THE 'X' FACTOR
Cricket!
Cricket is the one game that has a powerful presence in India (for many, even more than religion) and the top stars enjoy recognition and a status that people from other fields find very difficult to achieve. Ironically or maybe not so ironically, every list of influential Indians, role models or youth icons (even some celebrities) will inevitably contain names of cricketers. But isn’t such honor more often than not pyrrhic? Lime light of this nature often brings with it added responsibility that most players are unable to cope with.
Our over-the-top attitude towards achievers in sports often catalyses this. Dhoni makes one big score and Jharkhand goes wild; Yuvraj scores one blazing fifty and the press brands him as the country’s cricketing future; Sourav Ganguly’s form slumps and journalists toss him around the tip of their pen; India is within site of loosing and billing’s gate accompanied by a shower of muscle power in the form of bottles are hurled at fielders close to the boundary. Exalt at the first hint of victory and uncouth anger and vehement criticism at the first hint of failure is now a part and parcel of the game-Indian cricket’s package deal. The pendulum of popular acceptance and rejection changes swiftly- most unpredictable and often, without reason.
Almost everyone (not excluding the layman) would agree that we should be more balanced in these matters, treat players as players, dispassionately as performers and not include this with what they do outside their sport. A cricketer should be judged only on the basis of his caliber display in the field- his goal is to perform and chase excellence.
He needs to perform for his country, shed that last drop of blood(if need be) and strain every inch of his body and put in that extra bit in every performance- all for the purpose of bringing his country to the top and to take cricket forward. Scoring hundreds, taking wickets, ripping the lawn beneath your body weight to save precious runs and seeking personal milestones is undoubtedly an admirable quality; but the true test for a player lies in leaving a legacy and making a permanent mark for many more upcoming youngsters to lookup to.
Ode to a man who redefined Indian batting- Sunil Gavasker. His innate ability to stand up to any kind of pace and his technical perfection will never fail him in the memory of cricketing legends. Kapil dev brought a whole new meaning to one-day cricket and popularized it. His enthusiasm and energy (together with the reach of TV) took cricket to every corner of the country. Then came along the little master whose power play and impeccable technique along with an unflagging quench for centuries embedded in commitment set new benchmarks of batting excellence by scoring 72 international centuries.
In our cricket-mad nation, cricketers play a dual role, be it they like it or not. Which means Virender Sehwag should not only thrash Shoaib Akhtar around the ground, but also be a model citizen. The real problem is while Sehwag trains/prepares for cricket, and has lots of help, it is not the same for his life away from cricket. People expect him, and others similarly placed, to smile into every camera, sign each autograph, conduct himself with poise and dignity, say the right things to strangers, be socially responsible, support charities, shun drugs/underworld, promote HIV awareness and pay taxes.
Isn’t this asking for too much? Perhaps, but why rise a normal guy(but when he arrives at the crease, all normality and sanity take a walk) to such a level he does not belong and then shred him soon as he shows signs of not belonging there? Having your house or flat surrounded by relentless press work force waiting to get a chance to target their camera flash at you and being squarely in public glare all the time(more so with mushrooming TV channels) cricketers face this problem everyday.
Images of cricketers in the minds of the public is generally very unflattering and most grumble that they earn too much, work too very little for it, they’re too comfortably off and do too many endorsements.
In this lopsided view, it’s ignored that Tendulkar works silently for charity, that he is modest, though there is a life time of achievements for him to be immodest about, that he throws his bat around and never his weight. Likewise, Rahul Dravid is a concerned citizen, who is unfailingly correct and copy book from the word go. Others too, contribute in their own way and are never shy of supporting worthy causes.
Summing up, an ideal model player should be a package comprising of the following:
Should achieve sans the airs of it;
Should perform consistently;
Should be humble and polite;
Should be able to cope with any pressure;
Withstand stardom and social glamour;
In contemporary society, where people live in the jargon of the day, driven by commerce and competition, it is rare to find such remarkable individuals. Not denying there haven’t been any in the past but keeping pace with the advancements in social, cultural and technological facets in today’s context along with being the ‘ideal model’ player is more than just a challenge.
We must learn to respect our players as players, enjoy and celebrate their splendid skills, and not look for specious microscopic reasons to drag them down. They are very similar individuals like us excepting their innate talent that’s being put to test and use. Being unfair to them by expecting them to be something they aren’t and over-the-top reaction will not do anybody any good. At the same time, our heroes must know they have to set an example and that there is more to sport and life than merely hitting a ball.
