Much has been spoken about Cricket, its commercialization, its glamour quotient and on and on...
I simply want to say this, even with all the critique and analysis-paralysis Cricket remains the most popular game in India...and that is a fact.
I do not know why we always have to make the lives of the people who are doing or have done so much for the country so miserable all the time. India loves cricket...that is not Cricket's fault. We adore the cricketers like film stars ..that again is not the game's fault..businesses want to leverage cricketers' image to sell their products...that as well...is not the game's fault. In fact, cricket is the only game, India as a nation, could ever make an impact on at the global level...so why should we not love this sport and its practitioners?
It makes me proud to say that we are a cricketing nation. I equally celebrate our achievements in other disciplines of sport too but when was the last time India was counted as a force to reckon with in any other sports? One can argue about the achievements in sports like Badminton, Tennis, Chess, Boxing, Shooting, Weightlifting and so on...but apart from a few mighty talented and committed individuals...could it be said that India is a boxing powerhouse or a nation of shooters or talent pool of shuttlers? No...and is that Cricket's fault?....Hell No!!!
One can also say that these games have not got enough exposure and sponsorship from the government, industry and blah blah blah...I agree...but is that Cricket's problem...again no! We know that a promising kid in the school, a promising player, a promising everything attracts everyone's attention and resource. Everyone wants to bet on a wining horse...so what's the big deal if we showered ours on Cricket..and what's even better..it delivered on its promise!!...so why a criticism now?
Every body loves a winner...but even more than that...everyone adores a dark horse that could have been a winner. The stories of hardships and struggles touch everyone's heart...and this is precisely the reason why India loves to hate Cricket and the Cricketers. Cricket always becomes the one born with a silver spoon...while the other sports become the step brothers/sisters who have been deliberately under-provided for. Some really unfit and mediocre talents in other sports (For instance tennis, badminton, hockey, gymnastics and I can go on and on) have been hailed as the real sportsperson while the guys who bring in the trophies after trophies and smash world records in Cricket get scorned because they also happen to get paid Crores in salary and endorsements.
My arguement to the above is that business is selfish...if the likes of Sania or Saina or Bhupathy or Leander or Abhinav Bindra can get the kind of fan following...then why would they not get endorsements? To get to that they will first need to beat cricket and cricketer's in its achievements...which looks like a long way from home...at least at this juncture.
Curiously this happens only in India....I don't think that a Tiger Woods has ever been hated for being the richest sportsperson ever in his peak times or for that matter...the new found love of the Indian Youth - football and footballers ever get criticized for being the bad boys and making the kind of money they make!! Them, we will hail and even celebrate proudly by buying a super expensive 2K - 3K t-shirt of a football team or a football star and think of ourselves and Uber Kool.
We can't digest our own superstars but show-off others proudly...now this hypocrisy can happen only in India...and guess what this is not Cricket's fault people. Let other sports really make a mark at global arena and let the real superstars rise and shine then I am sure we will find a reason to love and hate other sports as well...till then don't ask us to drool over mediocrity and endorse people who's sole claim to fame is reaching to some round in Wimbledon or finishing an F1 race or somehow making to the Olympic finals and making a mockery of the nation when competing with top teams. A case in point is our beloved hockey team yielding goals in wholesale to the so called other smaller nations or our wrestlers tasting the mat from the hands of a tiny nation as Uzbekistan or Kirghyztan...see the Olympics or Asian Games or Commonwealth games and the realization will dawn on us...that we are at best mediocre in the rest of the sports..but that is no reason to hate what you're good at.
If you don't like cricket and the cricketers, then shut your TV sets during the matches...don't keep a cricket score app on your phone...don't have a cricinfo running on the background...don't leave from office early to catch India-Pak matches...and don't idolize the cricketers....just don't...don't be another hypocritic India fan.
Until then be happy that Cricket gives you that only chance....to burst fire-crackers once in awhile beyond Diwali...throng the roads in celebrations...beyond a forced festive procession or political rally...be happy that it gives you a reason to smile...to celebrate...and to be proud!!
