Published: Apr 02, 2011, 06:38 AM (IST)
Edited: Mar 19, 2014, 12:22 PM (IST)
By Tejaswini Thirtha
To start with, let me generalize that no sport is void of political involvement; bigger the reach and popularity of the game, higher the political intervention. The only thing that’s different is that, today, there is a whole new dimension to this sports-politics relationship – the mass media! From breaking and exclusive news, panel discussions, commercial breaks, broadcast licenses, controversy corners, awards and auctions… everyone knows everything about their favorite sport and sportspersons.
Naturally, this year’s World Cup has been covered most extensively in all its good, bad and ugly avatars. Wins, losses, team selections, pitch, betting odds, players’ fitness and injuries, his personal vendetta and depression, advertising contract amount, captaincy issues, their take on an issue, their friends and families’ take on the same issue, the cricket associations’ take and tribulations… I could go on and on. Under these circumstances, you can’t blame the players if they choose to shut out from “media” world to concentrate on their play. Neither can you get upset when you probe them with controversial questions and they turn epitomes of diplomacy.
When the ones who are responsible for taking cricket to new levels and bringing pride to their nations are being so cautious, I think it’s only fair that they get the much-needed support from their managements. If this doesn’t happen, the world gets to know.
Pakistani minister, Rehman Malik’s match-fixing comment was one such foot-in-mouth situation which took the cricketing world by surprise. While former champions slammed it, the statement succeeded in planting seeds of suspicion in Pak fans and probably even demoralizing the team.
After staying away from world cricket for nearly a year, getting caught in all kinds of scandals and losing the opportunity to host the tournament alongside its Asian counterparts, Team Pakistan has emerged a winner in every aspect of the sport. It gave the citizens of a country in turmoil, a reason to cheer.
Having been named captain only weeks before the start of the World Cup, Shahid Afridi did a commendable job in leading his young, new and improved team all the way to the semi-finals. Afridi’s men entered the World Cup with the same agenda as any other team; to win.
They may not have been the favorites to win the Cup, but they did their best to prove to the world that they are still very much a team to reckon with in the international cricket arena. Some even went on to name Australia as India’s new archrivals considering how calm and incident-less the India-Pak match was. There was no sledging or unwarranted aggression. Instead, they displayed great sportsman spirit.
They had their weak moments on the field, no doubt. Key players lost form just when they needed to fire. Their batsmen lacked the ability to score under pressure. But these are problems every team faced at crucial times during the tournament, be it the minnows or former champions. The Pakistan players had every right to return to their homes with their heads held high. Their fans welcomed them warmly as well.
They, however, couldn’t elude the political backlash. Wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal was dropped even before he landed in Lahore. The match-fixing ghost has returned to haunt them. Plus, there’s the “cricket-diplomacy” conspiracy theory ringing loud.
One wonders if the team can ever rise above all the negativity that plagues it. Will it ever produce another Imran Khan, Waqar Younis or Saeed Anwar, who played the sport with such passion and now sit amidst legends? Will we ever have the electrifying Sharjah Cups or the unforgettable More-Miandad clash? It was all in the game. Sadly for Pakistan, the game has taken a heavy beating.
(Bangalore-based Tejaswini Tirtha spent the first eight years of her career in mainstream media, having worked with leading dailies like Times of India, The New Indian Express and Asian Age, tracking new trends in the film, fashion, theater and gaming industries. A couple of years ago, she was bitten by the corporate bug, but tried to keep the journalist in her alive by grabbing every writing opportunity that came her way. Her other interests include reading, music, watching movies, traveling, F1 racing and of course, cricket)
