Cricket, when I hear that word, the first thought that enters my mind (other than anguish) is that of a old, lame Close Up tooth gel ad. Featuring Bipasha Basu(Yet to make her Bollywood debut then) and Ajay Jadeja(Yet to make his match-fixing debut then), they have an exchange of words which I haven’t been able to forget:
Bips: Do you like Cricket?
Jadeja: Cricket? Silly Game
Bips: Ek Ball aur uske piche 11 Khiladi(Translation – One ball and 11 players vying for it)
Jadeja: Aur unke piche 1100 Deewane(And 1100 crazy fans vying for the players)
My thoughts exactly!!!
I would like to clarify that I have nothing against the game or it’s players.I hold no grudge against cricket fans. I am only prejudiced against the notion of the Indian team representing the country. THIS TEAM DOES NOT REPRESENT MY COUNTRY. No matter what justification anyone give’s me, I absolutely reject this notion. It was only about 5-7 years ago that the BCCI itself had submitted a written statement to the Supreme court of India stating that the team does not represent India but the BCCI. The BCCI is a private enterprise. It is not run by the government(Which I think is actually a good thing and the primary reason for the sport’s success in India).
The team comprises of people who have made enough money to perhaps sustain financially, at least two generations of their family even after they die. I don’t have anything against that too. It is none of my business. But, they don’t represent the people of India.
India wins a match against Pakistan and the players are showered with flats and land and money by the government(Both Central and Provincial). I have only one query – What about those soldiers and officers who are fighting the Pakistani army every single day at the front? Cricket fans and News channels are audacious enough to classify every cricket match between India and Pakistan as a WAR!!! Big words, but is that war? The proxy war that has been ongoing in Kashmir for decades, that’s WAR!!!.
If the cricketers can be presented with such Lavish gifts of appreciation at the cost of the Taxpayer’s money and if even a single Indian soldier is left without enough money to live a comfortable life, I am sorry to say but we have failed them and ourselves.
