Why are we Cricket crazy?

A Sunday afternoon, with the sun overhead radiating scorching heat, beads of perspiration trickling down like a river from the face, focusing sharply, the kid without even battling his eyelid, watches the bowler charging towards the other end and without the slightest hesitation, re-shifts his position slightly and moves his back foot and blocks the ball- a demonstration of a perfect defensive shot. This sight is a very common phenomenon in every street in India- a nation so obsessed and crazy about the sport “Cricket”.

 The game doesn't have its roots in India, nor it’s the national sport of India. Yet the word “Cricket” rings a bell in all the minds of this country; There’s never a primetime news in Tv channels without Cricket being a part of it; Not a single playground in the evening without a share of bat and ball in the field. The sport is simple to start off. All it requires is a bat and a ball, few people and very less space. Cricket is not physically demanding either. One can afford to rest whenever he feels like, just by walking into the territory of the field where the batsman rarely hits. The game is stylish, even a kid can prove a point to a grown up by hitting a perfect cover drive, without spending an ounce of energy. And there is also the advantage of running back home after having batted for hours, without bowling.

The game offers different kinds of tasks at a time, i.e. it requires a guy to bowl, one to field, one to keep behind the wickets and one to bat. It’s the mixture of these activities all at a same time which makes this game appealing and suitable for anyone to fit into the task they are good at.

 Another major phenomenon responsible for the madness about the game is- “The Sachin phenomenon”.  The man has solely occupied sporting columns in newspapers for almost two decades now and the frenzy hasn’t died out yet. Breaking every barrier possible, triggering a new record with every run he makes, the man has not just been a legendary cricketer but also a great 'youth icon' inspiring millions. He is one big factor responsible for a lot of kids taking to cricket. Youngsters have begun to tag them as a part of the brand- “Sachin fan” and this feeling drives and keeps them holding to the game. No wonder, it’s the dream of any youngster to aspire to achieve the fame and success that he has accumulated. Lack of any other sporting greats emerging from other sports (or the lack of media coverage of them) is another factor which couldn’t drive people away from Cricket or perhaps drive people towards other games.

 The rise of Indian cricket came at a time of the emergence of popularity of the media in the country. This confluence proved vital in radiating the madness that the game produced. Recycling even a worthless story on Cricket is a common feature among Indian media. Dhoni’s hair-style means more to the media, than a lone warrior cycling around the country to spread the message of planting more trees to save the dying Earth. Like it or not, the country is informed of every off-the-field detail about the game.

This article is not an attempt to analyze how to drive people away from this game, but a raw analysis of the reason for the madness generated by this sport, by a mad and crazy Cricket fan !