IPL Cricket – The Passion Slayer

Cricket , traditionally considered to be a gentleman’s game has always brought out ungentlemanly emotions in most men and women. I have seen men swear and shout indecencies and women salivating at the sight of handsome players on the field. My earliest association with the game also invoked a very strong emotion – irritation. My brother an ardent cricket fan tried his best to draw me into the spirit of the sport with no effect; my father was stunned to know he had fathered a non-sports lover like me; my husband clearly ignored my disinterest as insanity. Though I was never (and thank god for that !) a cricket fan I definitely appreciated the passion exhibited by the millions in my country. There are people who sleep, eat and drink cricket. An India-Pakistan match , even a few years ago would be sure to clear the roads of all traffic; Offices would be half empty and the rest half would be glued to the canteen TV sets. Such passion which binds an entire nation is definitely worth enjoying. However, I would still continue to be content that I was not part of that frenzy or else I would be nursing a broken heart just like the millions out there.

Post the recent IPL spot fixing drama, you actually need to keep a count of the number of scandals this sporting event encourages every year, the Deccan Herald put up a thought provoking article by Rajdeep Sardesai (take a look at it here). While reading it I realized the pain that must be burning in the millions of cricket lovers who ache to see their favorite sport dying such an inglorious death. Where is the spirit of the so called champions who professed their love for their sport? All we get to read nowadays who is designated what position in the BCCI mantelpiece. Is that all that is left of the glorious game. Are the heroes we had idolized in our youths reduced to such desperate moolah loving slaves ? That is indeed unfortunate. The cricket Hall of Fame is choc-a-bloc with names of personalities ho have been revered and worshipped like Gods by the mortal Indian public. Do the Gods even bother to live up to the expectations of their fans. why don’t they atleast , live up to the game they had professed to love.

Once upon a time we had a sport and a sportsman; today we just have money. Gone is the sport and gone are the sportsmen who upheld the glories of the sport. IPL cricket promotes glitz, glamour, entertainment almost everything except ofcourse the one thing it should promote – the game in its truest and purest spirit.

I am not a cricket fan but I do love an honest game. Can IPL give us one in its next season… that is if there is a next season !