Gentleman's Game a TV Sop
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 ecently while playing the game of cricket with my kids aged 3 and 7, it suddenly struck my mind that how this sport has become a common man’s game in our country. Even today go to the remotest of the remote villages in our country you will certainly find a set of boys busy in running between the wickets, some chasing or throwing the ball, some boys having a good fight for their turn etc. For the children and the younger lot a game of cricket once or twice a day was like a ritual.The history of cricket dates back to 16th century with first International test beginning in 1877.In our country this game has started its journey with the commencement of rule of East India Company. As rightly portrayed in the movie called LAGAN, Indians, who took up this game became so adept in this, within no time we became the member of the elite group of cricket playing nations comprising of England ,South Africa, New Zealand and West Indies in June1932. India recorded its first victory in International cricket in 1952, beating England by an innings in Madras. It was the magic of our players only that in 1983 we won the world cup under the captainship of ‘Kapil Dev’, striking a thunderbolt over those who have ruled us for decades together. The era of 80’s could be termed as the golden era of Indian Cricket as the players were the performers and the game changers.Every player was the master of his own art. Be that Sunil Gavaskar, Lala Amarnath, BS Bedi, Kapil Dev and many others. It was this club which put the magic spell of cricket over the entire nation. It became so popular that it held the passion of rich and poor, young and old, men and women all together at its peak. So much was the obsession of this game that the veiled lady with her access from farm to home would tell you about her favourite cricket star or at least the captain of our cricket team. Earlier the main tournament used to be the World Cup which was played once in 5 years. Not only the players but the whole nation used to gear up their schedules and plans just to view and applaud each over, each ball, each hit coming out from the bats of their team and cheer up for the nation on their every win whether in front of the TV or in the stadium. So much so people in rural areas used to assemble at market places or even carry radio sets along to their work places to listen the live commentary. In fact the level of patriotism of an individual was gauged by his general knowledge about this game. Even today, cricket and cricketers have attained the status of demigods. Sachin, Dhoni, Yuvraj and the whole new lot are our youth icons. Every time we win some tournament or the series the whole nation blossoms in pride. BCCI (Board of cricket club of India) manages the cricket in India and is one of the richest boards of the world. To attain this rank our cricketers have toiled a lot and for this hats off to their talent and calibre. But now this game has taken a different turn and that too in the wrong direction. From 2007 onwards commercialisation has put its gallows over this game in such a way that today it is being treated more like TV sops and less a gentle man’s game, with its own setoff director’s producers and financers already chalked out. Players are busy playing for their own TRP rather than for the nation, Team spirit is vanishing. Today it has lost the sheen of gentle man’s game, with every Tom Dick and Harry putting their hand in this business. Sanctity as well as popularity of this game is declining day by day. Earlier there used to be limited tournaments throughout the year and every one used to be glued to their radio and TV sets but now every day is the cricket day. The consistency of the players has dropped to such an extent that now it is difficult even to remember their names. The tournaments like IPL and T20 have brought in lot of money in the game but at the same time it has taken away the ethics and the morality of this game. Today match fixing has become the order of the day. Now no player plays for the country but for the money they get. In IPL some of the popular foreign players are auctioned and put in different teams with our domestic players to play in both national and international arena. The prise money for IPL has gone up to the figure of $3 million. So many crickets is being played that players become too much exhausted to put in their best when really required. To add the glamour quotient to this game one may have pretty and powerful people like that of Mrs Nita Ambani or actors like Sharukh, Preity, Shilpa and other business tycoons like Vijay Mallya who are there not to do any good to this game but are surely good to earn fast bucks by any means. Let these people stick to their own jobs rather than de-shaping this wonderful game. Good cricket is missing, each ball bowled, each run played, each match is pre-decided in such tournaments, Batting pitch has now become a betting pitch. It has become the transaction of billions of dollars. Even our money rich politicians like Dr. Farooq, Sharad Pawar, Rajiv Shukla and A Jatli who are hardly exposed to this game are trying to pull its reins in their own direction. The truth is always bitter, both to listen and to swallow, the bitter truth about Indian cricket remains that original taste of Cricket has gone completely out of the air. As every game of cricket has been reduced to an instrument of match fixing; now, hardly any one seems to experience that past thrill and exultation, while watching any game of cricket. The matches played between India and Pak would send chill down the spine of its viewers and every one would wait and watch nail biting finish of these nations but now that charm is lost. It no longer attracts and lures the youth as much as it used to. The kind of passion zeal and sportsmanship in this game has lost so is the interest real sports person. No doubt the popularity of cricket has soared to great heights within the short period but due to the meaningless tournaments like IPL and T20 etc this game will soon join the club of the games like Kabadi, Kho-Kho, and Volleyball etc, which have now been obliterated by the pernicious gallows of time. Let this game remain as pure and pious as the Ganges of this country and let the players stand against all those who are trying to make a business out of it. After all true sportsmanship is saluted by one and all and for all times to come. |
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 *Rajesh T Bhatt (freelancer), a Kashmir valley resident from Anantnag, Education: Post graduate in computer Science, working with Telecom sector for last 8 years. Father retired from defence services. Presently living in Delhi with his family. |
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