Empty Eden: Warning against Cricket Overdose

Supremacy of cricket is under threat! Sharp decline is observed in its popularity. This is obvious from the fact that the magical knocks by ‘Mr. Dependable’ Dravid and ‘Very Very Special’ Laxman were observed by a few thousand spectators at the Eden Gardens during the ongoing series between India and West Indies. The officials of CAB claimed that the attendance was 22,000 on Monday while a report suggested that the morning session of the match was witnessed by less than a thousand people. Another newspaper report took it further and stated that only 82 spectators were present during the toss. It’s indeed a shock! Cricket fails to attract its die-hard fans! What is wrong with it? There is a need to delve deep into the root of the problem and to find a way out.

In my article on 1^st November 2011, published in sportskeeda.com, I mentioned that the law of diminishing utility is visible in Indian cricket. A trend of low turn out has been observed in the recent matches. A possible reason for the low turn out is the cricket overdose which acts upon the interest of the fans. Excessive cricket violates the ‘law of scarcity’ and creates a situation of excess supply which may adversely influence the revenue side of the game. A decline in ‘eye-balls’ may reduce the gate revenue, sponsorship fees, broadcasting fees and the possibilities of merchandizing. The only feasible solution is to restrict the number of international matches so that the interest of the fans can be sustained. It is essential to make the product ‘scarce’. Otherwise, too much cricket will ruin the interest of the game. It can be expected that the cash-rich cricket bodies will adopt necessary measures to defeat the law of diminishing utility.

Empty seats at Eden Gardens during the India vs England ODI

The introduction of T20 revolutionizes the game of cricket and has played an instrumental role in nurturing the interest of the fans towards the game. T-20, the most attractive format of cricket so far, had been designed to entertain the fans by applying the concept of ‘hit or miss’. This is the test of courage where a batsman has to hit every delivery and the bowler has to restrict him. An additional dimension has been added to the format by combining glamour with it. Thus, in this age of entertainment, T20 is the perfect package to sell. However, its effect on test cricket is not much impressive. Test cricket is the battle ground where a batsman has to show his character for survival. It may not be as ‘instant’ as T20, but more sound in terms of techniques and temperament. It may not be so attractive, but definitely helps a young talent to build his base. The advent of T20, unfortunately is ruining the interest of test cricket as the fans are more willing to see the entertaining format of the game. Following the words of Joseph Schumpeter, we can say that this is a ‘Creative Destruction’, creation of T20 and destruction of test. Thus, the revival of test cricket appears to be the biggest challenge for the cricket administrators.

Cricket, the most popular sports in India, is facing challenges internally and externally. The result is the low turn out which may act upon the commercial interest of the game. Moreover, the introduction of F1 in India and the visit of overseas football clubs may influence the preference of the fans. This is the time for the stakeholders of cricket to play a pro-active role in retaining the popularity of the game in India. This is the time to act against all odds to maintain the supremacy of cricket in this country.

Ankan Banerjee

Member of Faculty

Naval Tata Centre of Excellence in Sports Management

IISWBM, Kolkata