When it comes to sport, though the taste differs between one person and the other, die majority of them, especially in India, love cricket. I am 110 exceptions. I am a cricket lover too, but there ends all similarities.
However, of late cricket has become so commercial. The cricketers are over paid while die players playing the other games are not only underpaid, but also they could not gain popularity. Hockey is our so-called national game. Now the values of cricket are swallowing up all other sports in India.
It is unfortunate! Recently by the middle of April 2009, Indian hockey team has won die world cup by beating Malaysia in the final. But how many of us paid attention to it? Can any one of us spell at least one name of the Indian hockey team players? It is a disgrace, isn’t it?
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Coming back to cricket, it is shocking that cricket kills cricket! ODI and IPL Twenty 20 matches have killed its own Test matches! Now die concept of cricket is, hit die ball hard, grab as many runs as you can, no matter even if you play cross- bat shots and earn! Gone that term that Cricket is a gentleman’s game!
Every ball is to be played according to its merit, but it is ignored nowadays. More over, it is felt that winning either by hook or by crook has become the general concept. There are only a few stroke and stylish players, whose game will be very impressive to watch.
My uncle tells me that Glenn Turner, former skipper of New Zealand was a very stylish batsman. And so was Barry Richards of South Africa.
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In India we have Rahul Dravid, a perfect stroke player who treats every ball according to its merit. But the sad thing is that he is underutilized, while Sachin is treated with velvet gloves.
Another drawback with our cricketer is the lack of devotion to the game. Our boys should read the autobiographies of world famous cricketers. For example, John Snow, the former pace bowler of England (a bank official) used to visit his farm house during week ends and chop off woods with an axe.
This was to enable him to develop muscles and wings. It indeed helped him project die ball still faster by 10 kms speed! (See “Cricker Rebel” by John Snow).
Now, how many of our Indian pace men dedicate themselves? The moment they pick up a few wickets and become popular, they fly sky high, make more money by acting in commercials, hit the bottles and team up with the washed up Hindi movie actresses, who always looks for such players! This is a fateful situation here in India. It will never change!