Parvez Jamil
As cricket is still sportingly idealized indeed as a “gentleman’s game”,
it would be dignified to call it “wake up call for cricketing elites” rather than crudely shun it as “shut up call for cricketing elites”. No wonder!
The so-called cricket elites seem so bewitched by their bewildered mindset that they lose emotional maturity and mental balance in their hilariously tainted and ridiculously painted so called elitist brand.
The Test cricket format’s troubles have little to do with Pakistan’s pitches but more about elitist mindset of some who want test status only for the Big 3. Those who refuse to support Pakistan by denying visits for 24 years yet expect local cricket infrastructure to be at level with them, all while hogging all the resources of the cricket world.
It is this mindset that is causing dwindling popularity of Test cricket over the world and will make it reserved for the ‘elites’ of the game rather than a sport enjoyed globally by cricket fans: Soul-searching!
Australia dominated England in the past two Ashes and also New Zealand, similar to how Pakistan dominated Australia in the UAE in 2019. Why was there no mention of the impact of the one sided shows put on by losing teams on the popularity of Test cricket back then? Mind-boggling!
How wonderful and beautiful is this gentleman’s game of cricket! The wonders and beauties of this entertaining and exciting game are heniously and horrendously overshadowed by the crafting and intriguing cricket monopolists.
The awful and unfortunate net result is that the majority of sporting fans minus the heniously branded ones desperately miss the fun and frolic associated with fiery and ferrocious bowlers, cracking and charismatic batters, athletic-acrobatic fielders.
Also adversely affected is the mood and morale of the commentary box and that of viewers and listeners as the head waivered and body withered dumped fake and fictitious cricket elites cut loose indeed.
When the fake and fictitious cricketing elite or monopolists are in a state of delirium no one is there to distinguish between right and wrong with the hope and wish for fake and fictitious elitists being replaced by positive thinkers and practical doers towards a better and brighter cricketing horizon in letter and spirit.
It is only then cricketing fans, public and commentators as well as social, print and electronic media will be able to enthral, entertain and excite with fantastic batting, fiery hitting, exciting running between the wickets and spell binding fielding: running, diving, throwing and striking.
So will be bowlers’ rhyme, rhythm, pace, nip and bounce galore irrespective of speedsters and spinners amid cherished and relished fun, frolic and fanfare for the elite, public, viewers, listeners, writers, media and observers alike.
How about euologizng and materializing gentleman’s game of cricket for the benefit of man in the street, men of letters and men at the helm of affairs rising over and above self, shunning ego or vanity and overwhelming fake and fictitious brands of cricket in letter and spirit.
Minus criticism and counter criticism let it be a litmus test for cricket brand names from all cricketing nations to be trend setters in being able, noble, humble and gentle towards a better and brighter cricketing tomorrow #
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The writer, with wide and varied background as senior faculty in business management and corporate communication, contributes human interest articles to media on national and international affairs.
parvezjamil@hotmail.com
