Boria Majumdar in Australia
India has lost the series fair and square and that’s a fact. Indian batters failed as a collective and the bowling except Bumrah wasn’t up to the mark. Questions need to be asked. For example, will senior players like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma play Ranji Trophy? Are they ready to miss a part of the IPL and play county cricket, play for India A against England Lions and try and get back to form ahead of the England series in June? If they don’t, should the selectors include them in the red-ball team? Are the selectors not accountable?
While each one of these questions are relevant, what is irrelevant is how social media is abuzz over our favourite whipping horse – the IPL. Indian players’ cumulative worth is 200 crores and yet they failed is a constant refrain. This is where things turn silly. Monies paid for IPL has no relevance with what happened in Australia. In 2021, Australia lost the series to India, and within a year Starc was paid 24 crores and Cummins 21 crores. Australia lost twice in 2018 and 2021 and almost two thirds of their players had hefty IPL contracts. No one said a word. Also, Australia has its own BBL and they take it very seriously.
To immediately come to money and say the Indian players get so much money and yet they don’t perform is a sensationalist statement. When you see such figures bandied in front of you, and you know who don’t make a 10th of that money, it is inevitable you will feel a sense of immediate anger and frustration. That’s what social media works on.
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Ask the right questions and the deep ones. Will the Indian stars play domestic cricket if they want to come back to red ball cricket and be a part of the England tour? Will players like Akashdeep and Mukesh Kumar be in focus now? Does Shami make a comeback even if he is able to play two or three Tests and not five? See what Boland did in the three Tests he played.
Questions should indeed be asked. But relevant ones. To say Shubman Gill is paid 16 crores but did not perform makes little sense. Make no mistake, he has failed and it hurts. He has shown an acute lack of game awareness. But to say he has 15 million followers and makes enough money, which has taken his focus away is an unfair statement. Gill has to make amends, only then can he be India’s number 3 batter going forward. But it has nothing to do with his Instagram following or the amount of money he makes from an IPL contract.
In India, the moment the team loses we will see these things come up – Our paralympic stars don’t make a 20th of the money the cricketers make and yet they have done well. Second, the IPL is the root of all evil. And finally, the players are all pampered individuals who lack focus.
Each of these statements are in poor taste. India lost the series, yes, and a review is essential. By making flippant assertions, we will actually miss addressing the core concerns. With social media becoming more important, that’s always the fear.
Also Read: Poor cricket all around – wheels come off for India