For all my blogging last year about KKR, I'm a novice in cricket. Okay, honestly? I took an interest in cricket after Shah Rukh acquired a team for T20. I have absolutely zilch knowledge in the game. I tried to watch a cricket match when I managed to catch a tournament on cable in a hotel this one time last year, and I spent quite long minutes staring blankly at the screen, and in the end mumbled... what the heck is so exciting about this sport?? (forgive my ignorance, all cricket fans out there.. *sweat*)
And yet I continue to take an interest in it coz Shah Rukh still remains in T20. Hey, some love affairs begin like that. I fell in love with tennis after watching Sampras and his near-robotic sure-win play in Wimbledon. Even tried to play it, albeit goofily, with a friend. Also, my current univ seems to have a good cricket team and our VC takes quite an interest in it..posting about tournament updates every once in awhile in facebook. I'm still hoping I'll understand the game one day..soon. Esp now that Lalit Modi has promised us a free watch on youtube.
What gets on my nerves while I was watching cricket is.. there seems to be this "endless waiting for something that I don't know what" time. It's like watching baseball but with more players loitering around doing nothing. I'm more used to football-type sports where, even if you have nothing to do, you'll run around to make it seem to your fans/sponsors/teammates/coaches/team owners as if you're doing a worthwhile activity even though the ball rarely comes at you. I'm always cheering.. screaming.. mumbling.. jolted into silent vigorous hand-movement actions when the unexpected happens like every 2 minutes. With cricket, I keep staring and staring.. and staring some more. And then suddenly there's a cheer from the crowd and I'm like.. what? what? what just happened??
Anyway, I'm happy that there's no frivolous antics from my favourite cricket owner this year. No video. No crazy last minute announcement (although this can still happen, knowing Shah Rukh). No reality TV show. No incessant team promotion via numerous ads. Just some simple updates about how the team is doing. And I was like.. yes, that's the way to do it! please don't say anything explosive this year! just let the team do the talking during the championship. THEN!! ...
That auction fiasco had to happen. And Shah Rukh of course had to say something about it. When I clicked open that NDTV Q&A show and saw the video title.. I groaned aloud.. Nooooooo! Then I read that PZ and SS did a joint press conference to 'clarify' the issue. Arrrrgh! When will these celebs learn that nothing..absolutely nothing..they say will appease anybody or everybody. By trying to 'clarify'.. they'll just dig a deeper hole for themselves to be buried in later. Have you read any press statement on the issue by India Cements? Or Deccan Chronicle? Mmm.. you don't know who they are? Here.
There's no use trying to clarify an issue that can't be clarified. But I like the way Shah Rukh answered the query without answering it. He's brilliant at this PR stuff. Every time I watch him asks, "Am I gonna get into trouble for saying this?" ..I tell my computer monitor, "Yes Shah Rukh, you will. So please don't say it~" ..but of course he ignores me and says it anyway. To those who think he should "do something about it".. I suggest you grow up a little. It's too easy to see why a guy who's invested around 80 crores a year on a team out of his own pocket would be cautious in his financial endeavor. KKR faced this kind of problem before when, in 2009, Pakistani players were unavailable..resulting in Umar Gul's contract being suspended. Face it people.. this is not a knee-jerk reaction. It's a reaction based on a previous experience, so the owners are not to be entirely blamed.
Instead, why don't you blame the guys (it's always guys, isn't it?) who burned Lalit Modi's effigy? Or those who burned Mr. B's effigy.. and even Shah Rukh's posters in 2009? Or the gunmen who shot Sri Lankan cricketers in Lahore (also in 2009)? With fire-happy/trigger-happy guys like you running amok and uncheck by any authority.. who would dare to bring Pakistani players to India or vice versa? Lalit Modi made IPL happen in South Africa last year despite the risk of heavy losses, mainly because of security issues. And now people are nonchalantly suggesting that the security of the players and the tournament should not be made into an issue. Delusional much?
Some people are asking, "why didn't the IPL committee tell the Pakistani players that they're not gonna be bought in the auction anyway, so there's no use in participating?" I'm speechless reading this. Do people think first before giving suggestions like this or they just like to pull crap outta their asses in the hope of provoking some suckers out there into responding so they can get into a net brawl coz they're too bored with their mundane life and need some virtual action? Can't you fathom the kind of uproar that kind of announcement will set off? Can't you fathom a world beyond your own nose?
In my opinion, Shah Rukh doesn't need to say anything. But I also think he has no way of escaping from being made to say something. I guess I'll just continue to be the somewhat silent reader/watcher of the whole drama that IPL never ceases to be year by year. This is, after all, the country that gives us Bollywood. Hopefully the team I support will not be affected by anything the team owner adamantly gets himself embroiled into (I can hope, can't I?) and give us a roaring game this year. If Deccan could do it, why can't KKR? (that's my constant mantra for the 2010 championship coz I'm an eternal optimist).
It's nearly 4am, and I have work to do and a persistent father to attend to tomorrow. Have a good week!
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