It is mainly because of ODI and T20 that Test cricket, that you purists so enjoy, has become interesting. Gone are the days of dull draws that you purists used to drool over. We now have result-oriented Tests.

You start off your comments by saying, “IPL is not about Cricket”. So what is it about? Last time I saw, there were men with bat and ball playing cricket. You say the camera is ALWAYS on Shipla and Preity. I think you must be blind.

While diversity of views is the point of a blog, but instead of differing on the substance of issues, you have decided to make it personal.

If you put green $$, Hayden and Gilchrist will anything and definitely talk high of IPL, What is the surprise ?
Brett Lee is thinking of a bollywood career, post retirement.

There is a nice article by Sanjay Manjrekar in TOI who says all purists hate IPL and T20, where all nuances of the game are lost.

Pure cross-bat hitting from the first ball.

I am yet to see the e cricket career revived by IPL, make a true impact on the game. (Not the Ryan Harris, … oh please not Yusuf Pathan …. .)

True team spirit is the India Hockey team, playing for peanuts and still shouting Chak De India.

Since you are not from India, you may not understand, the hockey scene.

@gnbmdr:

You have such a large chip on your shoulder, it is starting to resemble a forest! IPL certainly IS about cricket. Remember that the careers of Shane Watson, Geoff Marsh, Manish Pandey, Ravindra Jadeja, Amit Mishra, Yusuf Pathan, Ravi Bopara, et al were (re)launched because of the IPL. It has also prolonged the careers of greats like Jayasuriya, Shane Warne, Gilchrist, Hayden, Vaas, McGrath, et al. Yes, the cynics will say that their involvement is all about money. But watching Hayden and Gilchrist gush about IPL and seeing them play convinces me that it is about team-pride, cricket and money! At a recent ABC prelude to a live telecast of the A. R. Rahman show, Hayden who was anchoring the show said “Go Chennai Super Kings, the best team in the world” with such passion and fervour that one thought he was saying, “Go Australia, the best team in the world”!

Yes, it has money, glitz, glamour, Bollywood. But so what? It is getting cricket a new audience. Anything wrong with that? But it is much more than glitz, glamour and Bollywood.

Your statement that “the camera is always on Shilpa Shetty or Preity Zinta or SRK” convinces me that you either did not watch IPL-1 or IPL-2 or that you are a snooty and arrogant person who makes off the cuff remarks without checking facts. Camera is always on them? Take a break dude. I suggest that you open your eyes. There is a world out there and it will not be yours soon if you continue the way you are.

It is about entertainment and glamour. The camera is always on on Shilpa Shetty or Preity Zinta, or SRK . For expert comments we have technically astute Mandira Bedi! Cheer leaders, and other glamorous women assigned for interviewing players.

That said, I might I am going to catch a few matches with my son – “baseballs, hot dogs and yankee stadium” kinda sentiment.