The Pusuit of Basics 2: Let it be game please!!

Right after few hours, the whole nation and other part of world will be in the grip of cricket between most expected rival-cum-neighbor teams - India v/s Pakistan. After all this is the semi-final match of ICC Cricket World Cup 2011. Both the teams which are going to test their prowess and fortune at Mohali Cricket stadium have been the epitome of war-like game completely dipped in the nationalistic fervor. And this makes such rare occasion in the most awaited moment where everybody wants to cash out such a once in blue moon chance. Cricket fans are trying no stone unturned to be the part of this match to cheer their players at any cost and paying up to 5 figure for mere a ticket of 250/. Everyone from all possible walks of life has reserved their precious time for this match keeping aside all the possible work for tomorrow and so on. Most companies has announced half day for their employees. No body wants to miss out this match. Wow!!!

All things seem so good, and the cricket crazy nation is fully enamored, praying, fasting, special worshiping (hawan) for the Indian team. Beat the Pak Dhoni ke Jiyalo! Me, too, wish for Indian victory. But what has kept me disturbing for last few days, the invitation of our Prime Minister to Pakistani counterpart to watch the cricket with him at Mohali on Indian soil. And with no surprise he has accepted it ‘cordially’. Now the cricket as a game becomes the cricket diplomacy. Cricket diplomacy -to use the cricket pitch to improve the age old rivalry, misunderstanding and meliorate the harsh relation between India and Pakistan- would hardly work for the political leaders, diplomats, and policy makers who have been constantly responsible for making the situation worse occasionally. Pacts, summits, diplomatic dialogue, secretariat-level discussion…..what all these had brought…nothing but more intricacies…. So what these genius holy-cow of political corridors want to prove by a game, or players who are no doubt playing good and fulfill their duties. As I earlier stated in my previous post “Do We Do Our Best”- This time we can say how best our political leaders are as compare to players like Sachin, who is simplifying the cricket shot after shot and not making it complicated. Situation surely has been different if these holy cows of political and diplomatic arena acted responsibly much before to their best. And they then, need not to look for a cricket match as a lever to push their stigma for next level.

Why this has been constantly repeating, while knowing that such ‘goodwill gestures’ are hardly of any help to solve out the complexities created by the hard core political leaders and diplomats? We all know that there is an unparallel hype, frenzy and craziness being created by the crazy-cricket lovers, and media; so why unnecessarily put extra pressure and tension on players by such ‘cricket diplomacy’?

Now this high profile watch-out has created an additional layer of match ’prediction’ after fixer (bookie), and ICC ‘arrangement’ which is evidently pro-corporation. And for me the first one concern is quiet enough to kill the game adventure rather than second and third. Because second one seems to acceptable which hardly has nothing to do with match decision, while third and last one has design so meticulously and neatly that it is hard to extrapolate how it can affect the results and whose favor.

Simple this game that has expectedly become the virtual fortress guarded by Special Weapons and Tactics team (SWT), NSG commandos, SPG, local police & private security men along with anti-aircraft guns placed at strategic locations around the stadium is no longer a game but a diplomatic ‘playground’ for political honchos.

I wish, despite of India’s heavy-side (as per previous WC stats as India won all the match played between India and Pakistan 4-0), staggering betting turnover of 6,000 crore (earlier was only 2,600 crore a per media reports), and ‘irresponsible’ statements-cum-warning by Pakistani Interior minister Rehman Malik that MATCH SHOULD WIN BY MEN IN BLUE after a solid testing of formidable Indian batting line up against a penetrative Pakistani bowling attack BUT NOT AS GIFT OF ‘CRICKET DIPLOMACY’!!!