Cricket is a gentleman's game. No matter at what level one plays the game, winning or losing does not matter. All that matters is whether the game is played with a gentleman spirit. This is especially tested when playing under extreme pressure to perform. However, the best players in the world know how to conduct with utmost dignity on the field. Rahul Dravid and Anil Kumble are among the greatest players the future generations can look up to.
However, in the current edition of the IPL, the number of Indian players that show dissent and involve in unnecessary argument is raising. The normally sedate Munaf Patel was close to hitting an on-field umpire over a decision and was found guilty on another occasion for verbal abuse. Ashwin picked up a few fights as well in this edition. One with Steve smith and one with Praveen Kumar.
Not surprisingly, the Chennai super kings and the Mumbai Indians are among the bottom of the fair play list this year. Twenty 20 is a hit and miss game. It is not the purest form of Cricket. As a team, you win some and you loose some. But, how you play and how you conduct yourself is of utmost importance in cricket. Though Chennai or Mumbai are not in the best of its form, both can put match winning performances on any day and could even win this edition. But, for me, improving their fair play rating in the second half of this IPL edition is more important than winning the title. As MCC puts it, play hard, play fair!
On the other side, Sachin Tendulkar became the first cricketer and an active sportsman to become a member in the upper house of Indian Parliament. Many hope that he can bring about changes in the way sports authorities are run in the country. Sachin is the biggest sportsman in Inida. No doubts about that. But, if you look at his wonderful carrier, you may find that he was never successful as a captain. He failed to get the best out of his players and even for Mumbai Indians, he was tactically not the best among other T30 captains.
He has never held a leadership post and has no experience in politics. He has never took a post in the state cricket association or the national cricket academy. Also, he has never spoken about his desire to improve sports facilities in India. Hence it took me by surprise when i heard about this new job. But why Sachin Tendulkar? Why this obsession when there are people who could do a better job than him? For instance, Anil Kumble has a much better CV than Sachin for this job. Giving sachin this post , when there are better people around, is a mistake!
