Competition is Good, Even in Indian Cricket

Till recently, the BCCI was an absolute baboo-run dinosaur. BCCI officials, who are richer than most of the players, cared for their jobs even less than the Indian bureaucracy does. BCCI was, and still is, a den of politics, with cricket taking a back seat to the bureaucrats' and politicians' personal agendas. This still continues (as evidenced by the shameful eclipsing of the cricketers at the T20 felicitation at Wankhede by politicians), but the BCCI has got a major jolt in the form of the ICL.

Suddenly, players are being rewarded for their performance (although, as Steve Waugh pointed out, in a way that's harmful for the team spirit). Suddenly, the players' pay has increased, and BCCI is actually trying to improve conditions and opportunities for its players. Bureaucrats and politicians who have been snoring for decades are having to wake up and actually do a good job.

Let's hope the ICL does a great job of developing talent. It's good to give the BCCI a run for its money. Even if ICL doesn't win the war, the competition is bound to force the BCCI to increase its effectiveness.