Opinion All that Cup chatter

We’ve got great expectations of this team and ambitions soaring higher than the Dhaka building on which intrepid performers played cricket during the opening ceremony last Friday. And the media does everything in its power to rouse mass hysteria. News 24 had Indians from Kashmir to Kanyakumari,praying India wins; and not a day passes without a TV news channel declaring us the gods of cricket.

For instance,on CNN-IBN,Rajdeep Sardesai asked his Kings of Cricket: is this the best (Indian) team ever? “Fantastic side,” agreed Anil Kumble. “It’s the best chance to win,” added Imran Khan. “India are the favourites,” insisted Allan Border. But,warned Vivian Richards who was part of the West Indies losing side in 1983,“Favourites do not have divine right to win.” Yes but,protested Sardesai,not really listening to his cautionary tale,“Is this the best — better than 1983 and 2003?” The retired players are reluctant to commit themselves either way: suppose India were to lose (treacherous thought!)?

Since there’s more than a month before the Cup comes home or travels abroad,news channels fell back on memories of that summer when for one brief,shining,unforgettable moment,we were the best. “But,” recalled Syed Kirmani (NDTV India) who was behind the stumps when we won,“India were not the favourites in 1983.”

1983: A love story. We’re still romancing that famous victory. Every news channel parades one,two or even three members of that winning combination who joyously relive the Cup that was once ours: Kapil Dev,Madan Lal and Yashpal Sharma on Aaj Tak,Mohinder Amarnath (Zee),Kirti Azad (IBN-7),Syed Kirmani (NDTV India) and,of course,Sunil Gavaskar and Ravi Shastri (ESPN). We need to win this Cup if only to update our TV panels and their recollections.

TV news is teeming with cricketers-turned-commentators: there is no bar on looks,shapes,sizes,age or nationality. The problem is that there are just too many of them so we can’t quite remember who said what when. If Headlines Today selected Sourav Ganguly,Kapil,M. Azharuddin,Aravinda De Silva,and Clive Lloyd,Times Now has for its Power Play Barry Richards,Graeme Hick,Shane Bond,Sanath Jayasuriya,Arun Lal and,sometimes,Atul Wassan. Alongside is the one and only maiden over whom the male anchor positively drooled. She’s “the first woman of cricket,the oomph factor of cricket” with the “hottest voice” (what’s that got to do with the game?) — Mandira Bedi. Don’t think she’s there just for her smile,oh no. She can hold her own in the company of greats: “Bhaji is a bowling all-rounder”; “Last time Bangladesh beat us,we should respect them….”

That leaves Rakhi Sawant to lead out her team against Veena Malik’s in a doosra sort of game — Bigg Toss (India TV). We kid you not. It’s a reality show (what else with Rakhi?) with a cricket theme where contestants bent over frequently to show their other side,but more than that we will not reveal.

Lastly,the Hindi cricket commentary (Star Sports) takes you back to an era before TV was invented. It’s still a radio show: the highly excitable commentators talk throughout,their voices full of highs and lows depending on the state of the match for India. “Yeh gaind Tendulkar ko,flick kiya.. aur ye CHAAR RUN!”