The entire world – not just the sporting world – is watching India.
Their COVID crisis has escalated beyond tragic proportions and the numbers of people contracting COVID-19 escalates daily.
In a country of 1.7 billion people with a high number of people living closely together and in near-poverty, the coronavirus was always likely to have a rapid spread.
My heart goes out to the people of India as they battle this awful virus.
There is a place for sport as a distraction from a global pandemic.
Sport allows people to have a momentary distraction from their struggles and provides them with the opportunity to place themselves in the shoes of the person doing the action.
I have often wished I were taller so that I could dunk like LeBron James, that I could run like Usain Bolt or that I could kick a soccer ball like Tim Cahill.
Sport helps the general community to take their minds and their thoughts off the unimaginable tragedy and provides them with dreams to reach for.
However, sometimes there are life events that are far more significant than sport.
My club cricket side has been denied two years in a row from pushing for the premiership, last year because of COVID and this year because of the floods in western Sydney, but in both instances, we were not overly disappointed because, in both situations, people’s lives and livelihoods were at stake – something far more important than a game of cricket.
After the tragic events of 9/11, Major League Baseball called a hiatus to its season and only resumed 10 days later in an effort to help people regain a sense of normalcy.
That was the appropriate course of action to take and was widely applauded across the community.
When a national disaster is unfolding, the appropriate course of action for a sport to take is to suspend operations and only to resume when it is safe or appropriate to do so. Similar events have happened all over the world in response to national disasters.
So, in this context, the Indian Premier League ought never to have gone ahead.
(AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool)
It is a glorification of wealth, prosperity and skill at the best of times, but in the midst of a pandemic where over 200,000 new infections are being recorded in the country daily, playing the sport in the first place was grossly inappropriate.
Why bring in hundreds of other people from countries all over the world, with the potential for their own infection, when your own health system is already overtaxed as it is?
Every country needs to make its own decision in this regard based on its own experience with COVID.
England seems to be over its last wave, or at the very least, be on a strong downward trend, so the County Championship going ahead seems to be appropriate.
Cricket in Australia is in its winter hiatus, so no major decisions need to be made there, but having full attendance at National Rugby League and Australian Football League matches is appropriate because of Australia’s strong position with regards to COVID-19.
Who would be a cricket administrator or politician in this fiercely difficult time?
Regardless of whatever they decide, in some cases, they seem to be on a hiding to nothing with every decision roundly criticised.
However, there are times when common sense needs to take the driver’s seat, and in this instance, common sense should have overruled the potential money that could be made from running the IPL in India and it should not have been played.
Alternatively, administrators should have shifted the IPL to another venue (maybe the United Arab Emirates, where they held it last year) to further reduce any impact on the players, staff or administrators of the tournament.
This is a tricky situation for players, fans and administrators alike.
Some facts are incontrovertible, like the high case numbers and the overwhelmed medical system.
When incontrovertible facts are involved, common sense must prevail.
Cancel the IPL for the good of the players and staff, but more importantly, cancel it out of respect for the wider population who are bearing the brunt of the COVID-19 outbreak.
Gibbo
Roar Pro
You make a fair point re the countries in almost constant tragedy. I’d argue in response, however, that the above countries that you mention, Afghanistan in particular, are rebuilding. Sport helps in rebuilding. Now, if, God forbid, Afghanistan or Libya or Iraq gets plunged into war again, then a cancellation of sport is entirely warranted. My context was the 9/11 tragedy in the States. It’s a fair comment though.
Gibbo
Roar Pro
Then why did you comment? If you’ve nothing constructive to add, go comment on someone else’s “rubbish”. :happy:
chengiz
Roar Rookie
"Personally, I’ve never liked the IPL from the moment it first began. It’s a waste of time and space in the cricketing calendar" oh well, that puts your entire rubbish in perspective. and i wasted my time replying :((
chengiz
Roar Rookie
your logic is well... incontrovertible, gibbo. almost. but i'd suggest the ipl was a big help in combating covid since it kept people at home. btw "It is a glorification of wealth, prosperity and skill at the best of times, but in the midst of a pandemic where over 200,000 new infections are being recorded in the country daily, playing the sport in the first place was grossly inappropriate" is rubbish. the thrust of your argument is when there are tragedies, countries should desist from sport. so afghanistan, iraq, libya, etc should ban all sports for the next 100 years? it's going to take them at least that long to get back to where they were before they were annihilated. it'd take the oil to run out or other forms of energy to take over.
Ben Palliyaguru
Roar Rookie
the point is that the problem lies with how crap australias quarantine system is. if the quarantine system is safe, it shouldnt matter where the hell they are coming from
Perthstayer
Roar Rookie
Gibbo, thanks for teh article. It was valid to have setarted teh tournament but I agree it should have stopped earlier weeks ago. I made a similar comment last week about ending the comp and was vilified for it. Those people seem to have fallen silent now that some players/support staff have contracted COVID.
