The brutal Indian cricket fan and media

[The Outsider]

I have been in India for the last couple of weeks and since it's more or less a vacation I've had the chance to follow the last two tests almost completely on TV with a lot of accompanying talk shows, analysis shows etc. I must say that the respect for the achievements of a lot of greats from the India side is appalling. Not that it's any different with a lot of posters on ICF, but listening to people call in on live shows and offer half baked nonsense bringing down a lot of cricket and cricketers of the past decade is disappointing. All this when we were actually dominating the series and ended up sealing a comfortable win. I shudder to think what the response would have been if we were losing the series. It's like there is some perverse sense of enjoyment the media gets in denigrating our past achievements. Take this for example, on one of the talk shows the panel was quick to point out that the '03-'04 series in Australia was without McGrath and Warne, but no one mentioned the absence of Harbhajan and Zaheer from the series nor the absence of Tendulkar and Harbhajan from the '04 home series. There was a recent interview by Tendulkar where he talked about differentiating between respect and criticism and after listening to the media bandwagon here I can certainly understand what his point was. Look at the famed Aussie batting line up - it crumbled consistently during the series. Hayden, Ponting, Watson, and Clarke ended up with averages in the 30s on beautiful batting wickets. Ponting made one strategic blunder after another during the series. But look at the reaction from the Aussie media and fans - sure there is criticism but there is no mocking of what they have achieved in the past by coining cute and derogatory terms like "flab-4" or questioning Ponting and Hayden's status as modern greats despite the fact that Ponting is still an abysmal failure in India after 5 visits and Hayden struggles to keep his away average in the 40s after playing 100 tests. Logging on to ICF, I see the usual suspects whining about one thing after another - calling our slip catching atrocious because of one below par game when the same side out caught the Aussies down under and the usual barbs at Tendulkar and the middle order because of one failure at Nagpur when the same middle order and Tendulkar put India in a position to win the series in the first place. It is almost as if some fans were waiting for even the occasional failure of the middle order so that they could carry on their vicious attacks which were at their peak during the SL series, which no doubt deserved criticism but certainly not vitriol.

[Cricketics]

Good to see your once in a blue moon post yet again, Shewetabh. But nice to know that you were back home in India, which perhapz makez it understandable why you werent posting regularly as i thought you lost interest and would pay visit to your ICF onec in a while.. anywayz, back to topic.. Good post.. i agree.. the reaction not only among people in India but on net where most of the forummers i reckon are living overseas, has been pathetic.. in short, one should try to be CRICKETICS..

[veer]

Shwetabh.. dil pe mat le.. In India, media is about market.. how to get most readers, listeners, viewers etc. so they create more spice .. they are competing against various channels .. not only with sports shows but reality shows, soaps and etc.... so they have to take dumb callers on air when I was there, I was hardly watching any pre or post match shows.. its pathetic..

[Predator_05]

A lot of these idiots are people who have been following the game in the last couple of years. They don't know what the Indian cricket team was like before. They have gotten used to seeing the team win test matches abroad, the team's fast bowlers taking wickets in bunches, the batting lineup scoring big totals in almost every test. So the expectations have become ridiculously high. One low score and suddenly a batsman with 12000+ runs becomes crap. A few dropped catches and suddenly a guy with the 2nd highest # of catches in the history of test cricket becomes a loser who shouldn't be in the team. A guy with 300 test wickets goes through an innings with just 2 wickets to his name and he suddenly becomes useless. Not to forget all the attention that is given to matters not even remotely related to cricket - party bust-ups, gun purchases, half-assed interviews and what not. Why the hell should anyone give a sh it about what these guys do in their own time ? Obviously, the expansion of cable television - giving rise to all kinds of sh itty channels that shouldn't even be on the air - hasn't helped things. Everyone needs a slice of the pie, and they have to be controversial to get noticed. I guess this is how the mindset of the "new age" Indian has developed. A lot of them have sh it for brains. These numbnuts (ICF has a couple now, as opposed to just that one moron we had before) have no concept of cricket and don't have the slightest idea how this thing works. They willl need another ten years or so before they develop a good understanding of the game. It's sad, but that's the way it is unfortunately.

