It is the last ball of the innings and the Chennai Super kings needed one run from one ball, the entire nation is on the edge of their seat! My neighbour, Seeta aunty has totaly fogotten about the milk pot that has been placed on the burning stove... Raju has agreed to sideline his studies for upcoming exams (apparently tommorow) to "catch the action live" on Set Max... Runs in Irfan Pathan and ... there is a wicket! No wait! There are three wickets! One - The boiling milk has decided to celebrate the wicket and has "jumped" out of the bowl, Two - Seeta aunty has been run out as she was unsucessful to save the milk, and Three - Raju...well he has been clean bowled as he has not prepared for the exams tommorow!
"Arey Dikara! Yeh toh unki galti hain, they should know what to prioritize!" - Parsi Bawa. (I remember him once carrying a large placcard into Brabourne stadium that read - "If Cricket is religion, Sachin is God") Today he delivers Gyan on how without Tendulkar this country would loose identity (he till date donot have any clue of what was the Simla Pact or even what are the two capitals of Maharashtra!)
How many of us watch cricket? Well, according to statistics (just made up) around 68.35% of the total population in India (who are able to think) know what cricket is and the rules of the game. After studing a bit of human pschyology, all I understood is, we as living beings are very attracted to things where we can do better and often our hidden desires are manifested in the social behaviour. Both are applicable to cricket :P Hmmmm, quiet a theory! But if you ask me, I watch cricket for entertainment. For me cricket or any sport is a source of entertainment. Just like few people who are addicted to Kyunki Saas bhi.. or Balika Vadhu or even the stupidest Alif Laila, some are addicted to sports like cricket, football, tennis, etc.
Getting back according to the theory Theodre Levitt, hopefully you would know him, (principle of Marketing Myopia (refer Harvard Business Review: Levitt, T. (1960). "Marketing Myopia") The principle activity of sports or TV serials is largely to entertain. So technically speaking there is no difference between Rakhi Sawants Syayumwar or India playing against Pakistan. "Abey Shaney! National pride ka sawal hain!" - Koney ki Dukaan wala Peter. National Pride? WTF! (Lady readers, please excuse my language here) Where is National pride when India lost to Pakistan in Hockey a few weeks back? Or where is National pride when Kasab is given the utmost security (more than the PM himself). And BTW, Peter has already applied for Dubai Jobs through one of the Kerala agencies offices. So certainly, it is a lame excuse. And if it were really a National pride issue taken so seriously, we would have atleast managed to grab more worldcups.
Agree, cricket is a great entertainer. But be fair, let the status for cricket be cricket. Donot make it bigger than it ideally should be. For players, cricket is a profession. They are being paid for what they do. They cannot be greater than any other person who works in a late night call centre even when he / she is not well gaining the confidence of his overseas counterparts to get more businesses here. Players are humans, not Gods. Or why would Mhd. Azharuddin be banned for his humanely unethical behaviour, or Tendulkar be banned for ball tampering. I would not be suprised, if someday, I see Sehwag selling Parachute Narial Tel to women, or Tendulkar endorsing Whisper! This is why they principally play to make money via entertainment of crowds. Watch cricket for entertainment. If you feel that it signifies National Pride, then I am not sure how the super abuses used on feild (captured on the camers) helps us build it, or our diresome losses in world cups glorifies it.
I am waiting for a day, when Kasab will be auctioned in the IPL auction. I am waiting for a day, when cricketing will be considered a religion in the constitution of India, I am waiting for a day when Tendulkar will get a sainthood, for a day when Hockey is banned in India. Because if Cricket is Entertainment, Tendulkar is Rakhi Sawant! - Poora Paisa Wasool!
