Transformation

World Cup cricket 2011was on and in India or rather Indian Subcontinent including Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh Cricket is the most important sport. India, Pakistan and Bangladesh each have won World Cup once. Like others I was interested but not a fanatic supporter. So I was following but was not regularly glued to the television. One of my friend had taken advance leave for all the days when India’s matches were scheduled. The team progressed and then India was face to face with arch rivals Pakistan. The rivalry is similar to Ashes between Australia and England. My team mates went on leave.I was working on my desk but found all the secretarial staff were busy with one small television set that managed to smuggle in.

Irritated I went out of my cabin to chide them. My coughing to attract their attention just failed to create any impression on them. When I said this was wrong one of them stood up and said “Sorry sir, we should have asked you to sit and watch.”

“But this is office and you just cannot sit here and watch game of cricket.”

“Game of Cricket! Sir this is World Cup and you should also watch.”

This was getting intolerable. I looked around and said very categorically that this behavior was unacceptable.

On returning home I found my father and my son glued to the television watching the world cup semifinals. I sat down dejected and was looking at them. They are so engrossed that they almost refused to acknowledge my presence. While sitting by their side I also started looking at the match and then when I do not know I also became an active spectator. My heart beat increased with every passing over, whole my being taken over as if by magic by those twenty two men busy on the field.

On 2nd April when the final was scheduled I had already applied for a day’s leave so that I could watch the match. With all the superstitions that accompany the stupidity of the spectators I was shouting dancing at every run being scored every opponent wicket falling. Saying my prayers along with my friends when opponent was playing well.

It really surprises me how I became a fanatic fan from a person who took it as just another game of cricket

Advertisement