Cricket, a Gentlemen's Game?
Bangalore: Cricket has always been considered as a gentlemen’s game but the credibility of this adjective is really a matter of question now. There have been so much of changes in the rules of cricket and the attitudes towards this game from 13th century, since cricket appeared for the first time. The game has got a very new form and energy now. The introduction of 50 over cricket and then 20 over cricket has increased the number of cricket viewers. Indians have now taken this game whole heartedly and many players have heroic position in their hearts. The growing impact of cricket can be seen from the increasing popularity of IPL matches.
Some of the incidents prove that cricket is not always a gentlemen’s game. In a test match between Australia and India, we saw the star cricketer Andrew Symonds staying at the crease when he was clearly out. He took advantage of umpire’s mistake and cheated the game. He himself admitted later that he was out when he was at the score of 30.
Look at our Young icon Virat Kohli. He is now famous for his arrogant character especially after showing the middle finger at the aggressive crowd of Sydney. Kohli’s spoke in the press conference “Scoring eight hundreds in one-day internationals can’t be a fluke,” as reported by New York Times. He also added, “It’s international cricket as well. I don’t know why people have been questioning my technique or temperament so much.”
His point is very clear from his words. Why should we bother about a player’s attitudes if he plays well for the team?
We must also not forget the Harbajan and Andrew Symonds issue which brought shame to the game of cricket. History of cricket shows how the popularity and stardom created aggressive players. One of the earliest superstars W.G. Grace is another example for the deceitful kind of game and aggressiveness.
