In
its intensity, its passion and its sheer scale, Indian cricket is unsurpassed
by any sport. One of my friends who has been in the media line told me once
that the only time and place he has heard anything to match the noise made in
an Indian ground when ViratKohli is batting well is at
the Old Firm derby. And just like the Old Firm, Indian cricket has sectarian
roots. Before the regionally-based Ranji Trophy, cricket in the country was all
about the Bombay Quadrangular, played in a Gymkhana outside the city walls
between teams representing the English, the Parsees, the Hindus and the
Muslims. Those divides are long since forgotten, subsumed beneath a more unifying
nationalistic desire to see team India win, but the strength of feeling those
matches provoked seems to linger still among a committed minority And cricket
videos.
The
passion for cricket is such that when Pakistan lost to India in the
quarter-finals of 1996 World Cup cricket videos,
two Pakistani fans died during the game, one had a heart attack and the other
committed suicide, turning his gun on himself after shooting out his TV screen.
Again, you have to be careful not to extrapolate conclusions from such
incidental and anecdotal evidence, but the stories still serve to exemplify the
strength of feeling some followers feel. Nothing else in cricket comes close. The
laws may stay the same, but financially and socially, cricket in some countries
like India is a whole different ball game.
cricket
videos celebrates the message that cricket is
a game for everyone. We know that sport, especially cricket,has the power to
bridge cultural divides. It has the unique capacity to bring together people
from all walks of life be it on the streets in India, the beaches in the
Caribbean or the alleyways in Melbourne. For years now, the game of cricket has
fostered greater harmony, respect and understanding of people from all
cultures. The impact that can be achieved by sharing a field together, and the
camaraderie that is developed between teammates and opponents alike, remains
the calling card of our sport. All cricketers, regardless of who they are, play
not just under the laws of the game but under the spirit of cricket.
Two
of the greatest passions of an average Indian at least for the last three
decades have been cricket and cinema whether it is watching, following,
discussing and debating the cricket matches or films with strong opinions about
the stars of both fields. I am also certain that no two topics in India can
make people in various walks of life can unite or divide with very strong agreement
or disagreement among the fans of the celluloid screen and cricket field. And
now, to catch some exciting cricket videos,
just be online!