Zaheer Abbas Column: History repeats itself

The world of cricket presently is facing a crisis in the shape of the
Indian Cricket League (ICL) which, as we are made to believe, threatens
the very fabric of conventional cricketing structure. How potent the
threat seems to be is something that we need to look into. After all, it
is not the first time international cricket is facing such a crisis
– approximately 30 years ago, Kerry Packer's World Series had a
similar affect on world cricket.

As I see it, the World Series did a lot of good to the game and much of
what we know as `modern cricket' owes its origin to the
innovations carried out by the Australian tycoon and his team while
taking on the administration of the game at the time. One-Day
Internationals (ODIs) were still at a nascent stage in the mid-70s. Yes,
the first World Cup had already been held, but ODIs were not an integral
part of international tours that remained focused on Tests and side
matches. It was Packer who turned the game on its head to the extent
that now ODIs are played even if that means cutting down the number of
Test matches.

When Packer introduced coloured clothing, the sport was sarcastically
called pyjama cricket. Now it's a done thing and there are people
who suggest that even Test cricket should be played with players wearing
coloured clothing. Personally, I do not agree with this, but it does
reflect on the success of the idea. Not much different is the case of
floodlights and night cricket. Packer went for it believing that night
cricket would attract those spectators who found it hard to come to
watch the game during office hours. The reasoning has now changed. We
would rather have day-night matches, but night-time cricket under
floodlights is here to stay. In fact, Test matches disrupted by bad
weather are now also a modern-day reality. That once again underlines
the success of an idea that was unconventional at the time when it was
first introduced.

Among other things, custom-made drop-in pitches also found their way
into cricket. It was done to sidestep the issue of the lack of proper
cricketing grounds for the World Series in view of the official ban that
was slapped on it by the ICC and the Australian authorities. Such
playing surfaces are still being used in Australia and New Zealand --
stadiums are used alternatively for cricket and rugby in the latter.

The biggest change from the Kerry Packer Circus, as it was infamously
labelled, was in terms of television coverage. Multiple cameras covering
every possible angle of happenings and high-profile commentators
describing them in a manner that was possible only through personal
exposure to the game at the highest level, gave audiences around the
world something that they had never experienced before. It set a
benchmark that is relevant even today.

Apart from these tangible transformations, what the World Series did in
intangible terms is equally important, if not more. It revived the game
that was sliding down the popularity charts. It brought in spectators
and attracted television audiences around the globe. Simply put, it
meant more money for the organisers. Modern-day cricket is a financial
bonanza for all concerned and owes it to the imaginative mind of one
man.

The intensity of modern-day cricket is something that was conceived by
Packer as well. He gathered only the best available talent from around
the world and made them face each other, which produced cricket of the
highest order. It also led to the invention of helmets and other
protective gear that were necessary to face the fast bowlers on
metal-based drop-in pitches.

It was the game of cricket that was the biggest winner in the deal.
However, when it was happening, the administrators did make everyone
believe that those playing in the World Series were actually
mercenaries. History surely, repeats itself.

© DAWN Group of Newspapers, 2007