Deja Vous: So near and yet so far -The End of India’s World Cup Campaign

At the start of the ICC World Cup, Indian cricket fans were extremely skeptical of India’s world cup chances as they had been badly thrashed by Australia in the Test and One Day series. We knew that it would be virtually impossible back then and most of us were happy when we thrashed Pakistan in the first match. But then Team India did a complete U-Turn à la Modi Sarkar and started winning one match after another – including against strong cricketing teams like South Africa and the West Indies. And then they raised the hopes of even the non-cricket lovers and it was as if were at war against the other nations. Yes, many people who told me that they would not be following the cricket world cup as they hated the game watched the entire semi-final in which Australia trashed us badly.

These folks declared that Virat Kohli was the villain of the piece for dropping a sitter and then making just 1 run in 13 deliveries. There were dirty abuses hurled at Anuskha Sharma, the Bollywood Superstar, for just being present at the ground. They didn’t bother to ask why Raina didn’t bowl in the Australian innings, why Dhawan and Rohit Sharma frittered away a perfect start, why Raina did not fire and why no batsman except Dhoni could stand up to the might of the Aussie pace attack. Because they had their villains – Kohli and Anushka, and they need not look any further.

Yes, the memory of these folks is short. It was Kohli who had been the most consistent batsman in the 2011 world cup which we had won. It was Kohli who had single-handledly taken on the Aussies the whole summer. It was Kohli who has been declared our batsman in the past few years. The expectations were high and Kohli failed to deliver. That was all. Let us not blame Anushka for it. Mistakes happen, especially against the Aussies who have probably the best side in the world and are playing with home advantages. They knew the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) well. They have the fastest bowlers in the world in Starc and Johnson, who were deadly accurate as well. They had eight proper batsmen in their lineup.

It was Deja Vous for India. It was a replay of that awful 2003 world cup final. Australia batted first the too and had made a few runs more, and our best batsman, Sachin Tendulkar, got our cheaply at the start. The pressure got to both Indian teams in a big world cup match . And now it’s time to enjoy the finals with the Kiwis possibly getting clobbered tomorrow. That’s my prediction. What is yours?

The IPL and Kerry Packer’s Circus

The IPL is in the doldrums. And most of the fans actually appear shocked. The outsiders always had an inkling that something was going to happen. Rumours of match-fixing and spot-fixing had been doing the rounds for the past couple of years. And now with the arrest of three players, charges against top cricket administrators and even a leading international umpire, it appears that the rot has set in deep. And now the same people who screamed hoarse with excitement over the “wonderful” turn of events in several IPL matches, have turned skeptics overnight and become the worst critics of this annual cricketing event.

But we need to put things first in perspective. Who were the biggest fans of the IPL – the ones who thronged the stadiums and watched every ball of these “tamasha” matches? Most of them were not true cricket fans. They would not be able to tell you basic cricketing facts like what’s a “reverse swing” or the difference between an ‘in-swing” and the “out swing.” It is a “sixer or wicket” group who were mostly attracted by the colourful clothing, pretty girls and big money of the IPL. And with an estimated 40,000 crores of rupees spent on betting each year, it’s a wonder that half the teams are not involved in spot fixing and match fixing.

The saga of the IPL takes us down memory lane to the late 1970s when the first “tamasha” matches appeared on the international cricketing horizon. Kerry Packer’s circus, as it was called, tore at the roots of traditional cricket and made it attractive to the new generation. Cricket became faster, more attractive, more unconventional and more professional – with the emergence of big money, better photography and cutting edge television broadcasting. Spectators thronged to watch the World Series Cricket played by the leading international cricketers. But the cricket establishment banned these players from playing for their countries because they joined the reformer, Kerry Packer.

Rewind to 2013 and the IPL. The cricket establishment is now organizing and encouraging what it once abhorred. In fact, IPL was once organized by the BCCI just before a T20 world cup, a couple of years ago, so that the fatigue ruined all chances of an Indian victory. That’s money before cricket for you.

And now for the cure... Legalise betting and use the revenue to lift the burden of millions of honest tax paying individuals. Don’t treat cricketers like criminals – since almost everyone is corrupt (despite what the ‘aam admi” hypocrites tell you). If you put all those who indulge in corruption behind bars - government officials and ministers, lawyers and judges, religious men and their leaders, social activists, police and businessmen, etc – India will become a lonely country! Then watch the IPL like you watch the WWF – you know it’s fixed but you still enjoy the action!