Cricket!
Cricket is the one game that has a powerful presence in India (for many, even more than religion) and the top stars enjoy recognition and a status that people from other fields find very difficult to achieve. Ironically or maybe not so ironically, every list of influential Indians, role models or youth icons (even some celebrities) will inevitably contain names of cricketers. But isn’t such honor more often than not pyrrhic? Lime light of this nature often brings with it added responsibility that most players are unable to cope with.
Our over-the-top attitude towards achievers in sports often catalyses this. Dhoni makes one big score and Jharkhand goes wild; Yuvraj scores one blazing fifty and the press brands him as the country’s cricketing future; Sourav Ganguly’s form slumps and journalists toss him around the tip of their pen; India is within site of loosing and billing’s gate accompanied by a shower of muscle power in the form of bottles are hurled at fielders close to the boundary. Exalt at the first hint of victory and uncouth anger and vehement criticism at the first hint of failure is now a part and parcel of the game-Indian cricket’s package deal. The pendulum of popular acceptance and rejection changes swiftly- most unpredictable and often, without reason.
Almost everyone (not excluding the layman) would agree that we should be more balanced in these matters, treat players as players, dispassionately as performers and not include this with what they do outside their sport. A cricketer should be judged only on the basis of his caliber display in the field- his goal is to perform and chase excellence.
He needs to perform for his country, shed that last drop of blood(if need be) and strain every inch of his body and put in that extra bit in every performance- all for the purpose of bringing his country to the top and to take cricket forward. Scoring hundreds, taking wickets, ripping the lawn beneath your body weight to save precious runs and seeking personal milestones is undoubtedly an admirable quality; but the true test for a player lies in leaving a legacy and making a permanent mark for many more upcoming youngsters to lookup to.
Ode to a man who redefined Indian batting- Sunil Gavasker. His innate ability to stand up to any kind of pace and his technical perfection will never fail him in the memory of cricketing legends. Kapil dev brought a whole new meaning to one-day cricket and popularized it. His enthusiasm and energy (together with the reach of TV) took cricket to every corner of the country. Then came along the little master whose power play and impeccable technique along with an unflagging quench for centuries embedded in commitment set new benchmarks of batting excellence by scoring 72 international centuries.
In our cricket-mad nation, cricketers play a dual role, be it they like it or not. Which means Virender Sehwag should not only thrash Shoaib Akhtar around the ground, but also be a model citizen. The real problem is while Sehwag trains/prepares for cricket, and has lots of help, it is not the same for his life away from cricket. People expect him, and others similarly placed, to smile into every camera, sign each autograph, conduct himself with poise and dignity, say the right things to strangers, be socially responsible, support charities, shun drugs/underworld, promote HIV awareness and pay taxes.
Isn’t this asking for too much? Perhaps, but why rise a normal guy(but when he arrives at the crease, all normality and sanity take a walk) to such a level he does not belong and then shred him soon as he shows signs of not belonging there? Having your house or flat surrounded by relentless press work force waiting to get a chance to target their camera flash at you and being squarely in public glare all the time(more so with mushrooming TV channels) cricketers face this problem everyday.
Images of cricketers in the minds of the public is generally very unflattering and most grumble that they earn too much, work too very little for it, they’re too comfortably off and do too many endorsements.
In this lopsided view, it’s ignored that Tendulkar works silently for charity, that he is modest, though there is a life time of achievements for him to be immodest about, that he throws his bat around and never his weight. Likewise, Rahul Dravid is a concerned citizen, who is unfailingly correct and copy book from the word go. Others too, contribute in their own way and are never shy of supporting worthy causes.
Summing up, an ideal model player should be a package comprising of the following:
Should achieve sans the airs of it;
Should perform consistently;
Should be humble and polite;
Should be able to cope with any pressure;
Withstand stardom and social glamour;
In contemporary society, where people live in the jargon of the day, driven by commerce and competition, it is rare to find such remarkable individuals. Not denying there haven’t been any in the past but keeping pace with the advancements in social, cultural and technological facets in today’s context along with being the ‘ideal model’ player is more than just a challenge.
We must learn to respect our players as players, enjoy and celebrate their splendid skills, and not look for specious microscopic reasons to drag them down. They are very similar individuals like us excepting their innate talent that’s being put to test and use. Being unfair to them by expecting them to be something they aren’t and over-the-top reaction will not do anybody any good. At the same time, our heroes must know they have to set an example and that there is more to sport and life than merely hitting a ball.
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