IPL – They Are Interviewing Players on the Field

IPL, have you observed a curious thing? Is nothing in cricket sacrosanct anymore? I know we are in the age of reality television where contestants are asked "what do you feel?" when they are clearly shown weeping, having lost, whatever they have been playing.

So what happens, I was watching a match and suddenly this player is moving his lips and the words also match his lip movement. Could it be? Could it be that nothing is sacrosanct and anarchy has descended into the pitch the playing field too? I don't know of any game where the player on the field is asked to describe what he feels like. It was as if – damn it – he was carrying out an interview. I know we are living in competitive times, where there is no boundaries, there is chaos and anarchy in virtually everything: politics, games, entertainment. But would it come to this? Is extreme entertainment taking over extreme sports? I don't know.

The most horrible thing about IPL is the commentator asking the player on the field what they are feeling. Hm. I found this weird and unacceptable. Could players in a game fraught with tensions – that too a 20 over game fraught with wild swings – be bothered to answer questions about what they are feeling? When they themselves don't know how they are feeling? I feel this is taking things too far. Some things are never done and this is one of them. I am not an anarchist, I don't subscribe to chaos theory. I like a little aesthetic pleasure in games, as it is in art and writing.

A game is a game and players should play the game not comment on what they are feeling. More than distracting them, it makes them seem self conscious, irritated and nervous. Yes, they obviously seemed bothered.