It’s been a disgusting day and only threatens to get worse. If you really like your cricket, then I am sure you’ll have been as sick as I have been watching news flashes all day.
Dhoni bought for highest – Chennai 6 Cr. Hayden bought for 2 Cr. Kumble base price – 1 Cr highest bid – 2 Cr. Preity Zinta’s Mohali bought Kumara Sangakkara for 1.8 Cr. Need I say more? I have grown up watching some of these icons. I wouldn’t even dream of referring to their cricket cards (the small postcard thingies you get as freebies) in such a derogatory manner and here you have newshounds making them sound like brothel pick-ups. I very nearly parted with my lunch when I read the news flash on Kumble and Gilchrist.
What’s the point of this? Are we supposed to be impressed with the monies involved? Are we supposed to get orgasmic about the oh-so-marvellous union of Bollywood and Cricket? Perhaps we should all cheer the EPL clone for the game of cricket. I suppose there is a population that is applauding this appalling auction of some of the finest cricketing talent of this century - a bid n win game on cricketing legends.
As somewhat of a traditionalist I am quaking at what it will do for the game. To me a Gilchrist or a Hayden will remain an Australian and I am not going to enjoy watching them don a Chennai or Bangalore cap. So much of watching cricket is culture. To me, each of these nations has its bearing, way of playing, attitude all of which is integral to the functioning and game of that individual nation. Perhaps this will become as legendary as EPL (English Premiere League), but I for one am not holding my breath. I am hoping this is some bizarre nightmare that I’ll hopefully be jolted out of.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Sunday, February 17, 2008
A poor sport
They keep saying that cricket is a rich sport. Look at the amounts of money involved. Look at the number of sponsors. Look at the celebrities. Look at the earnings of the top players.
Aye, whatever the sport lacks, it's not money.
There are a few things that it will miss in the coming days, though. Things that all the money in the world cannot buy.
It will miss the sight of the only Aussie who walks when he is out, and whose batting was the closest thing to Flashdance on the crease. It will miss the tall man in the black cap whose cover driving would have inspired Browning and Wordsworth to poetic excesses, and whose captaincy would have won him a place in most teams. It will miss perhaps the greatest all-rounder the world has seen since Ian Botham and definitely one of the greatest bowlers of modern times.
Cricket may have the bucks. But it will shortly lose Messrs Gilchrist, Fleming and Pollock.
And it will be all the poorer for that.
Aye, whatever the sport lacks, it's not money.
There are a few things that it will miss in the coming days, though. Things that all the money in the world cannot buy.
It will miss the sight of the only Aussie who walks when he is out, and whose batting was the closest thing to Flashdance on the crease. It will miss the tall man in the black cap whose cover driving would have inspired Browning and Wordsworth to poetic excesses, and whose captaincy would have won him a place in most teams. It will miss perhaps the greatest all-rounder the world has seen since Ian Botham and definitely one of the greatest bowlers of modern times.
Cricket may have the bucks. But it will shortly lose Messrs Gilchrist, Fleming and Pollock.
And it will be all the poorer for that.
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