On the Other Side of Cricket

By Rajadhyax

Cricket is not just a game! It is an integral element of Indian national consciousness and no amount of finger pointing by non-cricketing forces can alter that fact. It is a sport that binds us. It’s one human effort that brings spontaneous cheer or sigh from over a billion mouths on the subcontinent. It is played from the corners of Daryaganj to the Maidans of Mumbai and from nani gallis of Porbandar to the sprawling plains of Assam.

The heated arguments after India loses in cricket and the celebrations after its victories are memories that make legends.

As a result it is excruciatingly painful, than infuriating, when players and fans of other sports hold cricket responsible for the poor state of some of those sports in India. In a direct insult of millions of our countrymen who love cricket, these people display an appalling lack of clarity of ground realities. Perhaps they also react under the sheer force of envy. Hardly do they notice what an English proverb rightly says, “Envy shoots at others and wounds itself”.

By miles cricket is the most famous game in India – though we refuse to formally acknowledge it as our national sport. That very fact spreads envy and hence the hate-mail. That cricket warms the hearts of billions has very little to do with the reversals in other sports.

To understand this lets chart out for a moment the reasons behind the rise of cricket in India. Firstly, it is basic human tendency to adore victories rather than failures. Where the Indian hockey team, for instance, fails to even qualify for big events, cricketers frequently bring home the trophies – and this has been going on for quite a while now. Beating Aussies, New Zealanders and Sri Lankans in their backyards in ODIs, T20 World Cup, Junior World Cup, victories against Pakistan, England are just some recent examples. Naturally, triumphs attract attention, adulation and make cricket, as well as cricketers, rather popular.

Simple economics then brings in sponsorships and endorsements and the oft-debated finances of players. If we were to achieve something close to this in, say, gymnastics, surely it would get its due too. Now, in all of this it is kudos to cricketers who are doing nothing to play spoilsports for other events. In fact, I have seen cricketers promote others sports!

Secondly, cricket is blessed with a professionally managed governing body – the BCCI – that focuses development of the game more than cloak-dagger politics and pointless bickering. They fund state bodies, run academies, permit former players’ involvement in administration, encourage systematic selection of teams, finance infrastructure, organise matches and push the game further through national media. If, say, the top body of athletics cannot do so, cricket is not to be blamed for it.

Cricket is a tremendous spectator-sport that lends itself to pyrotechnics and big TV shows. There is always the expectation of nail biting finishes. Then there are diving catches, searing fast balls, turning leg breaks, exquisite cover drives, blasting pull shots, big sixes, smart run outs, stumpings, verbal duels and the works. You get to see athleticism taken to new heights.

So cricket is not merely ball hitting ball. The more you know the game, the more engrossing it gets. There are on-field and off-field tactics; psycho babble; bowlers out witting batsmen, batsmen in turn reading bowlers’ minds. It’s virtually a psychological warfare out there where you have to play under a hot sun and get everything right over and over again.

All of this pulls in viewership. Sadly, the same cannot be said of some other sports. So you still can’t blame cricket for their debacle. This is a sport that has withstood the test of time and weathered storms like Kerry Packer Circus, Jardine’s bodyline, match fixing allegations, libel suits and betting scandals. You have to respect a sport like that.

The other sports are much more advised to look inwards to find the reasoning behind their poor TRPs and lack of public support. Their bad showing could have more to do with their coaching standards, lack of equipment, apathetic governing associations, excess political interferences, inability to attract TV viewers and so on.

Remember, everything is competitive these days. If kids are getting glued to cricket, it only means that others have to compete with cricket and bring home accolades. Whimpering that cricket gulps down major young talent could just be a case of sour grapes. Everyone from V.Anand to P.T.Usha need to note what Frank Tyqer has already said – “You can’t be envious and happy at the same time”.