Published: Jun 10, 2016, 02:32 PM (IST)
Edited: Jun 10, 2016, 03:33 PM (IST)
Cricket in India has lately seen influx of players coming in from rural areas to make a name for themselves in the game. Cricket, which was once the game for the rich and elites, has now trickled down to the middle and lower-middle class people. Needing only a wooden spatula and a ball to play, it is the most affordable game equipment one can get off the streets. With cities such as Mumbai, Delhi, Calcutta (Kolkata) and Madras (Chennai) ruling the cricketing scene in the India during the 21st century, now sees small-tier towns such as Ranchi, Bahruch, Aligarh, and Meerut rise to prominence. This has been possible only because of Indian cricket’s urban heroes being exposed to the masses by means of electronic, print, among other mediums. Read – Test cricket in Indore: The sheer joy
During the mid 90s, it was a regular affair to see crowded streets, cramped by-lanes and overpopulated rooms witness India sweat it out on the ground only to find them coming up on the losing side more than often. After India won the ICC Cricket World Cup victory 1983 and World Championship of Cricket 1985, the game capitulated the minds of youngsters and budding cricketers. Kapil Dev, Sunil Gavaskar, Dilip Vengsarkar and Ravi Shastri became household names. Their popularity did not stop them or hinder their motivation to take active participation in domestic cricket. Let alone domestic cricket, they featured in charity matches, promotional events and local cricket tournaments, which was detrimental to cricket being recognised as a religion in India.
Most of the Indian team contemporary legends Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman, Sourav Ganguly are products of this interactive and two-way communication channels, which allowed them to see their superstars regularly in stadiums and local maidans (grounds). Even the sight of these luminaries were enough to not only motivate them but fuel their desire of wearing the much coveted India cap. Tendulkar, Dravid, Laxman and Ganguly continued such habit and forged their star status when not playing international cricket. They heavily featured in the money-making avenue known as advertisements (in the late 90s). Read – Basil Malcolm: Hero of Bengal’s 1st Ranji Trophy victory
Brands went berserk over them fighting for advertisement space, to get a hold of their sound or visual byte. With the entry of more commercially and modernised run television stations such as ESPN and Star Sports, it became much more easier for fans to catch a hold of their favorite players. To their credit (back then), they actually focused on quality cricketing content unlike today’s which focuses on ads and entertained riveted programming. With concept of meet and greet in prominence, kids and blossoming cricketers got a chance to knit-pick the minds of the experts and understand much more than just about technique.
Virender Sehwag, MS Dhoni, Yuvraj Singh, Harbhajan Singh and Virat Kohli are prime examples of how interaction and active participation of top players can lead to a generation of superstars. Sehwag has time and again communicated how Tendulkar played an important part in his cricket career and why he took up cricket. Sehwag belongs to a small town off-site Delhi named Najafgarh, which only shows the importance of reaching out to people when it comes to being the game to an unprecedented popularity. Read – Charlie Stayers: West Indian fast bowler who helped Bombay win Ranji Trophy
when it comes to wining international laurels for the country, Dhoni — who is India’s most successful captain — hails from a small town of Ranchi, which before his arrival was not even heard of. Dhoni’s tennis-ball cricket legends are well known in Kharagpur; apart from his fights with his roommate to watch Sachin bat, most importantly the Sharjah Cup match. This only radiates the fact of how visible cricket needs to be if it has to bring out small town celebrates.
Dhoni, Kohli, Yuvraj, Harbhajan and current crop of Indian stars need to understand that visibility in the ground in more informal environment is as important as playing for the galleries. Small town players —who are currently into oblivion such as Munaf Patel, Piyush Chawla and Praveen Kumar who attained star status — are fighting for a place in the system. These cricketers have a quality that can come out of any hard and gripping situation, which is what makes them special. An open environment to interact with accomplished players will only give them much motivation to excel and make their town, city or nation proud. Read – A First-Class cricketer named Kitcat!
Only coming in ads or promotional events won’t do much help to upcoming players or kids who are ambitious towards the game; there needs to be a personal approach to it as well. Spending more time on in maidans, local cricket tournaments or having cricket-based meet and greet is a must to have a pool of talent, which in years to come, can carry on the robust and famed Indian cricket to even greater levels.
If India needs cricket to survive in 20 years down the line, it must ensure that cricketers groom local talent, look for more avenues of interaction, and most importantly, assimilate the genes of a healthy, receptive and a cordial cricketing culture in the young and upcoming.
(Vishal Mehra is a reporter at CricketCountry, who enjoys his weekly dose of anime, and plays cricket once a white moon. His twitter handle is @capturethecatch )
