Is cricket becoming more like football?

[The Oracle]

In terms of the money in the game?

Sri Lanka's players, following a dispute with their board over a tour of England in 2009 clashing with the lucrative IPL, will be allowed to put the IPL ahead of the England tour:

http://content-uk.cricinfo.com/srilanka/content/current/story/360568.html

Now, I can understand the players point of view. In the IPL they can gain financial rewards previously undreamed of.

But: In football we see players being 'bought' and 'sold' for their 'services' for ridiculous amounts of money. In fact, some of the figures are downright obscene.

Is cricket going the same way?

[Hook]

It will take a long time to reach the same obscene pay awards that footballers recieve but yes I expect 10 years down the road the pay will be the same.

[gking92]

It should be the ultimate honour to play for your country. Anyone who wants to put the IPL before this is just greedy. I understand why they would want to do this, but I do not think it is the right choice.

And I hope cricket does not go the same way as football, for the sake of the test match which I think would cease to exist if cricket goes the same way as football.

[raj]

....not soon...

[One In a Million]

Yes, cricket is becoming a lot more like Football with the IPL around. Footballers are known to care about money only and soon it will be the same with the cricketers!! Look at David Beckham for example, he went to LA Galaxy because of the money!! It looks like to me that the players will do anything for money even not play for their own country!!

[just me]

Sadly nowadays money is taking a huge part of sport. Sports are now being played for money. In the good old days port was played for fun but now there is a different reason... $money$. Sportsman didn't even get that much money from sport back then but now it's a different story. Cricket now means money. Take for example the IPL. First the players were bought, some exceeding $1,000,000 USD. Then they were the winning prizes. The first prize was $1,200,000 USD then for the runner-up it was $600,000 USD and so on and so forth.
Now Sport = $ and we can't change it. Cricket like every other sport is becoming or has become like football.

[crickpet]

no,it is taking a differant shape. Cricketers are going to play for money not for the country

[vatsal_koolkid]

no i dont think so

[??CJ?? ?å????wã]

Yes, after the IPL introduction, the franchises & stuff has quite made an impact over the game because as you gave the example of Sri Lanka, players are in dispute with their cricket board over the issue & telling them to delay the Enland tour. So yeah thats right.

[Nishant Agrawal]

it will take many years for cricket to become like football.