Why seven is a lucky number for cricketers

So, what was all that about? A few days after new year’s Indian media had a blast reporting the ‘facts’ of the 7PL, ostensibly a brainchild of Indian skipper M.S.Dhoni offered as a sort of ‘leg up’ gift to his class buddy, Arun Pandey who runs the Rhiti Sports promotional company. The concept was to have 7 players in 7 sides playing 7 overs from 7 countries representing the 7 emirates. And if you think that is a surfeit of ‘sevens’ it was only the start.
There was much excitement in India with all the pundits explaining the rules of the new 7 over a side game that would replicate the Rugby Sevens and you could have four matches a day and the format would run on the same lines as the current Hockey World League being held in New Delhi. And everyone would be happy.
There were also lashings of intrigue in that a major corporate in Dubai was going to sponsor the tourney in March but they would not tell you who and Dhoni and Suresh Raina were expected to trot up earlier this week and inaugurate the whole dog and pony show.
The purists curled a lip of derision and hid their contempt behind their affection for classic Test matches and even as headlines screamed the threat to T20s from this further truncated game the 50 over ODI looked like someone’s geriatric aunt, bent with arthritis. But the echo of the clicking of the turnstile was quadrophonic and the general acceptance of the 7s financial success became a given.
With suitable pomp and ceremony it was then announced that the ICC and the bully boys of BCCI had ‘blessed’ the tournament, whatever that benediction means, and the top players would fly in from India, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Pakistan, England and Australia and line up alongside the UAE.
Under the cloak of secrecy and much ‘hush hush’ finger-on-the-lips stuff, details were leaked of how this would be an annual tournament and change cricket forever and then become a traveling show to other countries. Which is fine because circuses do that and cricket is now a circus as nobody can deny and what fun it would be to hit up 125 runs in 7 overs and singles would become passé and the great unwashed spectators would have a five hour blast every day for a week. Imagine watching cricketers from 7 countries playing on the same day.
The national integrity of the teams would be maintained. Like RAK vs Ajman would be actually Australia taking on England. Dubai vs Sharjah would be India vs Pakistan.
New rules could include six sixes getting you a seven run bonuses, a hat trick getting you an extra wicket for free, three singles on the trot would mean a fine for ‘slow run rate’ and more of such blarney, but all for real. Someone even suggested all the players could interact with the spectators through the commentators.
That the cricket stadium would be jam-packed every day was taken for granted. Half a billion TV viewers around the world was a modest figure. Advertisers would queue up in droves.
Then just as we were led to believe Dhoni and Raina were making for Dubai and the great pink pantherish texture of the unveiling of the event someone queered the pitch.
The unraveling began with the all powerful BCCI ‘pooh-poohing’ any suggestion that they had given the green signal to this top secret venture even though the rumor mill said one of their members was full square behind the idea. Its denial of involvement wrecked the ship. From then on, it was all downhill. The ICC stayed out of it, Dhoni and Raina zipped off to New Zealand for the series there and the media simply ran away from the ‘scoop.’ The story keeled over and died a dusty death.
A 48 hour sports sensation that got nowhere in a hurry. But it will happen, be sure of that. It is far too exciting a financial concept to be missed. And the cricketers want it. Slogging knocks out style any day of the week.