Talent, and not stars, will make IPL a success

With murmurs about West Indian great Brian Lara returning for the next season of the IPL, Ayaz Memon writes in his blog in the Daily Telegraph that while star-power was essential when the IPL was launched in 2008, it is no longer the case with the tournament having had two successful seasons.

The best talent should find expression in the tournament, which means selection should be highly merited. If Lara – and I am only using him as an example – fits in, great; if he doesn’t tough luck. Star value and the entertainment quotient, so crucial to the success of the IPL yet, can only be extraneous to the game itself. What will ensure credibility in the long run is the quality of the product. In other words, the cricket played in the middle.