CRICKKET’S MADNESS.
“THERE ARE TWO TEAMS OUT THERE BUT ONLY ONE TEAM IS PLAYING CRICKET,” said one of the top batsmen (Dom Bradman?) of Australia about 70 years back when the great Dom Bradman was hurt by the bouncer-like bowling of Englishmen Larwood. That was during one of the tests between the host country Australia and the Englsih visitors led by their skipper Jardine. Bodyline bowling was the newest finding at that time, fine tuned into perfection by the fast bowler of England, Larwood. The pace and bouncer of this bowling used by ferocious Larwood was so speedy and fearful that all the topmost and seasoned batsmen of Australia including Bradman had to lie low out of fear for their bodies and return to the pavilion empty handed. Some of them were bodily hurt by the fury of this bowling of Larwood who inculcated fear into the minds and bodies of the Australian batsmen. After finishing the match where England came out triumphantly off the field while the host bruised, one of the top batsmen of Australia uttered the above quoted words. That was the series called Bodyline Bowling series.
Australians were so much angered by this mishap in the test cricket history and their surrendering to Larwood, that the whole nation of Australia rose against England in unison and even demanded to severe the diplomatic relations with England. Even top Government officials, ranking figures and even Cabinet Ministers also echoed in chorus. So much so, Foreign Office of Australia also wrote to Downing Street expressing the anguish and dislike of their people against England created by Larwood’s Bodyline Bowling. However, in usual manner, the British policy maintained its cool and replied back expressing its sorrow over the incidents took place at the Cricket Maidan due to Larwood’s Bodyline bowling but supported the decision of its skipper Jardine to handle the situation on the field and also supported its team management in whatever decision they took in the good interest of the game.
This was the furore the game of Cricket could create in Australia because Cricket is like the staple diet of Australians in general. So much so, because of his fearful bowling Larwood became like a downcast not only in Australia but also in other parts of the cricketing world. His name became synonym with “Devil” and even mothers started putting their small children to sleep fast by uttering the name of Larwood saying “go, go to sleep otherwise Larwood will come and take you away” exactly during the invasion period of Kuwait some mothers used to put their small children to sleep in the name of Devilish Iraqi President Saddam Hussain.
Now, in the recently concluded Test between Australia and India, Indian captain Anil Kumble uttered somewhat similar words when he said “Only one team was playing in the spirit of the game, that’s all I can say”. I am sure Anil Kumble must have read well cricket history and did his inventory of historical events well regarding cricket. Everybody accused the Umpires especially Steve Bucknor for giving wrong decisions against India. In India there was furore in some States where cricket is passion. In all over India it is not a very popular game but surely it gives you more remuneration than any other game played in India. Because of its monetary benefits Cricket is gaining momentum and drawing attention of major section of Indians. The furore in some selected pockets in India turned out to be such that street demonstrations against Umpires were taken, donkeys were named after Bucknor and Australia’s image in India was given a slur. Indian Prime Minister was informed and asked to intervene but the highly educated and highly intellectual Premier of India Dr. Manmohan Singh maintained his cool and remarked that there is in India an appropriate body to handle this issue and this Apex Cricketing Body in India will handle this matter. In this way Dr. Singh imitated the British policy during Bodyline Bowling fiasco to cool the rising tempers of Indians. It is sheer foolishness to raise one's tmper so high just because of one Cricket Test. Are people in India so mad to accept the defeat even though it was not deserving? Is the game of Crciket everything for us to take our life so seriously?
Not only Cricket but for that matter no sporting event and no sporting item and game should be an instrument for the creation of discord amongst us especially between the competing teams. No doubt every team and every competitor wants to win not only for the sake of reward but there is sheer pleasure in winning the game. It is very human in human beings to come out victorious but in the current situation especially when we are so advanced in so many ways compared to our elders to take sporting defeats so seriously is very silly. Besides, not to accept the decisions of the Referees sportingly even though these decisions are wrong is not correct. We have to be real civilized. Cricket looks like lost its former charm when it was called the game of gentlemen. For Harbachan Singh to call Symonds a “Monkey” is his stupidity though he and others have denied saying so but not the Australians and for that matter not by Symonds himself. Good that Symonds kept silent, if he was to be the Frenchman Zidane in the last Soccer World Cup, Symonds the meat eater would have head-butted the puny wheat eater Harbachan and Harbachan in turn would go down flat on the floor.
Because of so many wrong decisions of the Referees, some of the best teams lost their games in the Soccer World Cups. Referees are very human and their ways of looking the events and supervise the games is totally different. Their ways of interpreting the laws of the game are different from others. That does not mean their decisions are always right. Most of the problems on and off the field occurred because of the wrong decisions of the Referees but what one can do at that moment? At that moment his decisionis final and it is like that of a dictator. See, because of questionable decision in 1966 World Cup, Germany lost the final at Wembley against the host England. The crucial goal that England scored was questionable and still it is debated. The ball first hit the inside part of the bar and rebounded down. German goalkeeper and other officials said the rebounded ball did not hit inside the goal but referee said yes. It was a questionable decision but it cost dearly for Germany and yet Germany came out of the field gracefully accepting the defeat and Referees decision sportingly. Compared to the World Cup Final , Cricket Test Match is nothing in all respects.
Another incident of Referees questionable decision in 1986 World Cup at Mexico when the great midfield soccer maestro scored one of his two goals – the first one – thru his hand. He said it was not his hand but the hand of God that scored that goal. Referee could not make out clearly whether Maradona used his head, shoulder or head but he counted out the theory of Maradona using his hand and thus gave in for the goal. Because of this questionable decision, England suffered an ugly defeat. And yet England came out of the field after the match like heroes even congratulating Maradona for his magical display of soccer artistry. They did not go for the neck of the Referee. Who is responsible for all these defeats and mishaps on the playing field? Referees? Umpires? Is there any way to abolish these types of mistakes committed by the Referees and Umpires? But surely there is a way to lessen its effect by accepting the decisions of the Umpires sportingly and play and play the game for the sake of playing to entertain us and all the followers of the games.
Let Cricket still remain the game of gentlemen and not the game of fools. Because of Cricket we should not burn our houses and cut the diplomatic relations with other countries. Let us try to be little mature to face the adverse decisions. By accepting such decisions and defeats heaven would not fall. After all Cricket is played and followed by a few countries and a few people only in the world. It is not the game of Soccer which is followed by the entire world.
A. Veronica Fernandes,
Kuwait.
