But then real men do not cry..

Real men don’t cry, not at least in public!

Is it a myth? Pictures of a profusely wailing Steve Smith, the ex-captain of Australian cricket team, splashed across media, contradict this theory. The young and wise man has been the captain of one of the most robust cricketing teams, a very responsible position. So what makes the tears and emotions flow down his cheeks, the passion for the game or the invincible desire to be the winner by hook or by crook or simply the monies…

What! I am writing on cricket, a game whose techniques I don’t understand very well. Although simple nuances like a cover drive or a fine leg or a silly point or a long drive, I am well aware of and for this I have to be gratuitous towards male members of my family as cricket matches have been the staple on Television and the dinner table discussions used to be serious technique ripping talks often laced with the admiration for the finesse a particular legendary cricket player manifested.

Yes, helicopter shot in full glory is my favourite since the man who brought it in limelight is somebody who I hero worship. (For the uninitiated, we are talking about MSD here). Not exactly for his cricketing skills but more for his leadership qualities, presence of mind and a very calm approach when under tremendous pressure. Although his distractors find him to be a shrewd man who engulfed many other talents on the ground. But all this will fall on deaf ears since I told you I simply hero worship him and not ready to listen to any antagonistic opinions about my idol ( how we put celebrities on a pedestal of worshipping is topic for another blog).

Why am I digressing from the orginal topic of latest scandal of ball tampering which hit the gentleman’s game? A gentleman’s game is what I am calling cricket? I think I have completely lost it. Cricket is no more a gentleman’s game. It’s a game of aggression, bad mouthing, of winning and simply winning at any cost and yes one more technique that I do understand is sledging, which is, intimidating the opposite player with mostly a verbal attack. Australians have been the pioneers of this technique. Of late, been christened as very ‘arrogant and boorish’, Australian players have been in the news for wrong reasons on several occassions before. But this was cherry on their muddy cake.

So the captain, vice captain and the coach are all shedding tears. Crocodile tears..nope since their reputation has been in tatters and they would be losing big chunk of moolah! Meanwhile another money spinner, oops, a cricketing mela is about to kickstart back home. The gentleman’s game is long dead…long live the circus!!