From the publishers of THE HINDU Vol. 24 :: No. 40 :: Oct. 06 - 12, 2001	Home Contents
	HERE & THERE -- Amrit Mathur Column Don't trivialize cricket CRICKET is India's number one sport and as Shri Kalmadi, President IOA, repeatedly laments, we are a nation of cricket and more cricket. He feels that this mad obsession stunts the growth of Olympic disciplines and is responsible for the depressing state of Indian sport. While this view is extreme - and incorrect - there is no dispute that cricket is always in the news, it generates endless debate, fuels non-stop controversy, encourages all of us to express our opinions all the time. Yet, all this flood of words produces little of substance because the focus is on trivial things - we are obsessed with rubbish and get stuck on things that mean little. Just pause for a moment and think. India suffered shameful setbacks in Zimbabwe (a third rate Test side without any bowling) and Sri Lanka, but what happened except speculation about Ganguly's fate and Tendulkar's toe? There was intense curiosity about Sehwag's neighbours (due to his marvellous hundred), Sourav's dash to a temple in Andhra during a camp (for divine assistance) or to Meerut (for a new bat), Kumble's presentation to the Working Committee (for striking a deal with the Board) and the Dalmiya vs Muthiah Test match in Chennai. Instead of all this, shouldn't someone be addressing serious issues. Let us, for instance, talk performance, assess commitment and discover reasons to explain India's losses and the annoying inability to win. We have a foreign coach, a foreign trainer, a foreign consultant, graded payments for players and a proposal for a two division Ranji Trophy. All this is fine, but Indian cricket's balance sheet remains a big blur of red. When Barry Richards condemns top players for being unprofessional and giving less than 100%, isn't it a grave indictment? One may turn around and tell Richards to go take a walk, but the fact is this is a perception shared by an increasing number of people. The problem is we are cricket junkies not cricket lovers. We revel in statistics and furiously debate Tendulkar's exclusion from Wisden Top 100 and Gavaskar from Bradman's team, but don't worry much why Badani makes nothing abroad or Kaif appearing woefully inadequate against Dilhara Fernando. One common explanation is this is what people want, serious stuff leaves them cold. Our thirst for news about trivial things exceeds the common man's curiosity about crime, robberies, dacoities and such like. In news, what is bad is good, which is why the sensational gets priority over the sensible, the important is pushed to an insignificant corner. Sometimes, when profiles of Croft/ Tudor/ Silverwood appear in major papers it is a simple matter of laziness - reports arriving through foreign agencies are routinely sent to the sports pages. Perhaps the major reason for trivializing cricket is that the public's interest has shifted from cricket to cricketers. It sounds horrible but in many ways the players are bigger than the game, individuals count more and attention is firmly on personalities. Cricket stars have fan followings rivalling that of Hrithik Roshan and Aamir Khan, what we are witnessing is unprecedented, personalised bhakti. Cricket is not a religion, only a passion. The issue is not pure devotion but loyalty to designer labels and latest fashion - Dravid today, someone else tomorrow. Who knows it could be Deep Dasgupta tomorrow. This is not wild fantasy; cricket can convert a commoner into a celebrity in an instant, it is the fastest track to fame. For this madness, the blame lies with us. Everyone's attention is grabbed by the colas sipped by cricketers, the burgers they bite into, the shoes they choose, the jeans they wear. In this depressing atmosphere the individuals matter not the team; their performances count more than team result. Cricket takes the back seat and attempts to discuss technicalities (Sodhi's falling left shoulder during the delivery stride, Ramesh's failure to get into line, Harbhajan's problems to come to grips with the Kookaburra) are met with utter disinterest. Sourav's bad form is a hot topic of debate, but why he can't score big are not so hot. Forget it, is the standard response - Sachin's latest multi-crore endorsement ki baat karo. Realising the enormous news value of cricket trivia, TV channels bring the latest khabar straight into the drawing rooms. Special segments in the evening cover every possible angle, each move is dissected and as cricket expands into a year-round sport, compared to its seasonal character not very long ago, there is just no respite. One game rolls into another, one series merges with the next. Nobody, even the players, tragically, know whether one is coming or going. Injuries increase to the extent that one feels the Selection Committee should be replaced by a panel of medical experts. Strangely, even expert commentators play a prominent role in appealing to the lowest common interest of cricket followers. While there is some sharp insight and perceptive comment, for most part the commentary is ordinary and banal, full of remarks Geoff Boycott's mum could have made. Of course, some are superbly professional, objective and analytical, but commentary boxes are also populated by ordinary blokes who speak in jarring tones. Worse, they have their own agendas, their remarks are not unlike sponsored commentary where announcements are made deliberately with a purpose, to serve a definite end. Even when there is no apparent bias, why must experts treat viewers as imbeciles in need of basic cricket education? Instead of acting like school teachers they should behave like experts who are profound and perceptive but not offensive and obnoxious. Why strain to make a statement and sound clever all the time? Contrast this with the smooth, laid back, appropriate comments that accompany visuals from England or Australia. There is no fire there, no tearing need to release a smart statement, no attempt to create an impression. The pictures tell the story, experts add to what is on the screen but don't overwhelm the viewer. Cricket is one of India's lifeline. But we must rescue it from getting stuck in minor issues. Let us get real. Contents • Daily Sports • The Hindu • Business Line • Frontline • Home Copyrights © 2001 The Sportstar Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Sportstar.