This is the time for the IPL and BCCI to show how large their heart is; to throw a lifeline and say “come on, young men, come back and play cricket”. If the ICL decides that it is getting unviable to continue, will these cricketers never play cricket again? Wouldn’t that be inhuman? Other players in the past have romanced with apartheid regimes, no less, and returned. Geoffrey Boycott was one of them and we opened our doors and our hearts to him. Derek Underwood is now president of the MCC, the establishment, and was a prominent invitee to the Champions League launch. Bob Woolmer coached some of the best teams and had a responsible job in the ICC for a while. Chris Broad is a match referee. John Dyson coaches the West Indies and Trevor Hohns was chairman of selectors in Australia for a very long time. Kepler Wessels played for both the rebel Aussies and the South Africans on those tours and was coach of the Chennai Super Kings in their first year.

I can understand the antagonism in the first year of the IPL. Much has happened since then. The IPL has been one of the greatest success stories in the history of cricket, Lalit Modi called it recession proof and so far he has been right. On the other hand the ICL is struggling and the current economic scenario will hit it hard. Should it have to shut shop the owners will take the loss and move on, maybe start a power plant instead, but they will leave behind human debris; living human debris. The establishment has to take care of them in the larger interest of cricket in India. Children take their own decisions but parents can never shut their door on them forever. This is the time for the victor to be magnanimous, to offer a hand of support, to allow them to feel the excitement and earn a living.

... contd.