Crazy Things in The Name of Cricket
Nothing unites us more than Cricket. Our passion for Cricket is such that no other nation can match. Be it an ODI or a Test, IPL, T20 or the World Cup, our craziness knows no limit. We do anything and everything that one can think of as a cricket fan to pronounce our love for our gods, yes, we idolize our cricketers as our Gods.
In the cricket crazy house that I come from, each one of us in the family believes that we have a part to play in the match or tournament. We believe that our contribution alone will make or break our teams’ fate.
We are not really religious, but when it comes to cricket, no match begins without a traditional prayer where we pray with all our heart that our team plays their best game and emerges victorious. We have all our lucky charms by our side, and we’re suddenly the most superstitious family anyone has met. Be it sitting in a particular position or turning the tv to a particular angle, we’ve done it all.
Dad comes home early or takes a holiday the day India is on the screens. Mom finishes all household chores beforehand, and prepares snacks for the family to munch on during the game. My brother and myself complete our studies in time, and call all our friends over, just for the love of the game. The whole family celebrates in genuine joy for a win, and cries real tears for a loss.
Me and my brother often recreated memorable moments of the match in our backyard. We would wear a fully equipped kit from pads to a helmet, and would try all types of shots hoping someone would see us practice one day and select us for the India team. Today, I look back and laugh at those moments, but this is what the craze for cricket would do to us as kids.
I remember bunking classes and playing cricket in the public ground. The ground was far away from home so the chances of getting caught were minimal. We would play till the sun set and go home dripping in sweat. Making up scenarios to manipulate mom after getting home was a different ball game altogether.
I can’t even count the number of times I lied to my parents so that I could stay home and watch the game. I would complain of a headache, stomach ache, manipulate the thermometer, or do absolutely anything that would let me stay home, and support my team.
My love for cricket got me behaving like a secret lover. I would stalk my favourite cricketers for hours and imagine how my first meeting with them would be. I would practice my first lines to them in front of a mirror and smile to myself thinking of how they might respond. I honestly cried the day Dhoni got married, and Virat announced his engagement.
M sure every one has got some crazy memory or the other. Be it standing for hours outside the stadium, chasing a cricketer’s car, screaming on the top of your voice when your team wins, or running with the Indian flag in the world cup finals. Be it ICC Cricket, IPL, or test matches, in a cricket loving nation like India, the craze tags along.
-Abigail Gretel Soares