Cricket's biscuit factory
Think of the IPL as a maker of biscuits (or fruitcakes, if you like) and the Season 2 migration as merely a means of staying in business, writes Sharda Ugra in India Today .
IPL's second season has become clouded in other issues like political equations, security logistics, a tussle of ego and territory but eventually a pragmatic, economic reason has sent it to another place where it will simply be less hassle to do business. It is a gamble, but the entire event was a gamble based on the Indian audience's appetite for instant cricket. So now, overseas Indians may well find their way to what is nowbeing called the NRI-PL but more importantly, satellite television should keep the TV ratings high.
The smaller size of the country makes England an easier logistical proposition than India, although filming in Britain is more expensive. It costs about £80,000 to £90,000 to produce a typical day’s cricket in England, rising to £120,000 if you include extra features such as Hawk-Eye. That is more than in India, where a cameraman might work for £100 a day, compared with £350 a day at Lord’s. IMG’s real problem could be finding enough UK-based, experienced camera crews and production teams able to handle cricket if it cannot ship the Indian teams over cost-effectively.
George Binoy is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo