Why not watch cricket...

Whenever someone turns the discussion to India not doing well in sports I always try to support the theory that cricket is the root cause. For some reason I always think that since there is too much attention towards cricket in India all the other sports take a back seat.

There are only some sports which is accessible to all people. Especially in countries like India. For instance take Tennis. This game is still played in India only by the elite. The Paes and Mirzas of Indian tennis are people from this creamy layer of Indian society. The only ones which come to mind as being accessible to all are cricket, football and maybe hockey. These are games with out much fuss and all they demand are numbers (which we never lack). ie all you need is a ball and a sizeable crowd for these games. Yes, cricket demands some more equipment but these are easily replaced with things you can find around.

Out of these I think football is the most complete sport. But you will notice that it is popular only in some states like Bengal, Kerala, Goa etc and if you think more deeply maybe there is hidden reason for this. Football as a game requires lot of stamina and strength. It is very taxing on your energy. And perhaps these are the only states which offer the kind of climate suited for this game. Playing football in the hot climate of Chennai or some north Indian city is unthinkable. Same is the case with hockey and moreover you need to find a lot of sticks. Cricket when considering these aspects is ideally suited for the Indian climate. At a time not more than two people are active in the game and you get enough time to catch your breath.

I agree that it is always nice to catch a match of tennis or a football game on TV. But when there is representation from your country the level of interest and passion is unparalleled. And today cricket is the only sport which offers us these elements.

So why not sit back and enjoy a good match of cricket rather than cribbing about it. And we have all the more reason with the Worldcup around the corner.