I have no issue with Pritha Sarkar's balanced and factual article on the fanatisism sorrounding cricket in the sub-continent.
Please allow me to give you a different perspective on cricket and the immense harm that it has done to Indian sports in general.
There was a time prior to 1947, that only 6 nations played cricket at the 'test match' level. They were UK, Australia, New Zealand, W. Indies, S. Africa and India. Notice, it was played by Britain and its colonies.
Today, out of around 200 nations, about a dozen nations play it at the test match (and/or World cup) level.
Cricket is like religion in India today - it is a cricket-mad nation, with all its scarce sports resources thrown into a 'sport' of dubious value.
Consider these facts:
1. Cricket originated in the UK, whereby physically unfit and idle gents of the upper classes engaged in this pastime (I prefer to NOT call it a sport).
2. Cricket is not even the most popular 'sport' even in the nation of its origin. Neither is it the most popular in Australia, the current champions. In both these nations it is a fourth strung 'sport' after soccer, rugby and field hockey.
3. India dominated field hockey until 1964 and was a world force to reckon with in soccer until 1956.
4. India's cricket team performs pathetically while playing overseas. The stats bear this out with rare exceptions.
Why did cricket become the most popular 'sport' in India?
My theory is that the upper castes in India took it on because it did not involve body contact. Since the higher castes had (and still has) most political and bureaucratic power, this stupid pastime called cricket has been shamelessly promoted at the expense of all other real sports - soccer, hockey, track & field, gymnastics, aquatic sports etc. etc. India will never get an Olympic gold medal unless it sheds this anachronistic colonial legacy called cricket.
The well-deserved thrashing that India received at the hands of Bangladesh and Sri Lanka should be a wake-up call to abandon this stupid pastime called cricket.
I think George Bernard Shaw once said that cricket is a game played by 22 fools and watched by 22,000 (ere pardon me, one billion) bigger fools.
