The passion of the fans is
the biggest strength of cricket in the sub-continent - but it is also its
weakness, particularly in case of India and Pakistan. Sri Lankan fans are
far more stoic about their team's fortunes and far more accepting of failure,
whereas in Bangladesh they are grateful for every little or big victory,
be that of the team or individual. But in India and Pakistan, the passion
borders on frenzy.
In India it is brazenly and
cynically fueled by an increasingly sensationalist and populist mass media,
which treats cricket as one of the biggest baits to attract advertisers.
Instead of providing perspective and being the voice of reason, the media
feeds the frenzy and cashes in on it. Stars are built up and decimated.
Exaggerated glorification is matched by proportionate vilification.
So
cricketers are either to be worshipped or denigrated. There isn't a middle
ground, a measure of reality, or a sense of proportion.
Nationalism is the bedrock
of cricket. But you can't call yourself a true fan if the sight of 18-year
old Tamim Iqbal charging down pitch to belt Indian quick bowlers brought
you no thrill. Yes, India played below themselves, but every cricket match
has a winner. To be unable to comprehend, and appreciate, this runs against
the spirit of the game.
Yes, India not making past
the first round would be a huge setback. But it would be accorded the status
of a national calamity. It will be discussed in Parliament. Television
channels will conduct inquests. Effigies will be burnt, cricketers' homes
will be attacked, and these will be gleefully publicized. A couple of months
ago, Greg Chappell was slapped on the back by a man in Bhubaneswar seeking
his fifteen seconds of fame. He was obliged. It could get worse. Someone
could get killed.
Perhaps someone has already been killed
.
As an Indian, I would like
India to win the World Cup. But it might not be such a bad thing for cricket
if they were to be knocked out in the first round. Cricket needs a reality
check. It has an unhealthy, and unsustainable, business model that relies
primarily on an increasingly delusional and one-dimensional fan-base. The
bubble has to burst for a semblance of sanity to be restored. We must learn
to once again enjoy cricket as a game.
Sambit Bal - editor of Cricinfo and
Cricinfo Magazine
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