So, it has all ended up like this. With one month to go in the World Cup, the Indian team is back home. Uncountably infinite articles and blog posts have discussed, despaired, contemplated and ranted about how the unimaginable has come to pass. Of course, this is only the beginning of the madness.
I missed the Bangladesh match but watched all of the deciding Sri Lanka fixture. Without getting into the messy details, my feeling about was lacking in the Indian outfit - team spirit. This was almost the same team that played so well in 2003, but back then it looked like a close-knit, cohesive unit. This time around, all the controversies over captaincy, confusion in team composition, division over the coach's methods, aging stars, non-performing stars, all combined to make the team lesser than the sum of its components.
Personally, apart from feeling a bit flat that India is out of the world cup so soon, I don't care for all the criticism heaped on the players. Sure, there are issues to be addressed, most crucially to ensure our cricket does not fall behind, failing to adapt to changes in the game (and go the way of Indian hockey), but I only feel sad for the players who must surely be hurting more than everyone else. All the outrage on display by "fans" has nothing to with cricket or sport. My smug take on this is that life is mind-numbingly boring most of the time and being out of the world cup deprives us of the distractions we crave - entertainment, adrenaline rushes and vicarious feelings of euphoria.
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3 comments:
rajaesh pattem said.
I fully agree with you to the extent that what might have gone into the minds of the players like Tendulkar, Dhoni etc. surely it might have deeply pained them for their poor performance like the common cricket lovers. However, I feel that big companies should not engage them for their advertisements and give crores of rupees which may distract them from their professional commitment.
@Pravesh: Hota hai dost, hota hai :). Remember, there might be others who feel they deserved to be in those hostels more than us. But then, such is life.
@Daddy: Hmm...there is no evidence that the huge endorsements cause players to become distracted. I would argue that there are many other, more plausible reasons for why the team is struggling. But then, what do I know? :)
For the sake of Cricket, I wish there just one other game that India played at a similar level. Hockey used to be close but not any more...
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