IN THE world of discussions the most talked about and scrutinised thing is the meaning of a term called ’Life’. People have different interpretations for it and there is an old saying which goes that opinions cannot be right or wrong....one just needs to be convincing enough and you can win the battle.
On a very personal note I feel for it in a little unconventional way.
For me life is nothing but a silly game of cricket....and I am not saying this out of my obsession for this game but for an observation that crosses my mind every time I watch the game.
Well the first rule should be clear and that’s perform and perish.
The objective is common again, that all of us are chasing a stupid red cherry ball and are after it like a wild pack of dogs.
The target is that 100 run mark but the most interesting part is to see how one gets there. Now on a very personal note I always believe that it is the journey not the destination that matters. One may score it by playing all those gorgeous shots written in the textbooks and some may graft it with every hard earned run. There will be days when you will make a statement and on other occasions you may just crave for existence. One need to realise that everyday is not going to be the same. There will be days when you will stand on your front foot like Achilles an give the ball a beating of a life time something that will leave you on a high and as Hemingway says when one feels the best one shouldn’t speak about it....it takes away the shine out of it.
Then there will be days when you will end up being on the back foot playing those defensive shots and just wait for the bad ball to score runs. The idea is to play according to the situation. You may get your dream track one day and on odd occasions you may be struggling hard to judge the ball and will be missing it completely. What distinguishes a winner apart is his adaptability to play on different surfaces, to switch gears and come to terms with the situation. The risk factor should not be undermined at all after all this is something that spices up the journey but then wise men always go for calculated risks. One may not escape failure but there is always a chance to minimise your losses. One who does not have the guts to throw a dice can never expect to score a six. The approach takes you forward and style adds that X-Factor and last but not the least the magical word called sportsmanship that makes you accept your defeats and failures. When you are out done one should have the character to appreciate the effort of your opponent. This is something that gives you the worst feeling on this earth but then it requires a great deal of character to do that and finally humility that generates respect.
Though cricket is a gentleman’s game but then on odd occasions you can draw some inspiration out of these tit for tat situations.
Rod Marsh and Ian Botham: When Botham took guard in an Ashes match, Marsh welcomed him to the wicket with the words: "So how’s your wife and my kids?"
Merv Hughes and Viv Richards: During a test match in the West Indies Hughes didn’t say a word to Viv, but continued to stare at him after deliveries. Eventually Viv said, "This is my island, my culture. Don’t you stare at me. In my culture we just bowl." Merv didn’t reply, but after he dismissed him he announced to the batsman: "In my culture we just say ***** off."
Viv Richards and Greg Thomas: After going past the outside edge with couple of deliveries, Thomas told Richards: "It’s red, round and weighs about 5 ounces." Unfortunately for Thomas, the next ball was hammered out of the ground. Richard yelled to Thomas: "you know what it looks like, now go and find it."
