Beyond the boundary - Mea Culpa (8 June 1999)
The weather reports are not promising for the World Cup matches this week
08-Jun-1999
8 June 1999
Beyond the boundary - Mea Culpa
Shakil Kasem
The weather reports are not promising for the World Cup matches this
week. Should the rains have their say again today, it would be akin to
a form of revenge for the early exit of all things cricket, and
English, as far as this competition concerned.
The single overriding reason why the elements should away from this
match is simple: this is not just another cricket match. This match
transcends the borders of the conscious into the subconscious, it goes
beyond the prosaic and the mundane details of just bat hitting ball,
it climbs the heights of expectations of over a billion souls who,
left on their own, would probably not even know one end of a bat from
another. Strong men weep at the outcome of this match, the weak at
times put themselves out of their misery, so meaningless does the
world become for them.
It is not just teams from Group A and B playing each other. This is
India playing Pakistan. This, to the uninitiated is not just a cricket
match. The captains may say what they want, diplomacy and tact somehow
come naturally to them when they are asked to predict the outcome or
explain their approach. Deep in their hearts they know it is different
from any other match. No dressing room worth its salt would be seen
without a brooding cloud of tension that envelops each and every
player. The skipper expects a certain level of adrenaline to be
coursing through the veins of his players. Woe betide otherwise.
As India takes on Pakistan today, the world would watch with bated
breath whether Pakistan can travel the path that it feels is ordained
for them. Fact and figuratively, several lives would be flashing past
Azhar's eyes, as his team nears the end of the road of its star
crossed campaign. Theoretically, India's input left in this
competition is just that of being of nuisance value. Presently, they
are very much on the floor, having suffered a series of mortal blows
in the past few days. But that, as every Tom, Dick and Abdul who can
tell his cricket from his Colgate knows, is of little concern
today. This match is special, it has always been. The heat is on.
Pakistan would be unleashing their battery of fast bowlers against a
batting side, that looks invincible on paper, and in fact, against any
other side in the world. But, against Pakistan this batting has
crumbled and disintegrated more times than one cares to remember. It
is one of the paradoxes of this World Cup that, India has still not
been able to decide where to hide the best batsman in the world. The
Indian obsession of keeping him under wraps yet expecting him to
perform, has so confused and demoralised the man concerned, that
neither Tendulkar nor India have caused any inconvenience to the
bowling opponents. Tendulkar, thanks to his over protective team
management, is now reduced to a pale shadow of what he was. Nervous
and edgy, he has gone into a shell. In the West Indies, the cry would
no doubt have arisen in a similar situation, to "let de tiger loose,
maan!". But the twain shall never meet, and now that it is too late,
India can repent at leisure, once the heads have rolled.
Pakistan go into this match as firm favourities. They have played
India many a time before, and know their weaknesses inside out. They
have taken perverse pleasure in kicking the soft underbelly of the
Indian line-up so many times before, that barring a totally unexpected
shock that has to register fairly high on the Richter Scale, the
outcome of this match is in little doubt. Pakistan only needs a
sensible collected approach to get the two points they need. Two
defeats in the recent past, may have shaken their confidence levels
somewhat, but India seem to be the cool and soothing balm for any
lingering effects of their trauma. India needs a massive win to keep
their hopes alive in this competition. That, Watson, is not on the
cards. Cricket may be a funny game, but it has not got funnier to the
extent that warrants the improbable.
As far as England '99 is concerned, India and Pakistan are but passing
ships at sea. Before the day is dead, however, they will have enacted
another chapter in one of the most abiding and intriguing sporting
rivalries of our time.
Source :: The Bangladesh Daily Star (https://www.dailystarnews.com)