CrIcKeT.......or something else??

Hue and cry over India’s shameful exit from World Cup continues, with news channel and newpapers exhibiting shows and columns like “cricket pe kalank”, “11 fissadi” “sabse bada fissadi kaun”. All of a sudden the world of cricketing stars seems to have fallen upside down, from an almost god status to being projected as a good for nothing fellow, burden on country might be a huge distance when seen logically. But when it comes to we Indians, it hardly takes a few seconds. While we talk about being consistent on field, are we consistent off the field. Just before the match starts, Sachin is greatest player of all times, and if he fails to deliver, he becomes a burden? If this is the kind of consistency our media has, then our cricketers are far better off than them.

The whole game plan of media seems to exploit the emotions of larger public and further add to wounds for longer business. When it was the beginning, they had celebrity shows talking about possibilities of India winning the world cup which were all gung-ho about India. I happened to see one such show in which famous astrologer Bejan Daruwala was predicting “glorious” future of anil kumble, robin uttappa, and saw India cruising to atleast semifinals. While we all know what happened to anil kumble, robin uttappa, and India ofcourse, let me also remind you the “junta activities”. Sachin chalisa, hawans were order of the day, which even got prime time air time on prominent news channels.

And see how consistent we are in our jobs, be it politics, police, judiciary, bureaucracy, education system, social sector or anything. If it is not inherent for Indians to be consistent in any of these, why should our team bear the burden of it. Just because ICC gains 80% of its revenue from Indian cricket team, does make it mandatory for the other guys to loose. Professionalism and work ethics are something which is a way of living for someone coming from Australia or England, but not so for Indians. Consistency and integrity is more prominent in western culture rather than our since for most of the issues in this country I have always seen double standards from key figures of nation, and of course the junta follows. Be it grave issues of babri demolition, priyadarshini mattoo murder case, or even basic issues of poverty, food, sanitation, we have a stark set of inconsistency in our nation. And sometimes I feel the frustration of all this, is covered up by the joy and ecstatic feeling cricket gives to our nation, the only consistent game played right from jammu to kanyakumari on each road and park of country. And thus our cricketers feel the vent of all joy, as well as frustration. I think the only way we can achieve consistency and good performance is to start doing the same in whatever professions we are rather than expecting it from the cricketers.