Whom to like?

Cricket has been endearing to me for a variety of reasons, its successful accommodation of two different formats for over 42 years now not being the least of them. But the introduction and subsequent success of the latest, brashest, most precipitate form of cricket, particularly the IPL, has thrown up a unique conundrum for the cricket enthusiast. We have always been comfortable with our favourite cricketers, based on our own interpretation of the game and who makes it the most watchable for us. Let’s face it, our likes and dislikes are almost invariably based on what we see, rather than statistics and numbers thrown at us every day. But when the consistency in what we watch continues to diminish in the name of variety, would we still be able to able to sustain an unwavering allegiance to players we like and dislike?

Consider for example, a Rahul Dravid fan. Someone who admires the temperament, tenacity, and doggedness that Dravid brings to the crease. If suddenly, the same fan watches his favourite player batting as though he were trying to cement his place in a Twenty20 team, while the Pollards and Pathans make merry around him, would that not force the fan to think? There will, of course, be people talking about how the Pollards are mere flashes in the pan, and that consistency of performance counts for more than anything else in sport. But the fan is, at the end of the day, a cricket watcher. What he sees over four IPL seasons and a million matches is his favourite player coming to terms with a format that certain other players seem inherently comfortable with. And with more Twenty20 being dished up at the expense of the other formats, a Yusuf Pathan cameo would definitely be more frequent than a Dravid masterclass.

The resilience of a cricket fan is unquestionable, and therefore no amount of T20 cricket at the expense of Tests can permanently disillusion him from following the game. But a very important component of fans' loyalties comes from admiring individual players within their teams, and in case of the IPL, team loyalties often follow player loyalties, instead of it being the other way round. For example, someone would want Rajasthan Royals to win, because Dravid plays for them. But how long can he or she remain an exclusive Dravid fan, when seeing him being outscored by obscure young men like Paul Valthaty season after season in the IPL?

They say the greatness of true greats would always transcend trifling variables such as pitch, conditions, match situation and the like, and we've come to believe this. But now, game format is a variable that evidently seems to contradict this assertion. Dravid would undoubtedly be remembered as one of India's greatest cricketers, and the purpose of the IPL is apparently being best served if lesser known cricketers make their presence felt. But for someone like me, who is a fan of Dravid among other Indian greats, it is painful to see these stars clear the sky for lesser mortals to shine.