Value the effort

Cricket rage is here again. Tomorrow is a trial date. Greater part of some people’s happiness depends on our team winning the World Cup. If one match is lost, one catch is dropped, one wicket is gone or the opposition scores well, it is like a death toll. They whinge, curse and abuse the players and the game.

Sure, we are all happy when our guys play well. But remember that every person or team has ‘good’ days as well as ‘bad’ ones. Let us learn to cherish their effort rather than bicker about how badly they have played.

Cricket is neither our national game nor one of our traditional sports. We inherited the game through colonial rule. Millions of youngsters all over the country dream of playing for the national team today. Only one in a million actually make it through. It had become a craze which surpasses other leisure activities and sports.

In India, cricket is much more than just a game. It is a passion and obsession which equal religion – and madness! We watch in horror when fans tear down posters and set them on fire just because their team is on the brink of losing the game. Once regarded and worshiped as demigods, these 11 individuals later turn foes. Fans ransack homes of the cricketers and public demonstrations are held by adorning the players’ photos with laurels made of slippers. Yet these same fans roll out the red carpet and offer poojas at temples for their idols when they are on a winning streak.

What hypocrisy! What shame! Do Gods bless them or mock them for such behaviour?

In Sri Lanka the trend seems to be catching on. It is dismaying to see some of the youngsters following a similar pattern. Let us look at things this way. Behind every ball bowled, every stroke played and every ball they chase there is some effort.

Sometimes things turn as expected. Sometimes it doesn’t. Do not let your blood boil with anger or lose sleep over what happened.

Would you feel happier to see us make it through to the final or if we had not even scraped into the quarter-finals? It is a glory to win the cup but what will happen if the winners lose the next series? Winners are expected to retain their title or they will be labeled as ‘flagging heroes’. Many would question their World Cup victory, attributing it to ‘luck’. A proverb relates that a beggar is happier than a King because a beggar has nothing to lose while a King has to retain his crown and kingdom. This can also be attributed to the teams.

Anticipation brings excitement and keeps you at the edge on your seat. That is why a nail-biting game is talked about at length than a mere walk in the park. People wait on tenterhooks to watch a game between the ‘titans’ than those between a strong team and a debutant.

Though there are moments when underdogs emerge, the tension is not as electrifying as those between the former.

So value the effort. There can only be one winner in the end. It is a mixture of many aspects like talent, dedication and luck.

In the end, may the best team win!

Shehara

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