India has the strongest population amongst all the cricket playing nations and finds home like support whichever country they tour. Our stadiums are packed for every ODI involving India and more so if we are playing a competitive team. And naturally all what the spectators wish to see is an India win. But victory is unfortunately just one of the two strong possibilities and has just a 50% probability. Be it India's disappointing campaigns in the 2007 World Cup, 2009 World T20 or the 2010 World T20; the players have been criticized and rightly so, but I believe we Indians are obsessed with seeing our team only win. Below par performance by the team can not be ruled out but the fact remains that We can not digest defeat. We tend to forget all past laurels and achievements. We have achieved the Numero Uno ranking in Test Cricket and we as fans have been overjoyed. Sachin Tendulkar's record breaking 200* made us all feel proud and on top of the world. We at one time had also reached the top in the ODI rankings too. But why do failures bother us so much that we forget all the past glories and lament on the just concluded performance. Is the fans memory that short? Yuvraj, a proven performer in the shorter versions of the game has been lambasted for his poor showing in the IPL and in the World T20. Dhoni, the captain, having played and captained the team like a dream over the last few years had a bad World Cup and awkward moments every now and then which is normal, and we already have "fans" and media criticizing him. Agreed, players need to work on their fitness and abilities, but isn't it here that we fans need to step up and encourage him. Or do I have a wrong notion of what the real fan's role towards the team he supports is.
We Indians love our cricket and have lately started taking to other sports too. But do we have the sportsman spirit to digest defeat? NO! Wills World Cup 1996 Semi Finals between India & Sri Lanka at Calcutta is a glaring example of that. A steady surge by India to their target of 251 set by the Sri Lankans was jolted by a flurry of wickets and India stared at defeat at 120 for 8 in 34.1 overs when a section of the crowd turned unruly and torched seats and threw bottles & projectiles at Sri Lankan fielders. The match was forfeited and the Islanders eventually won the World Cup. This till date is the most shameful incident to have happened to Indian cricket.
The fans in Mumbai who now have termed Tendulkar as "God", booed him off the field when he was going through a rough patch and was dismissed cheaply in a Test against England in Mumbai. What's even more appalling is the master batsman being called "selfish". A man with 33000 international runs and almost 100 international centuries is shamelessly termed as "selfish" by his own fans. Not in words can my being appalled by this be explained. Thats just another disappointing example of double standards that we Indian cricket fans carry.
Another incident that happened in Calcutta was after Tendulkar was run out against Pakistan in the Asian Test Championship match in 1999. Calcutta crowd had yet again turned unruly and threw bottles on Pakistani fielders. Spectators had to be evacuated for the rest of the day and robbed the match of an interesting finish. It was a match India would have expected to win, but Shoaib Akhtar and a fighting Pakistan unit had other plans, and India ended up losing it.
Why do we have this innate need to be destructive and abusive when our team does not do well? Is it a part of us being Indians or we are purely obsessed with the sport and cant forgive our players for bringing us shame by losing a few matches? I observed a popular cricket writer on Twitter saying "I sincerely hope Ireland scores over 280 or so and makes these motherfuckers earn a victory", during the India vs Ireland game today when a Irish pair played exceedingly well against the Indian bowling. Now what do we call this? What I am astonished about is the pure disrespect for those very individuals who are playing for the country. That probably is the reason why India has never had a Chaudhary Abdul Jalil more popularly known as Chacha Cricket of Pakistan or something like the Barmy Army (English Cricket supporters). We Indians being the most maniacal followers of the game havent really been the best supporters of our own team, let alone the game as a whole. How else would the demeaning and appalling forums; online & on TV talking about the team's poor performance, personal attacks on various players, demanding Dhoni to be axed as captain be explained.
Cricket in India, sadly, is tied up with nationalism. This is a product of our past: for the first few decades of our independence, there was nothing at which an Indian could point and say, “Ah, India dominates in that, it can show the rest of the world how it’s done.” Cricket, for what its worth, turned out to be something we weren’t too bad at. The 1983 World Cup win, 1984-85 World Series win, cricketers like Gavaskar, Kapil Dev & Tendulkar gave reasons to the fans to find obsession with the game.
