Overdose of cricket

Too much of a good thing is a bad thing goes a common adage. It’s been said many times, and in innumerable contexts, but this context is dear to most Indians: Cricket. It’s a shame, really. The Indian team has been playing so much cricket in the last year that the gentleman’s game has lost its charm.
It started with the Indian tour of New Zealand in March and early-April, where the two teams battled each other over the course of three tests, five one-day internationals (ODIs) and one T20 match. This was closely followed by the IPL: more than a month of non-stop, intense cricket.
Not only was the second season a dud compared with the first, it was also closely followed by another T20 series, the ICC T20 World Championships. This not only fatigued the players, something widely commented upon, but it also tarnished the gleam around T20 matches. With so many in the offing, they were just not exciting to watch anymore, unless the specific match was between two evenly matched teams.
The Indian team then flew all the way to the West Indies to play just five ODIs. What a waste. The players and the viewers could and should have been given some rest, may be a month’s break, and then the current tri-series in Sri Lanka.
With an important series like the Champion’s Trophy coming up in September, the BCCI should have cancelled the West Indies and Sri Lanka series’ and devoted the time to practice, or rest.
The fans would have also got a much-needed break to renew their enthusiasm for the Champion’s Trophy.
While it is commendable that BCCI is so excited about making the Indian team play so much, it should remember that players are only human, and the audience cannot survive on a solely cricket-based diet.