[vroomfondel]

Shwetabh.. dil pe mat le.. In India, media is about market.. how to get most readers, listeners, viewers etc. so they create more spice .. they are competing against various channels .. not only with sports shows but reality shows, soaps and etc.... so they have to take dumb callers on air when I was there, I was hardly watching any pre or post match shows.. its pathetic..

It's weird, through the 90's I used to look at stadia in Calcutta or Bangalore or wherever, packed to the rafters with an intelligent audience watching their team under-perform (paid or unpaid underperformance) and I often used to think that the team was not worthy of it's supporters. Now, I see the camaraderie in the team, how they value and cherish their accomplished players and perform for each other as if they were family. I contrast this with the dour pettiness of the cricketing audience (or lack of audience). Ridiculously short-sighted opinions are spewed without any self-reflection. this applies to mediapersons as well.

[Sachinism]

^^ Maybe they don't want to see India walkover other sides lol They enjoyed the fight of the "little guy" I agree Swetabh, a lot of people are here to just wait for one bad performance and go crazy on ICF about it forgetting what these players have done for us in the past and what they'll do if given another chance

[varun]

I guess this is how the mindset of the "new age" Indian has developed. A lot of them have sh it for brains. These numbnuts (ICF has a couple now, as opposed to just that one moron we had before) have no concept of cricket and don't have the slightest idea how this thing works. They willl need another ten years or so before they develop a good understanding of the game. It's sad, but that's the way it is unfortunately.

:cantstop:, I'd love to know who you're talkin about.

[Predator_05]

:cantstop:' date=' I'd love to know who you're talkin about.[/quote'] Myself and bhains_ka_dood, of course. It's pretty obvious

[varun]

Myself and bhains_ka_dood, of course. It's pretty obvious

Ah bhains ka dood is back isn't he ? There goes the website :((

[King]

Perhaps Indian team is doing well consistently that it is setting too high a standard to follow? Maybe not, I don't quite know but have to say some of the followers are just unbelievable. They wouldn't want anyone to get out for low scores, none to misfield, none to drop a catch in their lifetime, none to bowl badly even an hour and never lose a game. Get over it, that will never happen. The tolerant level in the Indian cricket followers is far too less. Even the usually consistent Aussies lose some. The Aussie media gives them enough stick for that but the followers are not that harsh on their team. I guess this isn't a recent phenomenon in Indian cricket. I know people used to throw bottles and all other stuff on the ground when the team used to do badly but lest that has stopped. Never mind the result the crowd doesn't seem to resort to that kind of attack. Now it's more on the internet, talk back and other modes I think. It is better on the other modes than chuck stuff on the ground and spoil a good game of cricket. Similarly a win just pushes them over the boundaries of ecstatic. I suppose a balance is required and I think there is a bit of respect for the opponent is in the order. However hard you play you have to learn to respect the opponent whatsoever. Without the opponent there is no chance you will achieve anything. Ask Pakistan and they will tell you how desperate they are for a test series against a decent test side. It may sound a bit strange and old fashioned but the opponents contribute heavily for the glories of the winner. Imagine a similar victory against Bangladesh would not have produced similar sentiments or elation. You feel great because you beat a terrific team that has been known for consistency.

[Predator_05]

I guess this isn't a recent phenomenon in Indian cricket. I know people used to throw bottles and all other stuff on the ground when the team used to do badly but lest that has stopped. Never mind the result the crowd doesn't seem to resort to that kind of attack.

It's a recent thing. The crowd trouble you speak of was mainly a result of overwhelming betting losses.

[King]

It's a recent thing. The crowd trouble you speak of was mainly a result of overwhelming betting losses.

Right. Are you saying the ones that used to cause trouble were all bookies or betters? I find it hard to believe. I thought they were highly emotional Indian cricket followers. I can't quite remember when was the last time a game was in trouble due to crowd behaviour in India. Anyone?

[Gambit]

Coverage of this series was refreshingly good though. Faisal Sharif, Ian Chappell and Mohinder Amarnath were decent in their pre and in between match discussions. But less said about the 'experts' on the various news channels the better. The only one worth watching is Jadeja with Sonali Chander on NDTV.

