Be it on the field or off it, for years controversy has dogged Indian cricket. Developments with potential for generating sensation have got all the attention. So much so that proof hasn’t been a priority when dragging names of players through the mud.
At some point every cricketer, even the greats, have had their sincerity and integrity questioned. Issues like ego clashes, miscalculations and deflected blame have always grabbed headlines, but ultimately cricket prevailed.
The fans know it, without cricket India isn’t complete. It’s the game, which unites everyone. It’s the game, which touches your heart in some way or the other and no one can deny this.
There are those who continue to raise questions on the polarity of the game by saying that cricket is gradually losing its shine. In reality, if that is a fact, cricket will not make so many headlines, it will not be discussed in every nook and corner of this country.
As the saying goes that no one kicks a dead horse and, in a similar way, cricket is the most cherished pastime of Indians after Bollywood. Even political parties don’t have that kind of readership or viewership that cricket does.
So, instead of defaming the game and its performers, let’s maintain some balance in our judgements. We can’t be bowled over by what is shown to us without substance. It’s not easy playing this game at the highest level and staying true to the value system attached to it.
The best way to explain how tough it is to play the game is summed up by what one of the experts had to say, “This country may have produced millions of doctors and engineers, but only a handful of them have played cricket for their country.”
It’s truly a rare feat to have played even one Test match for your country because it’s a combination of hard work, dedication and luck which make a cricketer of high repute. It takes years to reach that level and they never put the real value of the sport at stake.
A true sportsman will never do it. So, stop undermining cricket and don’t come under the influence of misleading piece of news. They aren’t credible enough.
