The bounty on young IPL cricketer's head should just be a number

Cricket was introduced by the British to be played to imbibe the ways of life The important traits were to learn and develop skills of patience how to evaluate risks and to be able to take the ups and downs that the game provides It taught one not only to compete but also to appreciate ones opponents and fellow teammates The values and learnings that the royal game of cricket brought about was what made its ardent followers appreciate and recognise performances Patience was a virtue and five days of Test cricket provided that in abundanceThe presentday life has turned the game of cricket completely upside down Paucity of time in ones everyday existence has propelled the very existence of the conventional way of playing the game into an instant resultoriented format The T20 is now by far the most popular form of the game and the cricket leagues being played around the world are most watched and followed by one and allCricket is rapidly becoming a very young mans game and hence fitness agility speed and stamina are becoming the essential ingredients for a cricketer This was quiet evident when the Indian Premier League IPL commenced in 2008 as more than the runs and the wickets players were immediately reviewed by the body mass that they showcased For the new young viewers of the game looks and appearance are as important as the performance of a player on the fieldThe character of a cricketer has radically changed Earlier being cautious was what every coach advised his ward something that has no relevance today in the dictionary of young cricketers who have completely different personalities and a new approach to the game There seems to be that air of confidence and selfbelief in their attitude that at times does lead to a false sense of bravado A cricketer today is willing to take that risk in order to achieve quick success The balancing act between being successful and failing has now narrowed substantially Therefore present day cricketers are facing emotional and mental issues that one had never encountered or faced before Multimedia has brought cricketers right into the frontline The millions watching them are only looking for entertainment and winnersA cricketer is definitely earning a much better pay packet today but the area that one is extremely concerned about are the psychological issues that many of them are facing as individuals One does not give much thought to this important issue as a fit and young cricketer one feels should be able to take the adversity that they are faced with After all they are young enough to handle it One can see upcoming cricketers in the franchisebased IPL teams faced with worries Winning quite naturally is the main focus and having procured players by paying handsomely for them the owners and staff have one specific mission and that is to squeeze the most out of the cricketers that they have boughtDuring our days of playing cricket one of the important advice that one was given was to go to England to play professional cricket during the summer The reason was twofold to get experience to play in the difficult and variable conditions that the weather and wickets provided over there and the other was to learn to play as a paid professionalI recall the very first year that I went to play professional cricket in England I was fortunate enough to get off to a good start with the ball and the bat and everyone was so friendly and warm A few failures thereafter woke me up to reality I was being paid and so I had to perform to substantiate it The days I failed or the team lost I was treated like an outsider to be kept at bay I then realised that when one is paid for ones services one is expected to deliverUnfortunately young Indian cricketers of today are facing the same dilemma at a much younger age They have a price on their heads and are trying their best to live up to the expectations of the ones who have bid for them For most young Indians one is not brought up to confront such money related equations as parents and elders have always been there to support them in their growing up daysThis change from innocence to becoming a professional is one of the reasons why a present day cricketer whether established or not is so aggressive in his body language and his approach to the game There is a sense of profound joy on proving ones worth and frustration and anger when one fails However the element that one can see missing the most amongst them is the feeling of fun and being carefreePaid professional cricket does that to one The days of a cricket match between the Gentlemen cricketers versus the Professionals have long been buriedThe BCCI has to come forward with a policy to protect young Indian cricketers playing in the IPL and to make them understand that the bounty on their head is just a number They are not a bunch of mercenaries out to make a quick buck selling their talent Life in this delicate age of the pandemic is itself a difficult bubble and to have young emotionally disturbed individuals would be like a disaster waiting to happenKeep scrolling to read more newsCatch up on all the latest sports news and updates hereAlso download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates MidDay is now on Telegram Click here to join our channel middayinfomedialtd and stay updated with the latest newsThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever