George Orwell famously described international sport as 'war minus the shooting'. But for all Orwell's greatness as a thinker, this was one of his least felicitous lines, analogous to 'murder minus the death' or 'life minus the breathing'. — Gideon Haigh Copy Share Image
“[F]or all its reputation for conservatism, cricket in its history has demonstrated a remarkable capacity for innovation. What game has survived subjection to such extraordinary manipulations, having been prolonged to 10 days (in Durban 70 years ago), truncated to as… — Gideon Haigh Copy Share Image
“The risk is, as ever, that the hyperbole of IPL will simply smother the cricket; perhaps the members of the IPL's cheer squad should… — Gideon Haigh Copy Share Image
A Writer says: read what I have written An historian says: listen to my lecture A critic says: listen to what I think A… — Gideon Haigh Copy Share Image
“One keeps looking out for innovation in IPL, but of late it hasn't been all that obvious. Lionel Richie as an opening act? Johnny… — Gideon Haigh Copy Share Image
“The assumption now is that the interests of the brand and of the game overlap to the degree that cricket need hardly be mentioned.” — Gideon Haigh Copy Share Image
“[I]f Modi is toast, it will in one sense be a tremendous pity. In his way, he represents a third generation in cricket's governance. For a hundred years and more, cricket was run by administrators, who essentially maintained the game without going out of their way to develop it. More recently it has been run by managers, with just an… — Gideon Haigh Copy Share
“Far from marking the end of nationalism, the IPL is the ultimate triumph of that principle: a global tournament in which the same nation… — Gideon Haigh Copy Share Image
No cricketer is so dependent on the turf on which the game is played as the spinner; it can make, break, enfang or defang… — Gideon Haigh Copy Share Image
“Sambit Bal may be right that this is a scandal the IPL needed. It certainly brings fans face-to-face with the tangled reality of their amusement, based as it is on a self-seeking, self-perpetuating commercial oligarchy issued licenses to exploit cricket as they please. Whether the fans care is another matter: one of the reasons Indians have embraced economic liberalisation so… — Gideon Haigh Copy Share
“Since inception, the IPL has worn its brand value like a corroboration of inner virtue. On the eve of this tournament, under the headline 'Brand IPL touches the sky', the league's website reverberated with the announcement that Brand Finance, a branding consultancy, had valued the brand value of the IPL brand at $4.13 billion worth of brand—which is a lot… — Gideon Haigh Copy Share
“Tavaré played 30 Tests for England between 1980 and 1984, adding a final cap five years later. He filled for much of that period the role of opening batsman, even though the bulk of his first-class career was spent at Nos. 3 and 4. He was, in that sense, a typical selection in a period of chronic English indecision and… — Gideon Haigh Copy Share
“Batting, for once, in his accustomed slot at No. 3, Tavaré took his usual session to get settled, but after lunch opened out boldly. He manhandled Bruce Yardley, who'd hitherto bowled his offbreaks with impunity. He coolly asserted himself against the pace bowlers, who'd elsewhere given him such hurry. I've often hoped on behalf of cricketers, though never with such… — Gideon Haigh Copy Share
“The IPL, involving the socialist principle of a salary cap and the protectionist mechanism of quotas, is not perhaps the best example of a… — Gideon Haigh Copy Share Image
![“[F]or all its reputation for conservatism, cricket in its history has demonstrated a remarkable capacity for innovation. What game has survived subjection to such extraordinary manipulations, having been prolonged to 10 days (in Durban 70 years ago), truncated to as few as 60 balls (in Hong Kong…” quote by Gideon Haigh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/862/gideon-haigh-29769_adaptation_f-or-all-its-reputation-for-conservatism_3136623.jpg)
