Setbacks lend perspective to the view!

It has been 10 days since my last post. I havent felt like writing- as a cricket enthusiast, following this World Cup has been anything but joyful. First, India and Pakistan's ignominous exit from the first round and then the shocking news of the murder of Pakistan coach, Bob Woolmer, have left me in a bit of a daze.

Frankly, the wounds are too raw to be thinking straight but one thing is for sure. The reputation of cricket as a gentleman's game has taken a setback. And maybe, just maybe, fans are just as much to blame for the current crisis as players, administration and sponsors. Nowhere is the game more commercial than the Indian sub-continent. Nowhere are cricketers treated as demi-Gods but the Indian sub-continent. No Board is as powerful as the Indian Board. And why is that? Because nowhere is the fan base as widespread as in the sub-continent. There is a difference between following the game with passion and following the game with fanaticism. The commercialism, the match-fixing, the bookies (the needle of suspicion in Woolmer's murder seems to be pointing to the bookies) are all a result of the incredible, sometimes senseless following and I admit I have been guilty of this myself. Just a couple of weeks back, I wrote how I wished India would win the Cup. Nothing in their performance warranted my belief- it was just patriotism over cold logic and while that is understandable, to be hugely upset at the team's debacle is actually unwarranted.

Sometimes, setbacks do lend perspective to the view. Even as I canceled my ticket to the Caribbean, I realized I was getting ahead of myself in following the game. The game is about skill, mental fortitude and the ability to rise to the occasion in pressure situations. It is not about deceit, cowardice and meek submission- traits exemplified by both India and Pakistan in this World Cup. We do need a "cleansing" of the system in the sub-continent and only a setback provides that. It is time to reassess, look afresh and not get lost in the bubble of hollow victories against meek teams on meek wickets.

I did not go to the Caribbean not only because India did not make it. More importantly, I do not want to support a game that has led to the ghastly death of one of the genius minds of the game. His memory deserves respect, and carrying on without apprehending the killers is an affront to his memory.

Setbacks sure lend perspective and even though I will remain a true follower of the game, the events of the last ten days have sobered me down and given me food for thought about how passionately I have supported a bunch of complete non-performers. More importantly, any hero worshipping would only accentuate the pressure on players and coaches that could have fatal consequences. It is a costly lesson, but a timely one.

The cruise to the Caribbean will have to wait for better, sunnier times!