Is it really worth it?

[Rajiv]

At every loss, people just look to strangulate the coach, captain and the players The stress, traveling, media, , embarrassment, opinions of the fans etc.. Today it was a coach, tomorrow it could be a player At the end of the day, it's just a sport

[Dirty_South]

Re: Is it really worth it?

[King]

Re: Is it really worth it? Not worth it at all Rajeev. Just yesterday after the loss I did write the stress the players and their family members have to go through. I did mention I didn't want to be in the players shoes and now this. People should wake up and freakin stop acting like twats at every loss. Let go by the loss and get on with life. Wonder if any sport is as maligned in any part of the world as it is in cricket and sub continent in particular in India and Pakistan.

[DesiChap]

Re: Is it really worth it? Agree with you Ravi. Thers is lot more to life than any game. Tha facking idiots cannot tell the difference between a cricket game and life in general.

[Rajiv]

Re: Is it really worth it? What amazes me when people say players are shameful during their press conferences What the hell do you want them to do, come on a stretcher and say that the loss has hurt be so much? You can either A) Stay Focussed for the next game B) Correct the mistake but don't over stress about it Bob was around 60 and had health problems, but things must have gathered up on him

[Gaurav]

Re: Is it really worth it? Also we need to keep things in context. Our country has so many people who die every day due to poverty/hunger, corruption, female infanticide....and it does not seem to bother us too much when it comes too enjoying our cricket. At the end of the day most of us are hypocrites

[Gambit]

Re: Is it really worth it? It's in our blood. It's not just some form of entertainment for us. It is a matter of national pride and honour. A medium to cover for our failings, whatever we may have, as a nation. Every victory is celebrated as a personal success and every loss is depressing. It unites the country. There is a sense of togetherness. Yes, you,I, the paanwala, the rickshaw wala, everyone is behind 11 Indians today. They are representing us and our nation in front of the world. They have to win. They must. So what if my boss shouted at me today? So what if I'm close to financial ruin? So what if my wife ran away with the dhobi wala? 11 of my countrymen will ease my pain. They will make sure that atleast my dignity and pride is intact and that I can walk with my head held high. Defeat is simply not an option. It will push me over the edge. THAT is cricket for us.

[Dhondy]

Re: Is it really worth it? Very well put, Gambo. That's exactly why we react as we do.

[Rajiv]

Re: Is it really worth it?

Also we need to keep things in context. Our country has so many people who die every day due to poverty/hunger' date=' corruption, female infanticide....and it does not seem to bother us too much when it comes too enjoying our cricket. At the end of the day most of us are hypocrites [/quote'] ..this is a cricket forum, we talk cricket-related stuff here

[Rajiv]

Re: Is it really worth it? Gambo, thats all true but I am saying something beyond that Is it worth the 'in our blood", or will it take a players death due to stress It's the fact that Cricket is the only sport our people enjoy, or the only sport we can really play? We can't distribute our anger on other sports like rugby, football in India

[Gambit]

Re: Is it really worth it? Rajeev, sport today is like war but without blood and bodies. Look at South American football. Andres Escobar was shot, yes shot, for an own goal in the '94 wc. They are as fanatic as we are about cricket. Sport is an outlet for our problems. Maybe the only outlet for some. Then it leads to things like these.

[King]

Re: Is it really worth it? Gambo the writing you did above is excatly is what I wouldn't want to see. You can't make cricket an excuse to vent your anger or use as joy to forgo your mundane stuff in life. All you wrote is reality but that reality sucks. Cricket should not be used as such, it is not way of life and is only a pass time or something that adds to your life. No way should sports be an outlet for the problems and when that happens the person has no control over life simply because wins and loses at times cannot be controlled.

[DesiChap]

Re: Is it really worth it? Very well put Gambo. That is the reality of cricket in the subcontinent!

[Sooda]

Re: Is it really worth it?

