It’s all over the news channels, in the newspapers, networking sites, everywhere. The amount of space it’s occupying shows the importance attached to it. Before I continue I must tell you it’s about MS Dhoni’s retirement from test cricket. Yup, I was talking about this news. The lost Air Asia flight, incursions by terrorists along J&K border, China’s expanding military ambitions, ISIS crisis, all fade away in comparison to this particular bit of information. Gosh, it’s unbelievable!
Cricket has been a national passion since its introduction by our colonial lords and masters. Now it’s reached obsessive proportions with the cricketers becoming demigods. Cricket unites people like nothing ever has or will. It has breached the boundaries of religions, castes, colour, states, countries, politics and anything and everything in-between. I’ve nothing against cricket per se, but I can’t understand this kind of obsession. I absolutely agree that Dhoni is a gifted sportsman (don’t want to refer to him as a cricketer and restrict his talents!) and has proved himself on the field time and again. But going on and on about his retirement is overdoing the fan-following bit. He excelled in his sport and now like a sensible person is calling it quits before he becomes a shadow of his own past. Very sensible, to leave when still ahead. So instead I feel it would be a better farewell to just let him go and respect his decision instead on harping on it for so long that he starts getting self doubts.
But then I guess if we need to fill up our sports columns we have to write about cricketers since no other sport has this kind of following. I read today about what Sachin Tendulkar had had for breakfast on the first day of this year. Really, are you serious? Do I really care?? But then it sells, so who’s complaining. Surely not the news guys. I mean who wants to read how many didn’t get to eat anything on New Year’s Eve and went to sleep on empty stomachs not knowing what day it was? C’on, give us break here. Fans are meant to be obsessed, not in a negative manner though, about their idols. But keeping track of their daily diets and itinerary is a bit too much.
People, don’t forget. These guys have made their millions and now are reaping the benefits of such blind adulation. They didn’t achieve what they did by following someone on Twitter or some other social networking site. They achieved it through sheer hard work, grit, dedication and determination. If you want to be Iike them, then work with similar single minded passion. Like true fans let’s try to emulate their traits and get results. Let’s get a life for ourselves instead of trying to look at their lives and feel inferior.
I hope we survive this and live to see many more deserving sportspeople do well and make us proud.
*****