[King]

Coverage of this series was refreshingly good though. Faisal Sharif' date=' Ian Chappell and Mohinder Amarnath were decent in their pre and in between match discussions. But less said about the 'experts' on the various news channels the better. The only one worth watching is Jadeja with Sonali Chander on NDTV.[/quote'] Fixers are now getting a chance to say how one should bat, bowl or field eh :winky: The other day I heard from someone Azhar helped a Bangalore cricketer (Dodda Ganesh in particular) secure a place to contest election. There seems to be a lot of money invested by Azhar to get Dodda Ganesh into a political party. Strange turn around of events. Once a taker is now doing charity.

[Predator_05]

Right. Are you saying the ones that used to cause trouble were all bookies or betters? I find it hard to believe. I thought they were highly emotional Indian cricket followers. I can't quite remember when was the last time a game was in trouble due to crowd behaviour in India. Anyone?

Stupid betters for the most part. Take the '96 World Cup semi as an example. People bet huge on India to win after SL lost their openers in Srinath's first over. Even SL's 250 looked a modest total and more money was traded on India. India were up to 90/1, well on course with Tendulkar playing well. More money traded on India. Pitch starts wearing, wickets fall, Tendulkar gets out, soon India slump to 120/8. No chance of a win. All that money is going down the drain...what can the betters do ? Stop the game and hope that it's replayed at a later date, bets go to push and stakes might even be returned if there is no result. I don't know the specifics but this is the kind of thinking that went into stopping that game. And there was also that sense of frustration. I can't remember a match being called off by crowd trouble since that ATC match vs PAK, but there has been crowd trouble in the recent past. 6th ODI vs PAK, 2005 @ Delhi. Players walked off and play was suspended for 10 minutes

[King]

Betters will always be betters right. They will still be betting don't you think? How come there hasn't been any sort of crowd trouble for a while then? I think emotional Indian cricket followers now have other areas to vent their anger. Some take on the internet while some on the talk show. Perhaps the booming economy has brought some semblance and attitude amongst the crowd? Perhaps changing times or the team is keeping them satisfied with enough wins. I wouldn't know.

[cochise]

However hard you play you have to learn to respect the opponent whatsoever. Without the opponent there is no chance you will achieve anything. Ask Pakistan and they will tell you how desperate they are for a test series against a decent test side. It may sound a bit strange and old fashioned but the opponents contribute heavily for the glories of the winner. Imagine a similar victory against Bangladesh would not have produced similar sentiments or elation. You feel great because you beat a terrific team that has been known for consistency

Very true Ravi....very true...this should be borne in mind by all.

[Predator_05]

Betters will always be betters right. They will still be betting don't you think? How come there hasn't been any sort of crowd trouble for a while then? .

'cos people now know better than to bet money on the mercurial Indian cricket team...:haha: No seriously, regulation got a lot tighter after the match fixing scandal.

[bharat297]

Its pretty simple IMO ... when we have players who have such great records like Dravid, Tendulkar, Ganguly, Laxman , Kumble ,etc ... it is naturally understood and assumed that they are unquestionably greats of the game ... So if someone came out and said ... Man this Sachin Tendulkar guy is some great batsman isnt he? He would get no attention. On the other hand, if someone comes out and says ... "Tendulkar must be dropped from the Indian side" ... they get the attention they so desperately crave. All of a sudden people want to know why they think like that and as veer was saying they get greater interest within the market. When you have such a huge market like India, every reaction (good or bad) is going to be taken to the extreme because the media love to rake in the $$$ (as we all do). ICF is a pretty good reflection of general media reactions. Very extreme.

[Sachinism]

Fixers are now getting a chance to say how one should bat, bowl or field eh :winky: The other day I heard from someone Azhar helped a Bangalore cricketer (Dodda Ganesh in particular) secure a place to contest election. There seems to be a lot of money invested by Azhar to get Dodda Ganesh into a political party. Strange turn around of events. Once a taker is now doing charity.

Look at what that match fixer has done for the career of Owais Shah, one day a nobody, gets some coaching from Azhar and starts piling on the runs and now is one of the more consistent batsman in the England line-up