IS THIS QUITE CRICKET

IS THIS QUITE CRICKET?

Cricketing enthusiasm in India notwithstanding, cricketing literacy here is rather poor. A surface knowledge of the game and utter ignorance of its history seems to be the dominant theme in a country that supposedly adheres to cricket as a 'religion' cutting across cultural barriers. Where religion divides, cricket unites. But a terrible apathy towards the history of cricket marks the shallowness of approach to this game here, even amongst the greats of the game in this country. For instance, Virender Sehwag has openly admitted that till the early years of this millennium, well into his playing career, he did not know who Vinoo Mankad was. That tells us the story. Tiger Pataudi had famously remarked then that the Indian cricket coach, Greg Chappell, ought to make for lessons in cricket's history for his players alongside his regimen of physical exercises aimed at fitness. The devastating implication was that an ignorant mind was unfit as well in terms of whatever goes by the name of cricket.

Written by Sugata Bose

Photo : Vinoo Mankad in action. For those who care not to know their nation's glorious cricketing heritage or the heritage of the great game in general across the globe.

Comments :

Sugata Bose @Utsav Datta : Do not worry. I will be writing more about the exploits of Vinoo Mankad to dispel this delusion about him in the minds of his mindless countrymen of this day. By the way. Is Sehwag's stupendous ignorance justifiable reason for diminution of Vinoo Mankad's stupendous achievements on the cricket field? Sehwag is equally ignorant about most other elements of cricketing history barring those which he was privy to in his cricketing career. What of it? It would be worthwhile reading in depth the history of the great game rather than running down individuals of preeminence in it on the basis of superficial knowledge and understanding. Indian cricket deserves a better deal surely than its obvious pecuniary aspect as is now current in corrosive commercial terms. A deeper appreciation of the game's greats would enrich both individual and the aggregate in cricketing terms.