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Broad shuns IPL. Again
By Will last year, mid-December Add your comment below
I imagine Stuart Broad’s ears have been burning today, not by the South African sun which has oddly gone into hiding, but by a probable outpouring of admiration at his second decision not to go to the IPL.
And that, as an Englishman, I’m afraid, remains the instinctive reaction. Well done, Stuart. Nice one, Broady – balls to that conservatory-and-new-car-providing frolic in India. And balls to you, too, Mr Modi. And in fact anyone else planning to overtake the sport. Grr, shakey fists and all – damn you foreign, successful people and damn you for thinking of it before us!
An instinctive reaction but also a naive one. Broad will cave eventually, as will others who have initially feigned interest to further their embryonic international careers, and he shouldn’t be lambasted for chasing quick cash. I find the concept, and the money, of the IPL at odds with the game itself, but I know others – friends and colleagues whose opinions I respect – who rave unequivocally about it.
But it remains a tournament without true identity. It’s perceived by some as the place to learn international cricket, or certainly Twenty20 cricket. By others, it’s a goldmine, and they can’t sharpen their picks fast enough. Some think it’s a brief foray into what the wider sport might eventually become – short and rich, like Alan Sugar – while others, many of them English, are still flabbergasted that India beat them all to it. But many, like Broad, still choose country over cash.
As long as it divides opinion, for all Modi’s cash and investment – and, indeed, impressive promotion and swagger – the IPL is the shiny new apartment block with porters in an ancient city revered for its tradition…albeit one whose foundations are beginning to crumble.
Tags: indian premier league, IPL, stuart-broad |
8 Responses to “Broad shuns IPL. Again”
December 15th, 2009 at 12.11 pm
December 15th, 2009 at 12.34 pm
Come on Will. Get off the moral high horse!! Do you really think there will be many teams interested in Broad? This is a bit like Michael Clarke deciding to opt out once he was sure there’s nobody willing to pay the price he quoted. Broad handled it better and didn’t even announce a base price for himself.
December 16th, 2009 at 3.53 pm
JII:Exactly right.Clarke’s agents muffed up.They asked for a million USD minimum(base price).What was hilarious was the reaction of the oz press congratulating him for his ’selfless’ decision.
Broad though,someone would have bought.He’s allright now.Bowled very well in India(Maybe because he mainly bowled to a then struggling Dravid).Johnson,won the ICC Cricketer of the year award too.
It’s the other morons(Anderson & guys-like-him) & has-beens(Vaughan etc etc) coming out with the country comes first statements that I find the most amusing.
December 17th, 2009 at 8.52 am
Sunny,
Broad might be a better test bowler now. But, I still feel Broad has T20 baggage, courtesy Yuvraj. Any team will have to think twice before buying him.
December 17th, 2009 at 11.51 am
But then again, Broad might actually be thinking of recent injury niggles and weighing up if he can keep his England place without crshing short of his potential. Who knows?
Yeah, the IPL is a load of fun and there’s heaps of cash to be had, but at the end of the day… is it real cricket?
December 17th, 2009 at 12.51 pm
Wraye,
When did I say it is the real thing? I am not a big fan of IPL or even T20. But, to accuse Broad (and others like Clarke) of putting country over cash is a bit too much. It is quite possible that he realized his T20 worth(lessness) and decided to opt out rather than embarrass himself if nobody picks him up.
December 18th, 2009 at 6.07 pm
Broad might have to play IPL just to pay his fines in real cricket if he carries on behaving like his Dad used to.
December 18th, 2009 at 7.09 pm
JII – no argument, mate! Not all good cricketers are suited to the Test arena, some just can’t hack it in ODIs and others can’t grasp T20. Look at Ramprakash or Hicks, brilliant on the County circuit, but not in Tests.
Personally, I love T20 – I’ve played it and scored it but I see your point, really I do. IPL is not his format so he’s not up for it, fair enough. I just think he may have other reasons too.
BTW, Ashes Ernie – I was screaming at Broad to shut his mouth and walk, loud enough to be heard in SA from Germany. He was out, the referal system may not be working well and needs some “tweaking” but no player, ever, should discuss his dismissal with the umpire. Smacked wrist, Stu. Your chin music is turning starting to turn me against you.
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