DNA Edit: Don’t kill cricket - The game is losing appeal in its current Mecca, India

India’s number one sport could be in trouble, because like most things commercial, it is risky to take it for granted. All indications suggest that after a none-too-bright cricket World Cup, preceded by the usual hype and followed by shenanigans of overpaid cricket administrators, a slowdown is in the offing.

Opinion is divided. Some believe the slowdown is temporary, while others think serious structural adjustments are needed to ride out the glut. Falling attendance at matches has to be of prime concern. India’s tour of the West Indies was a crashing bore because cricket was low quality and uninteresting in which matches looked like net practice at empty stadiums.

The South Africa T20 games in India have proved to be marginally better, but not much in the absence of top stars. Even during the much-hyped World Cup, there were enough instances of distress ticket sales, when India was knocked out ignominiously.

There is a method to this madness. Falling integrity and the collapse of professional Twenty20 leagues like TNPL, KPL, has seriously compromised the one game India is good at. The BCCI registering FIRs, questioning officials and interrogating owners has not helped the sport. The league bubble had to explode because they are financially unviable, coupled with overdose and over-exposure.

The greatest threat comes not from players, but owners, who face mounting financial losses. Owners need to be totally above board, which is why due diligence and background checks are mandatory. Cricket administrators have to know that the IPL model can’t be cut and pasted. Leagues have to be aligned to the cricketing ethos of the country. It is still not too late to get their act together and introduce due diligence and reforms. Cricket is India’s lifeline and should continue to be so.