Anarchic Analogy

On that chilly summer afternoon, when a bunch of youngsters lifted an innocuous looking trophy, little did they know that their feat would change the nature of the gentleman's game forever. It was on 25th of June 1983 when Cricket moved out of the lush green English countryside to find a new home in dusty lanes of the Indian subcontinent.

The rest, as they say, is History.

As we celebrate the greatest moment in our collective conscience, it's high time for introspection. We as a nation seem to be obsessed with this sport. The sound of a ball hitting the sweet spot on the bat can evoke such emotions that even the greatest of all orators can't. We jump with joy whenever India scores a win, and our heart skips a beat every time Sachin is on 99!

But, have you ever wondered what is the reason behind this frenzy?

The answer probably lies in our colonial past. Cricket is a legacy of our erstwhile rulers. It was the pasttime of the Sahibs...after all it was/is the Gentleman's Game. And it's the aspiration of becoming a gentleman that has led to the immense popularity of the game. Even though the British ruled us with an iron fist,we, Indians seemed to have a love-hate relationship with our perpetrators. We loathed them and yet, in the deep chambers of our heart, we aspired to become one of them... We wanted to shed our brown skins for white one, and if that was not possible, at least we could become like them in our mannerisms.

So we started dressing like them (The three piece suit, the Hat and the walking stick). We even started speaking their language, and we wanted to make their sport ours too. So the popularity of cricket has more to do with our fascination to become like them than with anything else. (Much in the same fashion, we are obsessed with fair skin...the numerous advertisements on the boob-tube just reiterate the fact)

If we could adopt cricket we could truly become the Gentleman, we always aspired to. So we practised, and practised and practised. And on that fateful day twenty five years ago, we achieved our dream...

We truly became the Brown Sahib.