VBC becomes owner of TNPL team
2010- 'Do you call that cricket' (on IPL)
2016- 'It is a breeding ground for spotting and grooming talent' (on TNPL)
Many years ago, in the aftermath of quitting CSK, VB Chandrasekar ( what ever he does he will remain one of my favourite cricketers from the 80s) had remarked to me ‘Do you call that (IPL) cricket’? Yes, if it was not cricket ( that we had all come to live with), it was fine not to be part of it. 'It is not real cricket'.
How things and perspectives change in life. And how we, as human beings, grab luring opportunities letting go of our past comments and our philosophies on even things that are so close to our heart ( and real cricket is for VBC).
Over the last couple of months, VBC grabbed a high profile Tamizh commentary opportunity to take IPL to the Tamizh households. He was away from his VBCA flood lit summer camp most of this summer instead engaging in an IPL commentary stint from the studios in Bombay.
And yesterday he has become a proud owner of a TN PL (PL) team. Do you call this cricket in 2010 has now in 2016 become ‘this is a great talent spotting arena’.
'TNPL is where you can spot talent and groom them for the future'!!!!
Michael Holding remains one of the very few prominent past cricketers to publicly make his displeasure known (about T20) and to stick to that and stay away from the financial lure.
The lure of Name and Fame and the possibility of huge bucks in the long term (and may be a return to IPL once CSK is back) has got VBC back into the Premier League much against his stated views on PL and this shorter form of cricket.
One hopes he will have a longer stint in this shorter form than he has had with the Indian team (as a player), the IPL (as a mentor) and the TN team (as coach) now that he is the owner and has the ultimate decision making power.