Wednesday, May 14, 2014

Indian Cricket Fans Cannot Keep Calm


Indians cannot keep calm when it comes to cricket.

We treat our cricketers like God or Crap. If you bring out your best in that crucial game, yes -you become god. If in the next game, you go out on duck or give out too many runs, expect dung bombs and rotten eggs/ tomatoes awaiting you on arrival at your homeland.

Many incidents prove this. I personally know a person who tore all the glossy posters of her cricketing heroes she had collected over the years, after a particularly dismal performance from them.



She took this extreme step after watching the semi-final match of the 1996 Wills Cricket World Cup on 13th March 1996 on television. Chasing Sri Lanka's innings of 251 for 8, India had slumped to 120 for 8 in the 35th over. What a shame!

 The distressed crowd at Eden Garden began to launch fruit and plastic bottles missiles onto the field. The players left the field for 20 minutes in an attempt to pacify the crowd. When the players returned, more bottles flew onto the field and bonfires started on the stands. Match referee Clive Lloyd awarded the match to Sri Lanka, the first default ever in a Test or One Day until then.
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I became angry She became angry and threw the torn posters and created a fire in her courtyard together with her cousins to join the irritated crowd of Eden Garden, to humiliate the cricketers further. They cheered the Sri Lankans in their final match against the Australians to fuel their fury against their fellow citizens and celebrated by bursting crackers when they won.

She pledged that she would never again fall to the charms of the evil game, especially that of the Indian Cricket Team. The pledge lasted until the Indians lifted the Sahara cup in September 1997. The craze renewed with re-ignited passion.

Sigh...I admit, I was that crazy teenager. Teenagers do have the license to be a touch crazy.


I was mad about cricket those days. My parents forbid me to watch the game during my pre-board days. I told them I could finish my laboratory record work during those hours that I watch cricket and study during the rest of the time. I assured them that if I don't watch the game I might die with curiosity and might not be able study as well. I would keep the laboratory records in front of me, write furiously in them during the advertisement break, and resume watching the game when it ended. 

I would refuse to go anywhere out when a match between my favorite teams was on television and would fight with anyone who dared to change the channel. I would become the avatar of goddess Durga herself then.

The half hour power-cuts would give me near heart attacks when a crucial game was on. I would then run to my uncle's house, which was almost half a kilometer away from our house and where the power cut was at a different time, even during late hours at night, through the deserted and spooky country lanes. I still remember how I used to be scolded for it, but then my cousin who was another cricket aficionado would take me back home after the game. Similarly, he would come to our house racing on his bike as if his life depended on it, when the power went in their house.

Over the years, the passion has faced its angels and demons but continued to grow fonder. Caught in the web of life, the free hours to spend in front of the television have become fewer. I have become a stranger to the many new comers of the game but am eager to accept all of them as and when a game christens them as the God of the game.

Thanks to starsports.com, now I have the latest match results, statistics and replays on my fingertips. I can replay a missed game, watch it differed live, see re-plays of a magical catch or whistle when my favorite star hits a six, all in the privacy of my home.

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The best feature that I love is the Zip clips that allow me to watch the quick videos that capture the key match points in real time. It is like finding the best candies without searching for them in a huge basket filled with random ones.


 Watch this video that eulogizes the benefits of starsports.com for any cricket fanatic.











This post is a part of Cricket just got better! Activity by starsports.com in association with BlogAdda.com.

10 comments:

  1. True points here, Preethi.
    Even I felt terrible with that horrific Eden Gardens match. I had my exams during that time & still watched & felt helpless.
    More than India losing the world cup, the behaviour was such a shame...
    Best wishes for the contest :)

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  2. Good to read your experiences. :)
    All the best!

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  3. Nice to know about your craziness for cricket... :-) Best of luck..

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