the wonderful world of veena.

15 April 2011

cheerleaders in cricket.

My entire life growing up there was one constant in cricket - no cheerleaders.  There wasn't a need for them: tests and one-day matches are too slow-moving; cheerleaders would spend more time sitting around than jumping up and down and screaming.

But now, with the inclusion of 20-over matches into the game, cheerleaders suddenly seem to be everywhere.  The first time I saw them at a match was during the T20 Championships in 2007, and I was shocked.  Cricket is usually such a staid [read: occasionally boring, even I admit] sport that to suddenly have girls jumping around half-naked cheering for fours, sixes and wickets was a bit strange.

I know it is entirely a marketing strategy, as is the entire 20-over format, really.  The inclusion of the 20-over game into cricket is a gimmick to appeal to a wider fan base; people who find the longer formats too long and boring tend to get sucked into this much shorter version with its pageantry, pomp, and - yes - dancing girls.

After the popularity of the new format skyrocketed when India won that initial T20 Championship, the IPL [Indian Premier League] was born.  Eight teams playing a round-robin format with the top four teams advancing to the semifinals.  It was a chance for players from different countries to play together in the shortest form of the game, and it was also a chance to showcase up-and-coming Indian talent.  And of course, there were cheerleaders.  But the interesting part was this: they weren't using Indians.  All but one team [Chennai Super Kings] imported their cheerleaders from abroad, particularly from the US.  Vijay Mallya, owner of United Breweries and our very own Royal Challengers Bangalore, hired the Washington Redskins girls to be the cheerleaders for Bangalore in the inaugural edition back in 2008.

The fourth edition of the IPL is now underway, and I have to be honest: even after 3 years, the sight of cheerleaders in a cricket venue is still weird to me.  To suddenly have these girls jump up on stage and prance about when someone hits a six still makes me do a double-take.  They make appearances at parties and even star in the team videos to attract new fans.  And of course they do.  Do you know how many people will go to these matches to see the cheerleaders?  It's a bit depressing, really.

I know they're going to be around for the duration now, but I can honestly say I don't think this is something I'm going to get used to.  For me, cheerleaders and cricket just don't mix.
xx

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