CRICKET- Game, Culture, or Money spinning machine- What it means for India?

Cricket once a gentleman's game- now has almost lost or on the brink of loosing that title- is quite popular in India. You don't need no more than recent reaction to the World cup win to gauge its popularity. In fact , non association with the game raises, most obviously, the eye brows and it makes you surely odd man (or woman?) out. Our politicians, film stars, celebrities ( including Poonam Pandey), have never missed the opportunity to exploit this occasion. All are doing whatever required to make their presence felt in this rare cheerful atmosphere.

What surprises me with respect to cricket is- less or certainly no play of cricket by Indians. Like football or baseball as have been played in those game worship countries, common Indian don't play cricket. Parents scold their children if they take bat or ball out. There are no clubs at local level which encourage local talent and conduct the local level tournament. However, still this game is surprisingly popular here in India.

Game, as is understood world over, is played for recreational or entertaining purpose. Sometimes used as educational tool. It seems Indians, in that sense, have no gaming culture. We, like Australians, don't give up everything for sport. Nor like British, have the definite season for games in our life style. Our entertainment is mostly sought through religious festivals which often make their way into our lives along with agricultural season.

Then why Indians are frenzy with cricket? Because it suits our hero worshiping and gambling culture.

We are tuned to hero worshiping. Be it in religious (Deities), economic ( Tata, Birla, NRN etc), political ( Gandhi family), social ( Mahatma Gandhi) space. We need a hero. That's the reason why we are great in individualistic performing arts. We are not good in playing sports (like foot ball) or performing art (like western symphony) which requires harmony. Our religion makes us hero worshipers and we are wired to it.

Gambling is something we cherish the most. Though, because of Gandhian ideological influence, Indian state is too restrictive on gambling activity. Indians, ironically, are quite crazy about it. There are so many local sports which encourage gambling. Be it a hen fight, goat fight etc. We gamble upon all possible movements of life. ( During common wealth games all Indian politicians, news channels said " Like a Indian wedding every thing will fall in place" when stadiums were not ready. It's an example of gambling attitude.)

Cricket has come to our fold to nurture these instinctive behaviors. In fact, we have made it so gamble friendly that IPL is a great contribution in that effort. Some people use it as hero worship tool and some as gambling. See how, in last one year, Sachin has caught the attention of the mass and the usage of "GOD" as appendage to his name. Also observe, how for every ball and every possible action in the ground bet is made. In this sense cricket has taken our traits to its zenith.

So cricket has no single meaning here in India. It means different thing to different people. For budding professional player ( who only play it as a sport) its future career option and money making avenue. For gambler's too its a safer betting option. For the rest its "GOD" making machine who worship them until someone is manufactured either from Bollywood ( another hero producing machine) or from cricket.

But picture is not so faded as I am painting it now. Still there are very few Indians who cherish it as a sport. They wake up early morning to watch the Ashes. Even, some watch local matches over Australian channel 9. These people like test cricket. They cherish the Lakshman's cover drive more and hate to see Dhoni's so called helicopter shot. Still they remember Bangalore's Prasanna or Chandrashekar's bowling majesty than Malinga's speed. But, very sadly, they are small in number and it's not a good news for cricket as sport.