TWENTY20 cricket will become so big it will kill off the 50-over format and eventually take over from Tests as the dominant form of the game. These were the thoughts expressed yesterday by perhaps the game's best judge, former England captain Mike Atherton, who became the first experienced voice to publicly express the view that has dawned on many of us over the past week.
He’s suave, charismatic, well-educated, young and above all, a Gandhi. He communicates as well with the rural people as he does with boardrooms full of the corporate intelligentsia. Blessed with his father’s boyish charm and his mother’s dignified personality, Rahul Gandhi can usher in a young government for India – a government that is dynamic, idealistic and corruption-free.
On the other hand, his lack of appropriate experience goes against him. As does the Italian blood in his veins, according to the Hindutva brigade.
Do you think that if he’s chosen as the PM, he will revolutionize the way the world looks at India or even more importantly, the way Indians themselves look at their politicians? Or will he be a mere puppet in the hands of his mother and other Congress biggies? Will he stumble or will he rise?
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What do you think? Will Rahul Gandhi make a good Prime Minister for India? Or should the job be left to more experienced and older candidates?
Most of us who have been glued to the TV sets, ardently following the IPL cricket series, will have to admit that the action on the sidelines of the field has grabbed the same, if not more, attention than the action in the center of the field has. Yup, which male has been able to keep his eyes away from the “imported” cheerleaders, flashing their stuff in tiny skirts and bikini tops?
But the same cheerleaders have aroused – get your mind out of the gutter – yes, they’ve aroused ire. The Maharashtra government has voiced a strong opinion against them and so has our very own Bihari Babu, Shotgun Sinha. They feel it’s not proper that near-nude women dance on the sidelines of the favorite sport of a nation which “worships” women.
Are the semi-clad cheerleaders a detriment to the wholesome family entertainment that IPL offers? Or should they be just taken as a part of the game and the associated glamour quotient?
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What do you think? Are you comfortable with the cheerleaders dancing to Bollywood tunes each time Sehwag scores a six? Or do you think they are too much of a distraction? Should semi-nude women just be confined to centerfolds and item numbers? Or are they fine on the cricket ground?
Professional sports leagues have finally hit India. Big time. After Football, now it’s the game of the nation that has been neatly segmented into professional leagues, and on a much, much grander scale. Yes, I’m talking about Cricket and the ongoing IPL series.
The IPL involves big money, bigger celebrities (Shahrukh Khan, Preity Zinta to name a few), big business tycoons (Mukesh Ambani, Vijay Mallaya, etc.) and the biggest hype that India has seen. But is it only hype? Would you enjoy watching two cricketers who are part of Team India battle it out with each other as members of different IPL teams? Cricket has been all about Indian pride till now. The whole nation has celebrated as one whenever we beat Pakistan and has mourned together any international loss that has occurred. But now, the collective national pride is going to be put aside while individuals root for their cities or regions. Some will even make their choice based upon whichever celebrity owns the team.
Also, the commercial Twenty20 format of IPL has not gone down too well with the old-school fans of cricket.
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So, are you a purist and will you watch in disdain while the nation goes crazy over IPL? Or will you jump into the fray?
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