Not matter what the result of this World Cup is, I will continue to be a cricket fanatic and an ardent supporter of the Indian cricket team. I call myself a rational cricket fan. May not sound the best, but surely makes sense to me for I do not resort to abusive and destructive behaviour when the team is struggling and needs support of their fans. For all the disappointments we have in our lives, we've found scapegoats in our cricketers who bear the brunt of being in the national side of the most popular sport in a country of more than a billion people. Trying to be slightly supportive to our cricketers might be a beginning to a better fan - idol & fan - sport relationship.
Hey,
ReplyDeleteWhat an insightful deep-dive into the mindset of the Indian Cricket fan. Cheerios. I completely agree with the analysis of this mindset, however I am not too sure if there is a real solution to this.
I am particularly impressed by your mention of the fact that Cricket provided a means to feel proud to the country during the early years post independance. However, I am sure that there would be many more reasons for the growth of this sport in India. Reasons which go deep into creating the identity of the Indians as they are today. For e.g. Indian's would look up to everything that was 'foreign' and everything that the 'goras' used to do. English language being one of the things, Cricket being another. I was something which the Englishmen tried to keep us away from. The more they tried, the more we wanted to feel it.
What I also feel is that the relationship between Cricket & Indians is not a rational relationship, but an emotional one. Or as we say it in our language, the people in India have a 'loyalty beyond reason' with this sport. Thus, the game remains a part of their lives irrespective of the performance of the team. They will hate and abuse and criticise, but not detach themselves from the game. A case in point being myself who turned from a 'die-hard cricket fanatic' to an 'occasional-world-cup' viewer of present time mainly after the betting scandal. However, even today, I am attached to the game as much as I was earlier. When the betting scandal was unearthed, I felt wounded. It was something which hurt me deeply.
This is the kind of mindless relationship which exists in India with this game.
There are several perspectives which you can explore sometime later. For example the impact of capitalism and TRPs on the game, the political importance of India in South East Asia (this also led to Indian's winning beauty pageants), etc.
With so many factors playing in the environment, one cant blame the poor viewer for reacting in a particular manner. There are much bigger factors which (like inception) are planted into his mindset. While he, reacts like an ordinary human being with emotions and aspirations.
nice article. brings back the sensitivity to an highly commercialized and heartlessly supported game.
ReplyDeleteI have always noticed that we Indians have a tendency to get easily influenced by someone else's comments / views. Say 2 out of 10 would express their own viewpoint and most of the times that would be a rational one. Or at least expresses what HE FEELS if not rational. Why i am saying this is because i have met people who bloody don’t follow cricket, but after the match would switch on India TV (or any other crappy Indian News Channel) to watch some stupid post match analysis and i bet 90% of the times they highlight the negative aspect than the positive aspect of our team. And the kind penetration Indian Media has, it is very easy to manipulate our minds given we are popularly known as "emotional fools". Or be a part of a cricket discussion amongst his/her social circle to get some insight so that he can boast himself in front of his different set of friends.
ReplyDeleteIt is really sad that many of us forget that our players are human beings. Yes, they are professionals and are expected to be spot on with their performances. But, damaging their personal properties / being a threat to their loved one’s is something uncalled for.
The most common comments i hear from people (strangers and friends) when India loses a close match.
1. The Rational one: "kya match tha yaar, i hope we'd win the game but at least we gave a tuff fight."
2. The angry one: “Saala yeh XXXX player chu#$%#@ hai, isko pehla nikalo team se”
3. Superstitious one: “India pakka haarta hai jab Sachin century maarta hai. I think he should retire.”
4. The most irritating one and mostly comes from a person who has bloody no interest nor does he understand the game: “yeh match fixed hai. Maine 1999 match fixing ke baad cricket dekhna chod diya. Saala yeh log ko sirf paisa chahiye.”
Personally, I love this game. Yes, even I get emotionally carried away because I feel they are a part of my life and I have a right to be upset / angry with players individually. But, the very next match, my batteries get recharged and i gear up to provide them my full support. And, I am sure there are many people who think alike and don’t get influenced by some stupid claims made by some wannabe.