20-20 American import: CPI

Gurudas Dasgupta called the IPL tournament the 'tabloid version' of cricket that has reduced it to gambling.

Is the 20-20 version of cricket an idea borrowed from the US? At least, this is the belief of CPI MP Gurudas Dasgupta, who raised the matter in Lok Sabha today alleging that the “tabloid version” of cricket had reduced the game to “gambling”.

Apparently referring to the ongoing IPL series, Dasgupta said this version of cricket was being played only for money.

Claiming that Rs 4,000 crore were being spent on the series, he asked the government to find the source of the funds and questioned whether “gambling and betting” should be allowed in the game.

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He said India was “borrowing ideas from the US” by conducting the 20-20 cricket series. Speaker Somnath Chatterjee was not impressed by Dasgupta’s argument, pointing out that cricket is not played in the US.

Some BJP members were also seen taking a dig at him but the CPI leader went on, saying that the idea had been borrowed from the US besides the UK and Australia.

“Eight teams have been franchised and players purchased,” he said, adding the game earlier played by greats like Don Bradman is being “taken over” by industrial houses and “wine merchants”.