It is a Gentleman's Sport

My dear brethren of a divided sub-continent,

The day that we have been waiting for with bated breath is finally inching closer. While some have planned to figuratively gorge on seafood on Tuesday and conveniently send in a quiet note of regret the next morning, others have called in IOUs to ensure that they are party to the hype that is one of the biggest challenges in the limited sporting histories of our respective countries.

The problem with hype is that there is often a mob mentality associated with it. When bar one, all others are screaming of it will be an epic final before the impending regulation final, the contrarian view is often drowned in the din. And few can make a din and create a ruckus than those from the sub continent. Given that I am not one of the select few who hold such a view, we shall not walk down that road.

What the game offers is more than a place in the final to compete with Sri Lanka. The game, a semi-final match-up between arch-rivals India and Pakistan in the Cricket World cup, represents the first time in nearly three years that the two teams will battle it out on a non-neutral venue. The history is long and fraught with acrimony. There is the historical and political past of a painful partition following the British Raj. There are the multiple wars the two countries have fought. There are the allegations and counter-allegations of terrorism from either side. There is the support for an Azad Kashmir in Pakistan on one hand and the role that India played in the creation of Bangladesh on the other. There is the bus diplomacy, the train diplomacy, the hockey diplomacy and now the cricket diplomacy. And not much to show in tangible terms for all that diplomacy.

In sports, the countries have competed against each other primarily in two sports: Field Hockey and Cricket. The rivalry has been legendary and those amongst the diaspora would know how difficult it is to find a parallel to explain it to those dimwits who believe that cricket is all about those annoying insects who rear their ugly head at twilight.

The two teams do offer a lot of commonality. Both teams may be considered mercurial, with talent and flair exhibited in copious abundance. Both have a strong fan following of fanatics; who amidst all the hate do have a grudging respect for the opposition. Both teams also have devout fans that are as volatile as they are fanatic. They exhibit a rare sense of schizophrenia, equally worshipping and despising one God and several demi-gods. Scenes of both joyous celebrations and irate annoyance are not uncommon with the language on the plaques and the state of the effigies dependent on what the dices may have rolled.

With an attempt by the Indian regime to reluctantly return to the discussion table, much has been made of the political and strategic importance of the game. With a rivalry arguably comparable to none in the sport, the game may not betray the fact that it is in fact a semi-final to an ignoramus bystander. In all of the ensuing brouhaha, the game of cricket may have been shouted out. Yes, it is a game. And no, it is not just another game.

I decided to pen my thoughts when I read the following words "It’s only a game." While I understood where the person was coming from, and I agreed with the need to tone down some of the jingoism and the discussions, which have been replete with hate, try telling that it is merely a game to Tendulkar, who despite a multitude of attempts, has not been able to replicate the glory of the Prudential Cup for his country. The whole country may hold him on a high pedestal, skipping a beat when there is an LBW or caught out appeal against him. It may bestow upon him the sobriquet of "God." Given that he is playing his last World Cup, the lack of glory would be a scar that would forever remain a blot on his otherwise illustrious career. Try telling it to Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the Captain of Team India, who carries the hopes and aspirations of millions of people on his broad shoulders. Check with Shahid Afridi on the reception he fears if his team were to surrender to the Indians like Governor General Manuel Vassalo Silva did in Goa. Or speak of a dropped catch to Kamran Akmal and see a shiver visibly run down his spine.

Agreed, this is not just another game. However, it is a game. A game of cricket, which will have a winner. Sadly, as with most things in life, there will be a competitor who will follow the leader across the finishing line. It would not mean that he is any less a champion than the winner or that he devoted anything less than his very best effort into the battle. It would mean that on that day, his rival was the better player. So spare a thought for the player. He who loses will feel he has let down the hopes and aspirations of his family. Recall, the scenes in Eden Gardens on that fateful day when Vinod Kambli’s tears were forever etched into the minds of the cricketing aficionados. While I do not know whether it was the defeat, the crowd trouble or his clairvoyance of the end of his career that induced Kambli’s reaction, I do believe that our cricketers deserve better than how we treat them in the face of defeat. Yes, they may peddle a motorbike one too many, but stop a moment and think whether you wouldn’t mind raking in that extra bit of moolah given the opportunity.

And so, my dear brethren of a divided sub-continent, I respectfully request you that irrespective of the outcome of the game, please do not burn effigies of the players. Please do not protest outside their houses. Please do not hound their families. They have proudly represented their country and performed to the best of their abilities. We do live in a cynical world. A dropped catch, a silly run-out, a lost game and the world cries hoarse from the top of the roof of some funny business. Yes, there has been funny business in the past and there may be some in the future. Some may be in works today. But, if you believe that there is funny business in the game, you should do yourselves a service and not watch the game. There are better things to be entertained by.

If your team loses, man up and take one on the chin. Don’t cry foul, don’t let your disappointment get the better of you. Be honorable and classy in both the joys of victory and the jaws of defeat. It is a sport, there will be a winner and consequently a loser. Finally, it is a gentleman’s game, let’s be respectful. To the winner, to the game, to the players and to the country. Be it Pakistan or India.

May the best team win.