The cricket crazy nation!
The title is self-explanatory, isn't it? We belong to this nation! Cricket is the festival here and the cricketers, God! Funny, but true.
This blog of mine come up as I came across an article comparing the then and now captains of the team. I found it absolutely absurd. How can we compare two different persons, two different teams of two different times?
The game of cricket is such deep rooted in our veins that even if we do not like it, we cannot really pass by a TV where the live score is flashing! Or can we? No. We, well most of my generation, have literally grown up with the craze for this game. We hardly played any other sport. Live match means we used to be glued to our television sets. This, every single day!
I was such a fanatic that I once even asked my headmistress to declare a holiday because India was there playing the quarter finals! That was way back, maybe in March, 1996! Good old days.
We loved the game. We cherished the victories of the team and mourned the defeats. The cricket fever grips the nation here. But then the phase of fixing came in. We, the spectators quite oblivious of the fixing, would keep shouting for the team! But, we kept losing. Later when the match fixing cases came forward, it was like a blow to almost all of the cricket lovers in the country. Many like me lost interest in the game. But, we did keep ourselves updated always. How could we break all ties, after all!
Then our games saw a different uproar. The Royal Bengal Tiger leading from the front. He drived the team ferociously! He instilled the urge to succeed. He showed his aggression and the team followed. No, we didn't win any world cup under his captaincy but he did his homework well
Then came in another gentleman. He took over as a very capable one. He was young, energetic and with the urge to defeat anyone on his way. And so he did. We saw Team India winning the world cup in 2011!
Comparisons with his predecessors and discussions about his strategy was taking a toll on the game and the team. This came admist all the speculations and allegations of what the captain did, what could had been done, etcetra etcetra.
And now when a young gun took over the leadership, we compare again! Why? Ain't it enough for us that whosoever captains the team, we are winning? Isn't the main agenda winning? Why should we be divided over things like "Oh, he was a better captain!" "Oh, he did it for the nation!". For heaven's sake, let's cut that crap. Everyone who captains along with each and every member of the team, is representing the nation. There is no super human there. No God. Let's not move away from the final agenda.
Also, how can we become so personal in this? "Oh, he played for the country when his wife was delivering a child" and all such sympathetic head lines! The men who died fighting the enemy at the borders, also had a family. Maybe he too had his wife at the municipality hospital trying to get a bed to deliver her child! Maybe his aged father was trying to arrange some food for his family. Maybe his mother was working in the fields. Maybe...maybe...
Ain't these army men doing it for us? Or only the cricket victory is for us? Ain't the lieutenant leading his battalion a real hero or only the captain of the cricket team? These defence personal are actually doing it for the nation. And how many defence men have you seen advertising for a bike or a deo? Cricketers are getting paid, enough. So let's not be overprotecting them. If we think as such, I sympathize our sick mentality. Only God can save our country in that case.
Forget the bigger subjects like the army, even in cricket it's not a one man team. There are 11+ players. And all have their roles to play. Each and every one of them is a hero. So why give credit only to the captain. Can only the captain perform if his team doesn't? Tendulkar started playing the game since '84? He didn't face any difficulties? Was his path to success a cake walk? Or Prasad? Was he born a multi millionaire and played just for time pass? No. They all made their ways. They all faced pitfalls. They all have inspiring stories to tell. So let's not give extra adulation to the ones who are blowing their own trumpets!
When at all this kind of foolish comparison come up, I cannot but laugh. Ignore the topic and move on.
This blog of mine come up as I came across an article comparing the then and now captains of the team. I found it absolutely absurd. How can we compare two different persons, two different teams of two different times?
The game of cricket is such deep rooted in our veins that even if we do not like it, we cannot really pass by a TV where the live score is flashing! Or can we? No. We, well most of my generation, have literally grown up with the craze for this game. We hardly played any other sport. Live match means we used to be glued to our television sets. This, every single day!
I was such a fanatic that I once even asked my headmistress to declare a holiday because India was there playing the quarter finals! That was way back, maybe in March, 1996! Good old days.
We loved the game. We cherished the victories of the team and mourned the defeats. The cricket fever grips the nation here. But then the phase of fixing came in. We, the spectators quite oblivious of the fixing, would keep shouting for the team! But, we kept losing. Later when the match fixing cases came forward, it was like a blow to almost all of the cricket lovers in the country. Many like me lost interest in the game. But, we did keep ourselves updated always. How could we break all ties, after all!
Then our games saw a different uproar. The Royal Bengal Tiger leading from the front. He drived the team ferociously! He instilled the urge to succeed. He showed his aggression and the team followed. No, we didn't win any world cup under his captaincy but he did his homework well
Then came in another gentleman. He took over as a very capable one. He was young, energetic and with the urge to defeat anyone on his way. And so he did. We saw Team India winning the world cup in 2011!
Comparisons with his predecessors and discussions about his strategy was taking a toll on the game and the team. This came admist all the speculations and allegations of what the captain did, what could had been done, etcetra etcetra.
And now when a young gun took over the leadership, we compare again! Why? Ain't it enough for us that whosoever captains the team, we are winning? Isn't the main agenda winning? Why should we be divided over things like "Oh, he was a better captain!" "Oh, he did it for the nation!". For heaven's sake, let's cut that crap. Everyone who captains along with each and every member of the team, is representing the nation. There is no super human there. No God. Let's not move away from the final agenda.
Also, how can we become so personal in this? "Oh, he played for the country when his wife was delivering a child" and all such sympathetic head lines! The men who died fighting the enemy at the borders, also had a family. Maybe he too had his wife at the municipality hospital trying to get a bed to deliver her child! Maybe his aged father was trying to arrange some food for his family. Maybe his mother was working in the fields. Maybe...maybe...
Ain't these army men doing it for us? Or only the cricket victory is for us? Ain't the lieutenant leading his battalion a real hero or only the captain of the cricket team? These defence personal are actually doing it for the nation. And how many defence men have you seen advertising for a bike or a deo? Cricketers are getting paid, enough. So let's not be overprotecting them. If we think as such, I sympathize our sick mentality. Only God can save our country in that case.
Forget the bigger subjects like the army, even in cricket it's not a one man team. There are 11+ players. And all have their roles to play. Each and every one of them is a hero. So why give credit only to the captain. Can only the captain perform if his team doesn't? Tendulkar started playing the game since '84? He didn't face any difficulties? Was his path to success a cake walk? Or Prasad? Was he born a multi millionaire and played just for time pass? No. They all made their ways. They all faced pitfalls. They all have inspiring stories to tell. So let's not give extra adulation to the ones who are blowing their own trumpets!
When at all this kind of foolish comparison come up, I cannot but laugh. Ignore the topic and move on.
Comments
Post a Comment