India’s Gambhir Issue




India's Gambhir Issue

India's Gambhir Issue

2G radiation has hit Indian cricket and before you say “I told you so” let me clarify it has got nothing to do with Sharad Pawar. The 2G in this case, Gautam Gambhir whose presence in the qualifier against Mumbai Indians while not being 100 per cent fit, has led to a furious `club vs country’ battle on the airwaves. Angry television anchors have decided that this is THE most important issue facing the country today. After all, India travels to the West Indies soon after the IPL, where its captain, a gentleman called Darren Sammy has said, the Windies will defeat India.

Damn.

Those who stand accused include KKR, SRK, GG, BCCI, IPL. How come Gauti was allowed to play and aggravate his injury ahead of the `crucial’ tour to the West Indies is the question. Didn’t he remember he is the captain for the one-day tour? Did KKR force IPL 4’s most expensive player at $ 2.4 million to play the crucial match? Did the BCCI look the other way? Can a club game be deemed more important than an India game? And lastly, was SRK so adamant about KKR getting into the final so that he could show Ganguly his place and his 6 pack (or is it 8-pack?) by taking off his shirt at Chennai?

The country deserves to know.

I find this entire discussion nauseating. Subjects for discussions created and thrown at the viewer. If this 45-day jamboree of pyjama cricket is only a `club’ affair, why have the TV channels been going overboard creating special shows for the IPL with retired cricketers and models discussing the Gayle storms and Malinga slingers daily. The other day, I even heard someone mentioning on TV that IPL 4 has been a bore; no slapgates of the Bhajji-Sreesanth variety.

And say, Gambhir did not carry an injury but got hit during the match. Would he still be hanged for being `careless’ while batting? What is the guarantee that the final of the IPL will not see a casualty?

When IPL began in 2008, it ushered in an element of pop patriotism. Of cricket fans rooting for their respective city teams. Hyderabad discovered fake love for Gilchrist and Punjab for Brett Lee. The same fans were nowhere on the scene when their Mumbai played against Tamilnadu in the Ranji Trophy. Or Karnataka versus Bengal. The Badrinaths, Ashwins and Pathans who play to packed houses in the IPL perform before empty stands in the premier domestic championship. No TV station evinces interest in which cricketer plays a Ranji semi-final, carrying an injury.

The fact of the matter is that a super greedy BCCI is out to kill the game by pushing cricketers beyond a limit. Cricketers have been reduced to robots and they cannot complain because they are being paid to use their bodies. To run, to dive, to cheer.

And if the Windies tour is indeed so crucial, the same judges at 9 pm should haul MSD, SRT and ZK also for choosing to skip the tour. And ask if they shouldn’t have skipped their duty with CSK, MI and RCB respectively to prepare to travel to Port of Spain.

The media is barking up the wrong tree. If it is so concerned about cricket and cricketers and Indian pride, mount pressure through a campaign for lesser matches and more rest for the players. This trend of `Did Gambhir do the right thing by playing the match’? SMS Yes or NO to xxxxx’ is more of a Gambhir samasya for Indian journalism.

Courtesy: The South Reports

Tags: , , , , , ,

T S Sudhir

Author:

T S Sudhir is Executive Editor with `The South Reports'. Earlier, he was Editor (South) with NDTV from 1995-2011.

Cricket

US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti enjoys gully cricket in Jaipur

US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti enjoys gully cricket in Jaipur

Posted by: Vikram Kamboj on February 4th, 2024

Jaipur, 04 February 2024: US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti was in the pink city on Saturday where the Ambassador dropped by Rajasthan Royals’ home stadium ..

Football

LALIGA Concludes ‘Extra Time’ Webinar Series

LALIGA Concludes ‘Extra Time’ Webinar Series

Posted by: Pooja Kamboj on May 16th, 2024

Continuing to work alongside stakeholders from the sports fraternity, LALIGA, the world’s largest football ecosystem, brought the curtains down on this se ..

Tennis

Leander Paes inducted into International Tennis Hall of Fame

Leander Paes inducted into International Tennis Hall of Fame

Posted by: Vikram Kamboj on December 19th, 2023

Former doubles world No. 1 Leander Paes was recently elected to receive the Ultimate Honor in Tennis – induction into the International Tennis Hall of Fame &# ..

F1

Life Lessons learned from Sports & Fitness #TOSBDay

Life Lessons learned from Sports & Fitness #TOSBDay

Posted by: Vikram Kamboj on September 26th, 2016

Held on Sept 1st, The Outstanding Speakers’ Bureau (TOSB) Twinterview consisted of sports panelists such as Mark Gallagher (Public Speaker on F1 race), Shayam ..

Boxing

Anthony Joshua and Joseph Parker set for huge showdown

Anthony Joshua and Joseph Parker set for huge showdown

Posted by: Vikram Kamboj on February 15th, 2018

It looks like it will be a scintillating couple of months for fans of elite boxing. There is the prospect of the rematch between Gennady Golovkin and Saul ‘Ca ..

Other Sports

The 2023-24 Season of the Los Angeles Clippers: A Mid-Season Review

The 2023-24 Season of the Los Angeles Clippers: A Mid-Season Review

Posted by: Vikram Kamboj on February 15th, 2024

As the 2023-24 NBA season approaches the All-Star break, the Los Angeles Clippers have emerged as a formidable force in the Western Conference, showcasing their ..

One stop guide to all the latest sports news, reviews, opinions, fixtures and live scores from India and around the world.

Copyright © 2024 | The Sports Mirror