The amount of advertising on TV during cricket matches is shameful. The situation is not likely to improve until ICC takes a leaf from FIFA and sets ad standards for cricket telecast.

To begin with, a few simple guidelines must be enforced rightaway:
1) No two advertising slots should be closer (to each other) than 4 minutes. This will ensure that the stupid ads are not repeatedly seen in the following scenarios:
a) A wicket falls on the 4th or 5th delivery (ads come up again at the end of the over). b) Wickets fall in consecutive deliveries (or a W-Dot-W sequence etc) c) When spinners are operating at both ends etc.

2) No advertising during brief stoppages of play during: replacement of ball, batsman adjusting his gear, fielder requesting helmet, a bowler remarking his run-up in the middle of the over, sight-screen being adjusted etc. The telecast coverage during these incidents is actually interesting to the viewer

3) Ads must be cut in only after the over has COMPLETELY ENDED (and the ball is dead) and the scoreboard is being shown. During recent events especially during world cup 2007, the telecast managers most blatantly did not wait for the commentrators cue at the end of the over to cut in the ads. Ads were thrust on the viewers even BEFORE the ball was completely fielded and the score updated and shown. This is a new disease which was not pervalent earlier. All pretense towards class, standards and quality has been thrown to the winds and abandoned in the sole pursuit of ad revenue.

4) No scrolling pop-up style banner ads should be permitted at the top (or bottom or sides etc.). During this world cup many a time including the semi-finals and the finals the batsmans head was cut-off (obscured) by these ads at the moment of playing the shot. Such is the shabby nature of coverage, my friends.

5) No teaser (extremely short duration) ads should be allowed. During the DLF cup sometime ago every ad slot started and ended with an extremely short ad for Dyna Soap (Dyna, Be like a lady…the allusion was to Lady Diana and her death) with two longer duration ads thrown in between. It was so repetitive that it became downright sick after some time. All ads must be prescreened for suitability and should be such that they blend with the telecast in terms of tone and content and do not jar the viewer (Admen would obviously not agree with this..)

Anywhere else in the world (both cricket and other sports) the telecast managers would find it difficult to be in business with the current standard of coverage. The viewing public would ensure that. Standard setters would have wisely set the standards at a (very) high level ahead of the fact (and not after the fact). Technically, of course the cricket telecast (during actual play, i.e. when the batsman is playing the shot, run-out replays etc.) is excellent but the overall experience for the viewer is downright shoddy.

One adhoc solution is to put the TV on mute and listen to the radio commentary in conjunction with the telecast where possible. I wish someone would develop an ad stripping chip which could be fit on the TV.

In fact in some indirect way, this fundamental lack of desire for quality in ALL aspects is resposible for India’s poor showing in Cricket of late and sports in general.

Sudarshan Lakvalli
-slakvalli@yahoo.com

Of course there are times when even stores are bought over by Pepsi or Coke – giving them freebies like a refrigerator, racks or more such items. In which case there is no multiple choice – JUST ONE PEPSI OR COKE.

And why these companies advertise so much – Every kid in town knows that by now – YAAR brand re-call is chaiye …warna people will forget us. Well, let’s see who remembers what this world cup!

Cheers!