It's in our blood. It's not just some form of entertainment for us. It is a matter of national pride and honour. A medium to cover for our failings, whatever we may have, as a nation. Every victory is celebrated as a personal success and every loss is depressing. It unites the country. There is a sense of togetherness. Yes, you,I, the paanwala, the rickshaw wala, everyone is behind 11 Indians today. They are representing us and our nation in front of the world. They have to win. They must. So what if my boss shouted at me today? So what if I'm close to financial ruin? So what if my wife ran away with the dhobi wala? 11 of my countrymen will ease my pain. They will make sure that atleast my dignity and pride is intact and that I can walk with my head held high. Defeat is simply not an option. It will push me over the edge. THAT is cricket for us.

...I'd never care that much about cricket...I don't think I have that kind of affiliation with India- that is probably the main reason We don't know how much of the Ireland result or the fans reaction to it you can blame for his passing on. Bob himself said (after the Ire match im sure) that Saffies exit in the last WC was worse. It may not have been the fans reaction- heck he wasn't even in Pak. Doctors I imagine undergo far worse stress.

[Sooda]

Re: Is it really worth it? As Pakistan's coach Bob Woolmer was under abnormal stress The price of passion Dileep Premachandran in Jamaica March 18, 2007 'It's a stressful job at the best of times' ? Getty Images We were sitting down to lunch after the depressing trip to the University Hospital when a man came by and asked: "Da coach who die? He Pakistan coach now?" When we said yes, he shook his head sadly, dreads blowing in the breeze. 'Maybe he take it to heart?" he said. "Even da biggest team can lose to little team, man. It a game, and da ball round." As you listened to him, you could only wish that fans back home in India and Pakistan were possessed of such common sense or perspective on life. On waking up in the morning and checking mail, the first thing I had seen was an AFP report from India that spoke of angry mobs attacking a house that Mahendra Singh Dhoni was constructing in Ranchi. The story also went on to speak of armed guards protecting the houses of Rahul Dravid, Anil Kumble, Virender Sehwag and others. It was as depressing as it was predictable. Even before Bangladesh had scored the 192 runs required to defeat India at Queen's Park Oval, Cricinfo had received feedback from so-called fans who wished to burn Dravid's house. A few hours later, Pakistani "fans" were out in the streets of Multan demanding that Inzamam-ul-Haq and Bob Woolmer be arrested. In such a climate, it should surprise no one when the pressure proves too much to take. While chatting to Greg Chappell recently, I had asked him if he'd have fancied playing cricket in this day and age and whether he thought the moderns faced as much pressure from the game as his generation had. "I'm sure they enjoy it, but it's more of a job now than it ever was," he said. "And it takes a toll on you, the relentless touring and the hectic schedules." Chappell knows more than most about the volatile nature of the subcontinent's cricket-watching public. Recently, a deranged fan assaulted him when the team arrived for a match in Cuttack, and though he chose not to make a song and dance of it, it was clear that physical danger was far more than he'd bargained for when he took the job. Chappell was understandably subdued when Cricinfo talked to him following Woolmer's sad demise. "It's very sad news," he said, having played against Woolmer in a few Ashes Test in the 1970s. 'It's a stressful job at the best of times. There's a great deal of emotional involvement. You have to be passionate about it if you want to do the job well." There are many high-profile coaching jobs in sport - the Real Madrid hot-seat in football and the management of the New York Yankees to name just two, but none carries with it quite the pressure of coaching a subcontinental cricket team. Chappell is in no doubt that the stakes are far higher in South Asia than they are elsewhere. "I'd say so. It's definitely more under the spotlight than in other countries. "The expectations are far higher. But in the light of this tragic event, I think we need to take pause and make sure that we don't get too stressed about what is after all only a game." Enough said, though the effigy-burners will be too consumed with hatred to understand.

