Cricket conjures images of passion, adrenalin pumping and heartbeats racing, spontaneous joy and enthusiasm, packed stadiums and exuberant crowds dancing in a frenzy of delight !For someone who has lived many years in Calcutta, I have seen the true spirit of the game , the zeal with which spectators watch the game ...if you happen to be near Eden Gardens when there is a match going on...you can almost feel the whole atmosphere reverberate with cheers coming from inside the stadium!
But I have often wondered what is it that has taken cricket from being only a sport to becoming a cult , a religion and the players demi-gods who are revered by the masses ...their every action talked about almost like a national agenda! Maybe what India lacks are role models for kids and youth to look up to and idolise ! Only Bollywood and cricket seems to have the hype and glamour associated with it ...and hence the passion associated with both these means of entertainment !
But coming to the Indian team...well, I am a great follower of cricket and an ardent Indian supporter but their performance does talk a lot about their commitment to the game and the country . It pains me to say that they do not live up to the expectations...they play terribly in outside turf and I am quite skeptic about how they will fare in the World Cup . I know , I have raised quite a few hackles by now ...some of you may be miffed , some agitated ...but maybe some will agree with me !
Yes, one cant always win . Yes, one cannot always be on form ...but yes, one can give their best , one can show commitment, the spirit, the challenge , the killer instinct ...I believe if the players can actually absorb the kind of fervent prayers, wishes that Indian fans bestow on them...they would be moved!It is us who have made the game and them popular ...so they should at least be consistent in their game ...instead of collapsing like a pack of cards ! In this country of over a billion people , with so many zealous cricket lovers ...cant we produce 11 cricketers with nerves of steel and the required skill !
What do we lack that the Australians and the South Africans have...not adulation, not skill, not money, not technology ...where is that weak link ? Is it that we forgive and forget too soon...are the wins highlighted and blown out of proportion and the losses quickly shifted to the back of the mind ??The cricketers are earning in millions ...what with endorsements and ads and product launches and sponsorships and ...match fees..! So cant they do the bare minimum ...and perform to their best !
Does the fault lies in the adulation , the praise we shower on them ? Is it the demi-god status that bothers them and hampers their play ? Is it the lack of privacy they hate ?
I know cricket is a game of skill...and what matters is the performance on that D-Day ...but I have also understood that cricket is also a game of the mind ...a game of confidence and attitude ..a game of leadership and showing others the way ...a game of team spirit and bonding ...and if you have lost the game in the mind , you can never win the match ...even if 11 Sachins are there in the team!
So , before the World Cup starts...I only hope that the Indian team spends some time on introspection and on analysing their mindset and their commitment to the game ! Otherwise God help them and the millions who waste their day ...their emotions on a game , that is no loner just a game !