bear the brunt?  

Sport should be shielded from political issues, because it is what unites us. Once that last bridge is burnt, there is usually no way back. I hope the IPL changes its mind and allows the Pakistani players to join teams, because the tournament will be much the better with some of them playing.