Cricket without boundaries
The future of Indian cricket
To play cricket or not to play?
The militant attacks in Mumbai have shaken, saddened and angered people across the world, not just in India. It has thrown up so many issues which go way beyond winning and losing as seen on a sports field.
The Indian cricket board have worked hard to resurrect action on the field by persuading England to agree to return to complete a two-test series, offering all support to allay fears of their players for their safety.
The Indian media have been busy reporting the aftermath of the attacks and there has been furious debate in the British media whether it is proper for the England players to return to India this soon.
Whether sports should go on in turbulent times has been debated for ages. At the 1972 Munich Games, Olympics chiefs decided the show would go on despite Palestinian gunmen killing 11 Israeli athletes and officials.
Cricket teams are refusing to travel to Pakistan because of security concerns by teams in the wake of many suicide bombings.
Some even doubt whether the sub-continent can hold the 2011 World Cup.
Should cricket go on in India in the middle of the latest crisis? Can Indians turn their minds to their first love?
Half a cheer for Indian cricket
So some of the cheerleaders are going home, and some of the others are being forced to cover up? If you ask me, that’s a bit of a shame. More importantly, it’s an example of people getting worked up about the wrong things.
A female, feminist friend of mine, living here but born in England, was complaining to me about the cheerleaders, saying they were simply not appropriate in a country like India, and demeaning for women.
I am not sure. As anyone who spends too long watching ESPN will know, cheerleading is a serious business in the United States, a sort of synchronised gymnastics with some pretty impressive routines.
I doubt that many of the girls from the States, or Uzbekistan, felt like they were being exploited when they were invited to India for what promised to be a thoroughly enjoyable few weeks.
That is, until certain, male sections of the crowd, began abusing them.
“It’s been horrendous,” Tabitha, a cheerleader from Uzbekistan, told the Hindustan Times. “Wherever we go we expect people to pass lewd, snide remarks but I’m shocked by the nature and the magnitude of the comments people pass here.”
I am an American woman who is engaged to a wonderful Indian Man. We have talked endlessly about things that concern our upcomming marriage, our family values, how we will raise our children, where we will live, etc. I want nothing more than for him to protect and preserve the culture in which he was raised, but I have a concern about raising our children in India, specifically if we had a daughter. I have been to India several times and there are so many things of value that I love about the culture and the people of India. But, like Charlotte, I have seen the ugly side of the culture and have fell victim to unwelcomed stares, comments, and physical touch. I think the Gov. in India should shift their focus to changing the ugly aspects of their society as well as striving to preserve the things about India that make it a great country. How will they do that? I dont have a solution. My only suggestion would be to try and cultivate a new generation of people that value the contributions that both men and women bring to society. They also need to focus on teaching what is apropriate behavior in both public and private settings. It is a growing problem that will only be able to fly under the radar for a little while longer until its reached a breaking point. My hope is that it will not go unnoticed for that long… for my sake and the sake of the next generation of children. Its also important to mention that as my fiance and I have talked about our culture and what is important to us he always expresses the things about India that he is frustrated about and that he thinks are shortcommings… I also focus on the aspects of India that I love so much. With our combined vision I know that we will bring out the best in our respecitve cultures and not focus on the where both the US and India have fallen short.
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The Wall
The show must go on is somewhat hippocritical. The show must go on if its India involved but what about Pakistan? Many recent tournaments there have been cancelled or been mooved to neutral venues;why?The answer is simple .India generates the most wealth in cricket today.If it werent for India cricket would have probably been on its dying days but with the IPL the amount of cash generated has kept the intrest levels up.This is also reflected in the fact that former greats West Indies and New Zealand are cash strapped and this has shown in their performances. How many great players from New Zealand have been lost to the ICL?So to play or not to play is a question many have to answer these days keeping in mind their wallets too!