[Lurker]

Re: Is it really worth it? Is it really worth it? Before I answer that I would need to know who is it worth for? Fans or cricketers? From a fan point of view it is obviously not worth it. Cricket, unlike any other sports, takes a minimum of 8 hours per game. In Test matches it can very well take 5 times that number. And it is fair to say that an Indian cricket fan spends almost 100 days a year(if not more) spending those many hours watching game, checking online for cheap video streams, staying up late and then reaching office on a high(or low) depending on how the team has performed. We have all spent countless hours, spent possibly more money on cricket than on any other past time and infinite hours watching, following, thinking cricket. What do we get in return? In words of Munnabhai "Ghanta". As an Indian fan I wonder what the fack have we ever won(aprt from 1983 and 1985). I wonder if it is really worth to "defend" Sunil Gavaskar? I wonder if it is really worth showing Kapil Dev was better than Imran? I wonder if it is worth wishing Sachin to deliver one more time? I have to ask those questions because inspite of all the adulations that we shower what exactly is India's record? An Indian all time XI is worse than all time XI for most countries, if not all. So what do I expect from my cricketers? For one I would like them all to be whipped in shape. Mother effers make the most amongst the cricket playing countries and how do they look? For a professional sportsperson they are all a disgrace. Starting from Sachin and ending at Yuvraj. If it is not some shoulder injury something else will fall apart. But as they say pictures do not like. Just look at this Indian picture. Now look at this Who do you think would make for a better fielder, fitter bowler, faster running between the wickets? And I have not put pictures of the likes of Sehwag yet. So is it worth it? Not for a Indian cricket fan. Its better to put the time, money and effort on something else..atleast that will ensure an early retirement, and perhaps healthier heart too! xxxx

[THX_1138]

Re: Is it really worth it?

Is it really worth it? Before I answer that I would need to know who is it worth for? Fans or cricketers? From a fan point of view it is obviously not worth it. Cricket, unlike any other sports, takes a minimum of 8 hours per game. In Test matches it can very well take 5 times that number. And it is fair to say that an Indian cricket fan spends almost 100 days a year(if not more) spending those many hours watching game, checking online for cheap video streams, staying up late and then reaching office on a high(or low) depending on how the team has performed. We have all spent countless hours, spent possibly more money on cricket than on any other past time and infinite hours watching, following, thinking cricket. What do we get in return? In words of Munnabhai "Ghanta". As an Indian fan I wonder what the fack have we ever won(aprt from 1983 and 1985). I wonder if it is really worth to "defend" Sunil Gavaskar? I wonder if it is really worth showing Kapil Dev was better than Imran? I wonder if it is worth wishing Sachin to deliver one more time? I have to ask those questions because inspite of all the adulations that we shower what exactly is India's record? An Indian all time XI is worse than all time XI for most countries, if not all. So what do I expect from my cricketers? For one I would like them all to be whipped in shape. Mother effers make the most amongst the cricket playing countries and how do they look? For a professional sportsperson they are all a disgrace. Starting from Sachin and ending at Yuvraj. If it is not some shoulder injury something else will fall apart. But as they say pictures do not like. Just look at this Indian picture. Now look at this Who do you think would make for a better fielder, fitter bowler, faster running between the wickets? And I have not put pictures of the likes of Sehwag yet. So is it worth it? Not for a Indian cricket fan. Its better to put the time, money and effort on something else..atleast that will ensure an early retirement, and perhaps healthier heart too! xxxx