Jeff
Roar Rookie
I have a second-hand Webber that I'm looking to offload for some modest coin..
Jeff
Roar Rookie
I agree. Scomo's call is harsh, but within reason, even though I could make a case the other way re repatriation. I can understand Slater's angst, but as a public figure with a public voice, I think his spray - of which he has doubled down on - is over the top ("blood on his hands").
Jeff
Roar Rookie
mmm...not played the tournament to begin with? At the start of the tournament there was an evident increase in recorded cases in the 7 days prior, but in real-time that is hard to assess as something bad to come, especially when the Govt and State health ministers are publicly proclaiming things are under control. I'm no fan-boy of the BCCI, but what you are suggesting is that BCCI should have come to conclusions different to what Govt messaging was re health security in the 1st week of April.
Gibbo
Roar Pro
Regardless, the BCCI should’ve woken up sooner and have never even played the tournament to begin with. Personal choice or not, there’s a higher moral responsibility, and that’s the crux of the issue.
Gibbo
Roar Pro
Slater can say whatever he likes when he’s COVID-free, sipping cocktails by the pool in paradise. The PM has made the call, and rightly or wrongly, players and staff have to abide by it. I want to keep this cricket-focused rather than drag personal political preferences into it.
Gibbo
Roar Pro
Personally, I’ve never liked the IPL from the moment it first began. It’s a waste of time and space in the cricketing calendar. However, I can see its merits in helping cricketers earn more than they would for their international sides. Yes, playing it in India was the wrong call. Played in the UAE or any other country where thousands of people aren’t dying from Covid, then that’s a different story. So, yes, it is more to do with the country than with the actual spectacle itself. It’s just totally insensitive to be doing this when people are dying.
Big Daddy
Roar Rookie
If these guys aren't quarantine when they move to another country such as UAE or Maldives they certainly should be . Because of of huge amount of registered cases in India double precaution should be taken to ensure the players or coaching staff don't have it can carry it. If some random guy in Sydney who hasn't travelled can get it these cricketers certainly who are more exposed should be treated as people who may be more prone.
Tanish
Roar Rookie
Totally agree with this. It is wrong to blame the government for "neglect" when you came here by your own choice for, most likely, a monetary reason. Prioritising the safety of the entire nation instead of favouring a few cricketers and commentators (who went to India knowing all the risks, by their own choice) is something which should serve as an example for other governments as well.
Just Nuisance
Roar Rookie
At first a major reason given for the spread is poverty and crowded living conditions.. Then the IPL is described as being wealthy and prosperous.. Surely then that would enable effective and safe isolation for the cricketers..you can never though be 100% safe. Sport is as you say a distraction from difficulties…..in South Africa a Lions rugby tour is about to take place with the exact same questions being asked. Although early days of the pandemic far, far stricter even draconian measures were introduced in a country with very similar societal demographics to India although obviously a smaller scale, the spread of Covid 19 is for now under control, the possibility of a 3rd wave however is always present….we though would be appalled at the prospect of a tour cancellation… We need it.. Surely that’s no different for the citizens of India.. Keep playing, measures can be implemented to assure teams are safe.. Don’t let the virus succeed..
Philbert
Guest
The guy who drove all around Sydney looking for a BBQ can host it....
Big Daddy
Roar Rookie
Jak, so you won't mind all those people returning from India to come around to your place for a BBQ before going into quarantine.
Jeff
Roar Rookie
Three weeks (mid March) before the IPL started, there was no sign of this second wave despite a small uptick in daily *reported* cases – although a new variant had been detected. Indeed, the UAE was also seeing a slight uptick in daily cases through March, so there was no compelling reason before the tournament to shift it from India to the UAE. The ruling BJP party was even taking out full page ads just a week before the tournament telling people it was safe to attend Kumbh Mela events. Various BJP health ministers at state level were saying everything was under control. — That said, the suspension of the tournament now is the right call – and probably a week too late – and cancellation seems inevitable because what other window is available in upcoming months?
Paul
Roar Guru
"So, in this context, the Indian Premier League ought never to have gone ahead." I think you're making a value judgement call as opposed to a call based on all the facts. I'm not saying you're wrong, but one of the facts I'd love to know is why this event went ahead IN India? Would you have a problem if the event went ahead in the UAE? I assume you'd be okay with it being played in England, given you're okay with the County Championship going ahead? I'm also sure we could play games in the north of Australia, if Scotty would let flights in from India! The only part of this the BCCI got wrong was to play the IPL in country. Now they've made the correct decision to suspend it and I guess it won't start again any time soon.
Jak
Guest
Rubbish. Slater is right. The moron PM has made it a crime for Australian citizens to return to Australia because he and his inept government aren't able to cope. The fool has been denigrating state Premiers for closing their borders and now he does the same. Completely unacceptable.