Spoilsport !

Bush is coming to India next week . In his interview he gave to a newspaper today , he states that he likes the game of cricket . George Bush , capitalist extraordinaire , commander in chief of the world’s most powerful army , likes the lowly game of cricket which is not even played in the United states ! Surely , something is amiss .Probably , he hasen’t seen a game or didn’t want to sound ignorant .
This nation of a billion people is obsessed with cricket . Was there ever a lousier game than cricket ? A game played by twenty two fools and watched by twenty two thousand . That’s the description George Orwell gave the game . Aptly so.
There can’t be a worser format than this game’s . Played either over five days or over one day , it needs a very elaborate format of play with many many matches resulting in no result . The records are created over years of play and stay unbroken for years more . There’s no other game that has players consistenly joining the game at intermittent intervals .It’s like a soap opera that has characters coming in and out of the game creating emotional turpitude . There’s no other game that has a substitute player running the runs after the batsman has hit the run in case the main player limps around nursing an injury . There’s no other game that has nine hours of play or worse , forty five hours of play . There’s no other game that interrupts a nation’s productivity over such a long period of time as much as this game does . There’s no other game played over just eight countries most of whom are poor . There’s no other game that has so much of drama and controversy . And there’s no other game that has generated so much money as cricket has. Then there are players like Mohammed Kaif , the guy is a brilliant fielder . No batting , no bowling , just fielding , Imagine standing the whole day waiting for the ball to come their way just to know that it will probably land in your hands twice a day . And there’s probably no other game that burns as little calories as this game does .
Yet , cricket is religion in India . Cricketers are worshipped like gods .Sport crazy Kolkatta went on strike because their representative Sauruv Ganguly wasn’t selected to the Indian team . That Sachin Tendulkar , accredited best batsaman in the world , didn’t pay taxes on the Ferrari that he stealthily imported into the country was forgiven inspite of the riches that he has amassed endorsing brands . The fame he stakes a claim to is a result of the opportunity provided by the country and yet he decides to default on the tax is incredulous and unforgivable . The nation forgives and forgets a cricketer .
Hansie cronje was the ruthless result-oriented captain of the feared South African cricket team with many victories in his bag .One fine day , the Delhi police, who I think rank as the best police team in the country , cracked a plot wherein game information was being given to punters by some cricketers , who were betting big dollars on the game .So, for a consideration , say ten million dollars , a cricketer would be approached to share information on a critical team decision like what would the team decide to do if they won the toss – bat or bowl . Then , a bowler would be payed to bowl bad deliveries so runs are easily scored . ‘Match Fixing’ ,this method of sharing information or playing to external gambling groups , is the hated legal term now . Hansie Cronje crafted many victories for the South African team that went on to get many laurels . A whole host of cricketers , Indian and South African got caught in the quagmire and regretted it . A promising Indian captain Azaaruddin and a budding batsman Ajay jadeja are out of the game , suspects of match fixing . This crazy lure of the moolah as laid to rest this brilliancy of any of their efforts . The game is forever suspect .Hansie Cronjie was pardoned by Nelson Mandela , started a new life consulting for a South African company . Just about settling down , he lived life as a recluse till one day , he died in an aircraft crash .
In no other sport has so much fame led to such a brutal end .
I dislike cricket from the bottom of my heart . It’s the lousiest game ever invented . Am glad that just eight countries play the game and that no new nation is planning to love the game .
The game that I love is soccer .
Short bursts of forty minutes , intensive calorie crunching , great team game , fantastic to demonstrate leadership and with the simplest of formats. Played by the richest countries in the world it is definitely the best game one can play .
Was introduced to the game in school , couldn’t play much in college but had many occasions to play while at work . the only sports medal I have ever won is the silver medal in football that I won in my eight grade . My bulk relegated me to be a backie , but have migrated to being an aggressive right winger , scoring many goals in my soccer games . Remember thrashing ICICI bank and onward technologies , two companies that I had the pleasure of thrashing in exciting forty five minute soccer games .
Soccer requires a strategy that’s intense and teamwork that has no equal .
The pleasure of Ronaldo tearing through the ranks to score his goal , the ecstacy of watching Beckam’s footwork or the brilliance of Henry Thierry each time he gives Real Madrid with its contingent of stars a run for their money is extremely satisfying .
The stylish brazilains , the systematic germans , the arrogant british and the aggressive argentinians , all make this game a sheer simple delight .
Soccer is certainly the most superior game on earth ,
So why on earth would the President of Rugby and Basketball playing country bother giving cricket even a remark ?