July 07, 2008

Death of a ladies’ man.

“You used to move the mountains, baby
But now you just don’t move me”


It doesn’t take Dr Strangelove to tell you that just like you fall in love, you fall out of love

It takes an instant, a yawn.

A moment of no magic.

A moment of that godforsaken question, “what am I doing here?”

When that happens, do you cancel your subscription to the seven samurais – the seven cricket channels in India?

On the Box this is them:

201 DD Sports, 202 Star Sports, 203 Ten Sports, 204 ESPN, 205 Neo, 207 Zee Sports, 208 Star Cricket.

Sure, there’s 106 Set Max too, but that’s only a fair-weather cricket channel. Otherwise it’s Bollywood.

Well, well, you know how it goes, you don’t cancel subscription. You bide your time.

You follow nearly the same 3 am to 3 am schedule, but with dollops of restraint.

You don’t start your day at 3am. In fact, you never did, because who watches live cricket from New Zealand anyway.

Nor do you see games through to 3 am in the West Indies –if you happen to check in a little late one night, and watch the West Indies win a Twenty20 game, that ends up being an Eleven11 game, that’s a bonus. But a measly one. On most days it’s business as usual – so count your lucky stars if you retired when dark knights Chanderpaul and Bravo were still alive in the 4th one-dayer. Last ball defeats in almost certain wins for the underdogs can be disturbing.

Reinforces the belief that cricket is limping, not only in Zimbabwe and Pakistan and the West Indies, but just about everywhere.

Is that why Australia go on to lose the last game in a dead rubber – so we believe that the West Indies are still a formidable side that can chase down record breaking scores. (what, nowadays no such luck for the Windies)

You don’t watch tests in Pakistan because there aren’t any. But if Pak schemed to play Australia in India how would Aussie smuggle out of that one?

Quick fix to rekindle yer old flame:

1. Sever ties with one day cricket. To treat any withdrawals, administer only last ball finishes, though only in highlights’ packages.
2.Sanctions on tests played between Australia-West Indies, New Zealand-England, India-Pakistan.
3. Boycott cricket boards of all nations

Fine Print:

Exemptions in (1) may be made when Sehwag looks like a double and Mendis all ten. Or when the next Gilchrist surfaces.

21 comments:

Viswanathan said...

Disenchanted with love or disenchanted lover? :)

straight point said...

i would definitely call bucknor...hair alike for every tests...coz of late they are bringing more 'excitement' to cricket than anyone...

but seriously you have raised very serious issue...cricket just refusing to go anywhere but downside...out of 8 test playing nations four (nz, pak, wi, bd) are regressing by day...

and the only interest in next SL series is coz of newcomer...

such is the state of cricket...

meraj said...

was never a 'cricket man' but used to follow stuff now and then till i got completely turned off.

now i watch spongebob squarepants...much more interesting and takes much less time.

Q said...

Im still not bored.

Loved the IPL, loved the End v NZ series, loved the Kitply, loved the Asia Cup, loved the Aussie-Windies ODIs, loved it all.

And if wasnt watching them, i was following them on cricinfo or on my mobile.

Seriously, its never enough for me. On top I play and write as well.

Gaurav Sethi said...

ottayan: how are you coping with the cricket?

Viswanathan said...

NC,
The tamasha that takes place in the name of cricket keeps me engaged.

Seriously, I see that interest in cricket has flagged after the Aussie series and more so after IPL.

I base this observation on how a lot of bloggers have dropped off.

As to why I do not know.

Gaurav Sethi said...

SP,
what's keeping jayasuriya to come out of test retirement -one last hurrah against india.
About Mendis, I'm curious, sehwag and Gambhir aside, who else will target him?

Gaurav Sethi said...

m - spongebob is the nick toon u told me abt?

Gaurav Sethi said...

Q - boy, yr bustling with positive energy. wrote something earlier today, right up yr street.

Q said...

Sachin and Ganguly will definitely target him NC..

Q said...

Saw that NC :-)

I just can't understand how one can get bored with cricket. Any form, any teams, anywhere...

SP - I agree that WI and Pak have regressed but u will always find that 1 unpredictable performance from them or that 1 special innings or a bowling spell from some bowler that will keep u hooked to their matches.

Like Gayle's 92 the other day against Australia. Or their fights in the test matches against the Aussies.

Pakistan lost twice to India in the last month, but thye also beat them twice - so they remain the unpredictabl side they were before as well.

Even for the Kiwis, their ODI comeback and that last ball win over England - it was magical!

Even in the UAE vs SL game, Amjad Ali's 77 against the Asian champions - this is the beauty of cricket.

If the entire contest doesn't excite you, the little battles within is what u watch it for.

Gaurav Sethi said...

ottayan - "the tamasha in the name of cricket" - that's like a mission statement man!
yeah, soulberry's gone off the radar, so have cricket guru, long hop, smart cricket. who else?
like msd, too much cricket. or have they inked some contracts too

Viswanathan said...

NC,

I am with Q, when he says that it is the little battles that is engrossing.

Possible that they have turned their hobbies into a profession.

Gaurav Sethi said...

Q - you couldn't have seen it, I've just posted the new one now.

Gayle's 92, yes, but it's again in isolation. And when it goes on like that, it eats at players like Gayle and they too regress. And what happens when Gayle, Cha'pal, Sarwan don't come off collectively? Or when Sanath- Sanga don't? The teams waste away. And it's painful to watch, game after game, the same plot.

Ottayan: little futile battles that up avgs. look at ashraful, how he's wasted away. you just can't do it alone. a weak team takes even a strong player down.
and that's a shame abt most teams today.

Q said...

Oh I thought u were talking abt ur comment on Well Pitched :-).. read the post NC and u know what I thought abt it.

As for Gayle's knock being in isolation - that is exactly why I watch all cricket so I don't miss these isolated whirlwind knocks, magic deliveries, super catches, last ball finishes, etc etc etc..

Viswanathan said...

NC,

Futlie - I would call those little battles that.

To me watching cricket or playing for the matter was these little gems.

For example, 83 WC finals, Srikkanths down on the knees cover drive of Andy Roberts is unforgettable.
I remember trying to play that shot and getting hit on my face for my pains.

Trideep said...

NC,

I think its the ODI's which is suffering. And mostly because of the popularity of T20.

Gaurav Sethi said...

Q, Ott - yeah, don't let the rapture pass you by.

Ott - was it a hard ball?

Spot on trideep!

meraj said...

yeah...the same nick guy

Anonymous said...

bad breakup with cricket... am going thru it... bored with the cricket

Gaurav Sethi said...

scorpi, address the problem, don't ignore it :)