Why give a damn to T20 World Cup?

So India repeats its dismal performance in world cup, eh? Players seem to care more about IPL? So what should we do? How to make players more interested in world cup than IPL? Before trying to answer that, let us consider if that is the right question to be asking. Instead let us ask why should players be more interested in Twenty Twenty World Cup. As a spectator ask yourself, which was more entertaining - IPL or twenty twenty world cup? Twenty twenty world cup is just another drab event. All of us have to support the same team. Most of us except the die hard cricket enthusiasts are uninterested in matches India does not play. Zero glamor quotient. Compare it to IPL. Even within your family, you can be supporting two different teams. You don't have natural loyalties to any particular team. So most of us end up watching all the matches. Even if our favorite team looses, we can support the next favorite team. And then we have the extra X-Factor from Bollywood. And then you the other frills such as being able to watch the matches in your own city in the stadium environment and matches screened at film halls in 3 D.

Sportsmen are but basically entertainers and they get paid for the entertainment they give. So what is wrong if they prefer to reserve their best performance for the tournament that gives better entertainment to their country men? And as far as national pride etc. goes, we have one day and test cricket for that. Why one more form of cricket for the same? I also fail to understand why cricketers are not seen as what they are - entertainers and instead given the high pedestal of national heroes.Even if India were to become no.1 in all forms of cricket, what is the great national pride in being no. 1 in a sport that most of the important countries of the world do not play. If it were soccer or tennis, which almost every important country in the world plays or Olympics, then we can talk about national pride in besting all other nations of the world in at least one sphere? But cricket ! Give me a break. Let us acknowledge cricket for what it is - just entertainment and enjoy it in the form that gives us maximum entertainment which is of course IPL and appreciate the players who gave us those few weeks of fun and escape from the rigors of day to day life instead of blaming them for their world cup performance.

Related Post: Cricket me: My Trysts with India's National Passion

11 comments:

Sid said...

Did you hear the story of sour grapes and fox!!!

sushobhan said...

Quite an anti climax post... First I thought you would tear apart the Indian team for its dismal performance.. I agree that 20-20 cricket has turned out to be a sort of entertainment for the masses but the fact that every time when u represent ur country in a multi nation tournament, national pride do come into picture. A team cannot win each and every match in 20-20 coz its a matter of one outstanding catch or a spectacular batting performance which can turn the match on its head. There is very little time at your disposal to recover from the shock but it hurts when the talent and the strength of a team on paper doesn't reciprocate on the field. As a matter of fact India was the only team which lost all its matches in Super-8.

The Fool said...

Agree. Just that I feel more hype given to the T20 world cup than necessary. No reason to go as far as suggesting that all key country players to be pulled out of IPL. IPL is more important than T 20 world cup I feel as it provides greater entertainment to Indian public.

amit said...

i hope india qualifies for the fooball world cup before i die :)

The Fool said...

Why don't you do something to make it happen, man?

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Bikram said...

EXACTLY.. the problem is different.. IF i am not wrong The BCCI is a private institute and not a Govt body.. so basically the players are repreenting BCCI not the country..

Another problem i have is why are they paid so much.. and if they are then why are they not answerable over poor performances...

I beleive they are not heroes.. Heroes are heroes EVERYDAY not on one given day and then sit on the laurals for a few months as we see in a few individual players we have in the team..

How to get a good team is when the slectors are answerable.. I have or had a few questions on a few players chosen for Twnty-20 world cup who did not deserve to be in there.. My idol Yuvraj WHY was he selected.. I support him but he shudnot have.. then Yusuf or Murli vijay..

anyway Give a Damn about 20-20 world cup Because they are representing the COUNTRY thats makes it DAMN enough to be given a DAMN about .. :)

Rajneesh Kumar said...

Seems to be more of a consoling tone.. for the grapes gone sore.. think of the 1st T20 World cup in 2007 that we won.. the whole of Mumbai went gaga over that. I can bet had we won.. there would have been a different story here.
Think bout it

The Fool said...

I kind of felt India should not even be playing the T 20 Worldcup. For the reasons mentioned above I did not even find the event exciting before India lost.

The Fool said...

regarding being paid much, that is same reason why bollywood actors are - an entertainment industry that brings money. At least you need certain skill to be a cricket player. But you just need to be son, daughter or husband of someone to be making the big money. See IPL whoever wins or looses , it is never going to cause so much anger in the country. But these world cups and stuff cause so much negative emotion. I stopped believing in this representing country and stuff even since the match fixing scandal in Azhar's times. i don't believe it ever got cleaned up. Whole of cricket is a scam. IPL is a proper entertainment without fooling us invoking our patriotic sentiments. That way it is better.

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Paul Collingwood's poor batting form is putting his World Cup hopes in jeopardy, according to Nick Knight. Collingwood, 34, announced his retirement from ...

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