T20's red-nose jollity poses serious questions

BY JEREMY CONEY

OPINION: It's test time. Time for players to reveal their skills, confront their demons and disclose their character for as long as they can. I hope Wellington's Basin Reserve furnishes it.

Over its course, the game's pattern will observe a bountiful past.

Meanwhile, continents away, cricket tweaks the ear of the present. It has always had a strong instinct for survival, embracing a portfolio of products from one to five days, day or night, under roof or stars for up to 11 players attired in canary yellow, nipple pink or venerable white.

And now the Indian Premier League (IPL).

It slaps your face with unadorned entertainment. A carnival of `now'. It glories in fireworks and flashing lights, detonates music and gyrating damsels, worships the hired warriors as they enact much thwackery.

It's cricket having a day out, in a red nose. Though not for charity.

Witnessing the first week of the IPL3, the new India throbs to it. Numerologists tell me Saturn's orbit is happy with the purple colours of the Kolkata Knight Riders. Astrologers demand the birthdates of the players before they reveal winners. Tarot readers love Mumbai Indians cards. Meanwhile, the Delhi Daredevils woo Venus.

Its coverage surpasses Clarke and Bingle, pages of editorial, television channels, news broadcasts; bars, cafes, theatres (only licensed ones), YouTube, Twitter feeds – all manner of modern dissemination to disperse stories or MS Dhoni's hair unguent to an insatiable billion. Never ones to miss an opportunity, politicians offer seats to those who undertake support.

The IPL is a potent combination of cricket and Bollywood. They are joined at the hip (pocket). It unabashedly concerns money. From team owners to service providers to vendors, everyone wants a buck.

After two years the connection between success and the bottom line has been firmly established.

What may have begun as a bit of fun for the players has morphed into scraps on the field. Standing and observing reactions two yards from where they sit, I am struck by their intensity. It has become more than money.

Individual pride and an over or two of distinguished service matters. Batsmen are up and down grabbing two bats in one hand and swinging shadow strokes. Everyone chases the brazen display of batsmanship or a precious `dot' ball in an effort to be the difference. Each run saved, every committed dive is applauded. Heroes are born quickly in Twenty20.

Captains call for changes. Four padded batsmen analyse the fields intently. Stephen Fleming sat with grim visage at the back of the dugout as his charges lost to Adam Gilchrist's team. Nor could he conceal his pleasure as they reversed the result against Shane Bond (who began well) and Brendon McCullum's side. It's a concentrated juice surrounded by bulk fun.

It's an Indian juice. Franchise owners are wealthy Indians, the players (mainly) are Indian, an Indian TV channel puts up the cash, sponsors are Indian.

However, the talent catchment area extends to the world.

Stadiums pulse. Even those at some distance from the heart of the city. Crowd numbers have varied from 75 per cent full upwards.

It will be interesting to see if it can be sustained.

Will results and the frequency of games at a venue determine the level of support?

Right now they are committed and engaged. Yesterday spectators danced in the aisles and on seats. Vibrant face-painted adults and children in team-coloured clothing belted inflatable noisemakers as hard and high as a Jaques Kallis six. They droned giveaway horns to hyperventilation. At any break, a DJ urged chants and the faithful launched into team songs. Vendors ran pizzas to seats with free bottles of water. Cricket has sometimes taken its crowds for granted – now it treats them with respect.

Is there a danger of this showbiz in pads becoming too popular? Maybe, but I have the feeling players won't be remembered for their Twenty20 innings.

Once fear and consequence and personal overcomings are removed from batting, it's not as memorable.

At the moment, cricket's formats co-exist somewhat unhappily. Test cricket should respond. The best way is with compelling, close series. In this respect New Zealand have some work confronting them.

- © Fairfax NZ News