I simply want to say this, even with all the critique and analysis-paralysis Cricket remains the most popular game in India...and that is a fact.
I do not know why we always have to make the lives of the people who are doing or have done so much for the country so miserable all the time. India loves cricket...that is not Cricket's fault. We adore the cricketers like film stars ..that again is not the game's fault..businesses want to leverage cricketers' image to sell their products...that as well...is not the game's fault. In fact, cricket is the only game, India as a nation, could ever make an impact on at the global level...so why should we not love this sport and its practitioners?
It makes me proud to say that we are a cricketing nation. I equally celebrate our achievements in other disciplines of sport too but when was the last time India was counted as a force to reckon with in any other sports? One can argue about the achievements in sports like Badminton, Tennis, Chess, Boxing, Shooting, Weightlifting and so on...but apart from a few mighty talented and committed individuals...could it be said that India is a boxing powerhouse or a nation of shooters or talent pool of shuttlers? No...and is that Cricket's fault?....Hell No!!!
One can also say that these games have not got enough exposure and sponsorship from the government, industry and blah blah blah...I agree...but is that Cricket's problem...again no! We know that a promising kid in the school, a promising player, a promising everything attracts everyone's attention and resource. Everyone wants to bet on a wining horse...so what's the big deal if we showered ours on Cricket..and what's even better..it delivered on its promise!!...so why a criticism now?
Every body loves a winner...but even more than that...everyone adores a dark horse that could have been a winner. The stories of hardships and struggles touch everyone's heart...and this is precisely the reason why India loves to hate Cricket and the Cricketers. Cricket always becomes the one born with a silver spoon...while the other sports become the step brothers/sisters who have been deliberately under-provided for. Some really unfit and mediocre talents in other sports (For instance tennis, badminton, hockey, gymnastics and I can go on and on) have been hailed as the real sportsperson while the guys who bring in the trophies after trophies and smash world records in Cricket get scorned because they also happen to get paid Crores in salary and endorsements.
My arguement to the above is that business is selfish...if the likes of Sania or Saina or Bhupathy or Leander or Abhinav Bindra can get the kind of fan following...then why would they not get endorsements? To get to that they will first need to beat cricket and cricketer's in its achievements...which looks like a long way from home...at least at this juncture.
Curiously this happens only in India....I don't think that a Tiger Woods has ever been hated for being the richest sportsperson ever in his peak times or for that matter...the new found love of the Indian Youth - football and footballers ever get criticized for being the bad boys and making the kind of money they make!! Them, we will hail and even celebrate proudly by buying a super expensive 2K - 3K t-shirt of a football team or a football star and think of ourselves and Uber Kool.
We can't digest our own superstars but show-off others proudly...now this hypocrisy can happen only in India...and guess what this is not Cricket's fault people. Let other sports really make a mark at global arena and let the real superstars rise and shine then I am sure we will find a reason to love and hate other sports as well...till then don't ask us to drool over mediocrity and endorse people who's sole claim to fame is reaching to some round in Wimbledon or finishing an F1 race or somehow making to the Olympic finals and making a mockery of the nation when competing with top teams. A case in point is our beloved hockey team yielding goals in wholesale to the so called other smaller nations or our wrestlers tasting the mat from the hands of a tiny nation as Uzbekistan or Kirghyztan...see the Olympics or Asian Games or Commonwealth games and the realization will dawn on us...that we are at best mediocre in the rest of the sports..but that is no reason to hate what you're good at.
If you don't like cricket and the cricketers, then shut your TV sets during the matches...don't keep a cricket score app on your phone...don't have a cricinfo running on the background...don't leave from office early to catch India-Pak matches...and don't idolize the cricketers....just don't...don't be another hypocritic India fan.
Until then be happy that Cricket gives you that only chance....to burst fire-crackers once in awhile beyond Diwali...throng the roads in celebrations...beyond a forced festive procession or political rally...be happy that it gives you a reason to smile...to celebrate...and to be proud!!
