Cricket: Overhyped?

I had been wondering for ages what’s with boys and cricket? Girls, pardon me, but a handful of female followers of cricket is not going to make me say that girls are just as crazy fanatics of this sport.  And I genuinely doubt whether they actually follow the "sport"… or the hunks on the ground! ;)

I enjoy sports - be it playing badminton, TT or just watching Fedex play like poetry in motion on those beautiful courts of Wimbledon and Roland Garros.                

But cricket? I never understood why 23 (or is it 24?) people (I say people, and not boys, lest the girls should retaliate) would willingly spend 5 long days in the scorching sun, barely able to see the ball in the glaring sunlight! And as for the audience, don’t you have any better work than to follow a match for 5 painstakingly slow days? Ok, I understand the ODIs are much easier and fun to watch. But still, why would you want to spend 8-10hrs watching a match? Umm… beats me! Enter IPL – much better! But still?

Well, as it turns out, my company is hosting their own Champion’s League and VOILA! Who do you think lands in the middle of the project’s cricket team? Yes, me – the person who a) does not know the rules of the game b) does not know offside from a legside (and is hoping she at least got the names right here) and c) well, is just stumped (pun intended) that someone would want her on their team :P Don’t be surprised… turns out they didn’t have a choice - having 2 girls on the team was mandatory.. poor guys! I still feel for them… :D

3 days of cricket have me stumped – again! But this time around, I am all smiles about this fantastic sport.:) Oh My God! What enthusiasm, what energy, what team spirit! I have never seen such a crazy yet absolutely revitalizing and stimulating uproar ever. It’s not 11 players; it is ONE TEAM that’s playing. Be it the appreciation after a good ball, a smashing shot (runs or no runs) or morale booster after a disappointing performance (“Good going… ”, “Easy”, “Good ball…”, “Well played”), the spirit is simply mind-blowing.

Up until now, whatever few matches of cricket that I have watched, there have been only two reasons – a) Sachin Tendulkar b) Rahul Dravid (no, not because of good looks, but just because he is family). But hey, I think I might have to change my priorities ;)

Legside, Offside, Yorker, Square cut, Silly mid-on are not so silly anymore.;) They have actually started making some sense after 20 long years :)

Overhyped? Too early to say, me thinks ;)

PS:  Did I mention that I hit a boundary? Was high for an hour after the realization  :P

A Heartfelt Tribute

He was full of enthusiasm, full of positive energy and full of life. How those days whizzed by I have no clue. Those were some of the best days of my life. I can still recall the words, the laughter, and the sheer energy that rubbed off on me. I had known him since I was barely 6-7yrs old. I used to read his works almost every single day of my childhood years - the man we all lovingly know as ‘Uncle Pai’. :)

Mr. Anant Pai or Uncle Pai as he is popularly known started one of the most amazing children’s comics ‘Tinkle’. He was creator of the famous Amar Chitra Katha series. There might hardly be any kid in India who hasn’t read one of his books. He was the pioneer when it came to Indian comics.

I am back, writing this blog after a gap of almost 8months, because after hearing what I heard sometime back, I simply cannot contain my thoughts, memories and my experience of interacting with Anant uncle to myself.

I was in the 10^th grade when there was a circular announcing there was to be a workshop in our school and that it was going to be conducted by none other than the man behind Tinkle… Tinkle, the one book I had an yearly subscription for...  possibly my first experience when it came to cultivating the habit of reading (not in the 10^th grade silly :P 10^th grade was more the world of Sidney Sheldons, Jeffery Archers, Robin Cooks .. and of course Mills & Boon ;) ).

When I met him, he did not look more than 50-55yrs old. Little did I know then that he was actually all of 70years! At 70, he could have beaten any 10year old at being energetic and full of life. As the days progressed, we learnt so much from him. I cannot believe it’s been a decade since then… an era!

During one of the exercises to evaluate our concentration power, he had divided us all in pairs and had asked us to find certain letters in a puzzling gamut of letters of the English alphabet. He was so surprised when I scored 50/50 in all three of them… I think that moment has been etched in my memory forever... I had beamed with pride and still do whenever I recall that incident! But for him, I never would have realized my potential in a lot of areas. I owe part of my self-confidence to him. Thank you uncle! J

On the last day of the workshop, he asked me to come and stand beside him. In front of the entire gathering he asked me if I was happy with my height. I went red with embarrassment and lied – I said yes. I am very sure he did not buy my answer and hence went on to give us the example of Shivaji Maharaj, who despite his stature did what barely few had the courage to even attempt.

So that was Uncle Pai for you. A friendly, warm person who made a difference in my life and I’m sure he has touched the hearts and lives of a lot of young kids, just the way he touched mine. J

Uncle Pai passed away this evening. But he will continue to live in our hearts forever. We will miss you uncle!

A tribute which I came across–

Tinkle, Tinkle Uncle Pai, 
How I wonder where you are, 
Up above the world so high, 
Like a nice man in the sky.

Befitting! :)