Death of a Gentleman

Lets talk about cricket. Not the cricket we are witnessing today. Lets reel back 15 years of
our lives and recall what the sport was and compare it with what it has become. Lets talk
about that era of cricket when mouthing-off on the field and creating an environment of
hostility was not cool. A peculiar thing about this game is and always been the fan following
it has across the globe, especially in India where cricket is a religion of which Sachin is the
God. I remember the days in the dining hall of our college where the crowd would gather and
indulge in the game so religiously that they would forget the food served and celebrate
victories with unimaginable vigour. What happened to the game, then? Why did I stop
watching the sport, a sport to which I was so sanctimoniously devoted? Was it just the
retirement of the legends or something much more than that? From a closer look you can see
that the game has changed, the fans have changed and the priorities have been shifted. There
comes the reason for your alienation. You cannot help but notice that aggression has taken
over what used be a gentlemans game. Virat Kohli slips his tongue in the middle of a game
and instead of being condemned; the act is immensely appreciated and applauded. And its
not the players to blame alone but also the audiences that have grown fond of the depreciation
in the sport. The premier leagues are also to be blamed to an extent where the spirit of the
game has been lost to commerciality, not to mention the fixing scandals we have witnessed
over the seasons. Deceit and subversion have over-shadowed the game of cricket and yet it
persists in its snobbery of being a gentlemans game. Over the years, we have observed
decaying passion and zeal for the sport and sad to say, its dying a slow death. Dont bother
looking up to the Gods for they are retired and old and the game has gone to the dogs. As
Andy Bull, a senior sports writer for The Guardian notes, while reviewing a 2015
documentary made on the depressed state of affairs of the game, Too much T20. Too much
ODI cricket. Too many meaningless Test matches. Too little state school cricket. Too many
overworked players. Too many overpaid players. Too many counties. Too many empty
stands. Too many exploited fans. Too much self-interest. Too much temptation. Too much
money. Too much corruption. In times like these one cannot help but be reminded of Bashir
Badrs celebrated couplets, Yah libs k qmat hai aadm k nah, mujhe gils bade de
sharb kam kar de.