Lurker, this is sad times and i hate being a prick right now, but a picture does tell story, yet it is merely a picture. It takes conviction of heart, mind and soul to succeed. And then there is the difference between genetics, biomechanics and above all, diet. you have compared pictures of three athletes, for fast bowlers are nothing short of athletes to pictures of specialist batsmen. the size of a man's muscle does not determine his strength, but the efficiency of his biomechanics, combined with his muscular strength. moreover, the picture has three indian players, above 25 and one above 32, whereas the aussie players are relatively younger, one is just a shade above 20. if you think that a man with a 18" bicep has greater strength than a man with a 16" bicep, you are sadly mistaken. This is not a time for being critical of our player's physique, but a time for being objective. Try comparing our batsmen to their batsmen. hold up a picture of yuvraj along side one of hodge or cosgrove or lehman or hayden or heck, even ponting himself. then compare a picture of kumble to that of these bowlers. they might trump him with their 6 packs, but can they match the wily 36 year old's dedication, strength, endurance? compare a picture of a long distance runner to one of a sprinter. which one do you think is stronger, both mentally and physically? and above all, are appearances everything? did u know that during a professional body building contest, at the zenith of the contest, each athlete is at the brink of breakdown? they strave themselves for the last three weeks before the competition drinking only distilled water and bland, unseasoned grilled chicken just so that their body fat percentage drops dangerously low? and that minutes before they take the center stage they saturate their body with sugar from candy or syrup just so that the increased blood flow with better taut their blood vessels? please man, its a game, and suddenly its not worth it either. we are a nation of 1 billion, and hence there will be inefficiencies. but for every opportunist exploiting his moment, judgment is never too far away. yes they make a lot of money, but then who does not? baseball athletes, pumped up to their eye balls in steroids and hormones often sit out and entire season while toasting on the millions they get paid... yet dont face the outrage our players face when they lose a single match. the match was pivotal, but yet, its just a match. its a game, intended for recreation, not for a witch hunt.

[Lurker]

Re: Is it really worth it?

This is not a time for being critical of our player's physique, but a time for being objective. Try comparing our batsmen to their batsmen. hold up a picture of yuvraj along side one of hodge or cosgrove or lehman or hayden or heck, even ponting himself. then compare a picture of kumble to that of these bowlers. they might trump him with their 6 packs, but can they match the wily 36 year old's dedication, strength, endurance?

On the contrary THX. I personally beleive that every bad situation also creates an oppertunity. And yes I for one would like to think of this as an oppertunity to realize what to expect and what not to. As shareholder in Indian cricket(like any cricket fans) I have invested enough time, money, passion and what have you and the results have not exactly matched that. You mentioned how there are various factors responsible for a person's physique. Fair enough. So what stops these overpaid prima donnas? Do you think that they do not have access to latest gyms in India? Or do you think they do not have access to personal trainers? Do you think they lack money to pay for their diets? Answer is NO. They all lack discipline. Period. Sure you can pick a picture of Azharuddin or Mohammed Kaif but they would be in a minority. And they have always been. This morning I read how Dhoni's house was attacked. It was of course a very sad thing. But do you know that the house was being built on a prime plot of land that Dhoni had been given by state Government? Do you remember how few weeks back a Traffic Officer was suspended in Ranchi as he had caught Dhoni driving with tinted windows? Do I need to recall how much money Sachin saved by not paying taxes for his Ferrari? Look all I am saying is that these are overpaid blokes whose performance(and dedication to their craft) does not match what they receive from their fans. xxxx

[gs]

Re: Is it really worth it? Check this out:

[novpj]

Dont be so easy on the players Yes its a game and yes we shld have perspective in life. I dont condone burning effigies or vandalizing houses but I think our cricket establishment doesnt do a good job of making players understand what donning Indian cap means. For most of these poor players its a path to riches and they cant wait to get there but they forget that aspirations and hopes of a billion people are tied to them. If these billion people were not as engrossed in the games then we wldnt have this site, we wldnt have so much money in cricket. So I believe its a bit unfair to ask for interest and money of billions of people and be absolved of all responsibility to them. I also agree that we make this commitment on our own terms if this team doesnt care then we shldnt invest our time and money in this team - we shld stop creating these websites, we shld stop watching these matches and we shld boycott all the sponsors who pay these heady players so much money. yes fans over react but the solution is not to give a free pass to the players - that ensures similar results in the future. unless you care about results other than the success of Indian team in cricket matches.