Cricket fever catches up

It's that time of the year again! Cricket fever, slapping frenzies and unknown spies. The Indian Premier League.

When the British came up with cricket, it was a living room game played with a three legged stool. Over-arm bowling was invented because women's voluminous skirts interfered with the underarm action originally selected.

Of course, by the time the sport arrived in India, it had changed by miles and it continues to change. There is no doubt any longer about how much India influences the game all over the world. We are a super-power - finally; albeit a very sporty one.

And nothing pumps the adrenaline like the shortest form of the game viz. Twenty20. Do you remember how the IPL came into being? It was an answer to the Indian Cricket League started by Zee Telefilms. Zee had lost lucrative cricket content rights several times in spite of being the highest bidders and they responded by coming up with a 'rebel' league about which people were really excited.

It didn't take long for the Indian cricket establishment to recognise the threat and respond by first banning players who agreed to play in the ICL and then by adopting the idea on a much larger scale. But hey, who cares? It's more cricket for everyone, right?

Part and parcel of the IPL season are the controversies that inevitably arise during the matches and around the event. Last year's most delicious controversy was the elusive fake IPL player who seemed to know the innermost secrets of what was happening behind the scenes inside the changing rooms and in fact in nightclubs late into the night.

Yet to be 'caught', the fake IPL player is going to release his first book shortly. Year before last year's controversy was the infamous slapgate when the incorrigible Sreesanth picked the wrong guy for his on the field irritating antics - the hot-blooded Harbhajan Singh and was rewarded with a resounding slap for his trouble. Believe me there were noises about inappropriate behavior but the over-arching emotion was of glee. Mr Appam so and so, everyone felt, had got his just desserts.

And this year, we've already seen concerted efforts by all Indian franchises to keep Pakistani players out. Naturally, where you talk of Pakistan, can Shiv Sena be far behind? And the little drama soon morphed into a big show as 'King' Khan (where is he king of, by the way?) got embroiled in his own controversy by saying Pakistani players should not have been left out.

So it isn't a big surprise that every cricket fan around the world is awaiting this season with excitement. Let the games begin!