Cricket – new form or old me?

Posted on by Parul Thakur

I am not talking about the insect but the game of Cricket.

Twenty two players and one ball.

Since the world cup started this May, the television hasn’t had a break. It runs in the background and effortlessly. Almost like the breath that’s unnoticeable until you focus. Chores happen per schedule with the occasional oohs and aahs. When India plays, I hear firecrackers in the neighborhood every time an Indian batsman hits a boundary or a six or when the bowler takes a wicket. Bangalore roads are quiet and the notorious traffic takes a break. My husband and I prefer driving to our friends’ on such days. It’s easy navigating long distance when most people are busy watching the game.

The current format of the game is the one I have known growing up. The inning of fifty overs and day-night matches used to tire not just the players but also the viewers. The All India Radio (AIR) would air scores and those who could afford the television had the whole locality in their house watching the game. Uninvited. An invitation in those days wasn’t necessary. When India played, it was a matter of national interest. Synced claps in the living room or dead silence indicated what was happening on the field. I am sure my Mum knew that while she was busy some where else thinking what a waste of time watching the game was.

But the long form though original, feels new. I know that after the world cup is over and a country takes the trophy home for four years, the world will go back to the short form of the game. The one that’s popular these days.

A twenty-over game is like a movie. Quick and easy. Some drama and a show that will be over before one realizes. Television jingles are made for this format and cheer-leading becomes an important part of the game. Even the stadium plays music that suppresses the commentators’ words.

People go to a bar and watch the match with strangers and mugs of beer. If they are lucky, they may get unlimited booze and a deal that makes them high. Who cares who won? A few tweets and a few pictures with the right tags and location also show up on social media. No point watching a match at a bar when no one knows. How was weekend is an important question and if there is an answer like this, you are living a cool life. It drills down to an outing.

What about the match though? The run chase and the spin of the ball? The pitch and how the umpires make the soft calls. The gestures and the cheering of the crowd. The three hundred balls that make an inning and how sometimes the pace of the game tenses fans.

I wonder if it is the old me who misses the long format of the game. Is it fair to say that the new format is not a game anymore? It’s entertainment. I wonder what Papa thinks of this new format. Does he miss those days too? Maybe Mum is happy that Papa isn’t wasting his time. Of snacking on peanuts, listening to match commentary on the radio and an option to go to the neighbors’ to watch India’s innings. Uninvited.

Writing non-fiction for YeahWrite#428 today.

37 thoughts on “Cricket – new form or old me?”

  2. I don’t know. I do miss watching the match with Baba at home. I remember the 2003 world cup and how my sister and I watched every match in which India played religiously, praying hard that they win. Then in 2011 as well S, my sister and I we really, really watch with our hearts. In fact, S says to this day that we made India win, he by watching, me by staying in the kitchen because when I went in India started scoring and my sister by staying put in the bed room because when she came out Kohli lost his wicket. But as IPL grew in stature, I think our attention span reduced. I don’t know why by I find the 50 overs game so tedious now. Though we still watch to make India win… Maybe it just has to do with all the other things that I need to get done during the day and so watching a 50 overs match becomes too much of a task. Makes sense?

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    1. Completely agree. This has happened with most of us. It’s tedious to watch the long form of the game and that’s why the aspect comes of the game vs something that fast and fun. Like the 20-20 format.
      Thank you for stopping by and sharing your memories.

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  3. The matches years back, had the ability to bring together the entore family. And at times the neighbourhood. Apart form just the format changing, people have multiple avanues thee days to soak in the match. For example my husband watches it on Hotstar I watch on the television. So there goes the first change.

    ANd with regards to the format, people dont have the kind of liesurely time they had earlier, thus the shorter format works well for them.

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    1. You are right! I don’t know if people have the time or not, cos I think we all do what we want to do. I know folks who will take a day off to watch India play. And those who don’t even know that World Cup is on.
      Avenues, completely agree there. Thank you Ramya!

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  4. It’s been such a long time since I watched cricket! Although I did watch a few snippets of the India Pakistan and India Afghanistan matches. Cricket as a whole, though bores me. Even though I used to enjoy the game when I was younger. I guess, tastes change?

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  5. I used to be such a crazy fan. I remember waking late into the night to watch world cup and was so heart broken when India lost the match. That was years ago. But even then I would only watch India bating… Unless it was a match against Pakistan or Australia. I guess with changing times the game also had to evolve. I don’t think anyone now watches the complete 5 day test matches.

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  6. I miss the gentlemanliness in the gentleman’s game..so called at one time. Skills on display are probably as good or better, though I rarely watch cricket now..I played for my school once upon a time, and was a fan of our 1983 world beaters..less involved in the second win. I guess age is a part of the change in interests..

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  7. I was cricket crazy until about 10 years ago. Then the scams and the overdose got too much for me. Besides we don’t watch TV any more!
    But your post brought back great memories of simpler times!

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  8. Parul, you did such a nice job of describing the importance of cricket in people’s lives, and some of the details of the game itself. The firecrackers for a boundary or a six or wicket were a neat way to illustrate their importance in cricket. I really like the way you highlighted the important social capital that cricket has — how it becomes a marker of cool, how it’s traded at work on Monday (did you watch? Did you see when…?). There were a few points when the distinction between Twenty20 matches and test matches were a little unclear for those who aren’t familiar with the game. It would be interesting to see if that could be clarified by including a reference to the different uniforms too (white vs coloured).

    There were some clunky sentence structures and some grammatical issues, but a trusted beta reader and a few more rounds of edits would easily deal with that. The question you raise towards the end is intriguing.

    I used to hate the never-ending nature of test cricket. Five days of such slow movement felt like watching grass grow when I was a kid (though watching a game live at a stadium is a very different feel!). My father and brothers used to love those five day games, discussing the ins and outs of different approaches, waiting for Tony Grieg to insert a key into the pitch and tell us all how dry it was (I’m old!), but I was so impatient for some action and the measured pace of a test match bored me. I remember when 50 over games were first introduced. It felt exciting to see the game suddenly so fast paced! Though, I’ll admit that the Twenty20 games feel a little too racy for me, and I don’t even know what to do with T-10 matches. Your essay made me wonder if I too am returning to the lure of test matches as I get older.

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    1. Asha, i appreciate your feedback. I did not think this was a good piece and I still don’t. I’ll work on better sentence structures and the details.
      Coming to the game, is there a T-10 one? That I did not know. I’m not sure if I would enjoy a test match but the T-20 in my mind is like fast food. 😉
      Thanks again for stopping by and sharing your candid thoughts. ❤️

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      3. 😆 — there’s a whole essay in our conversation here about migration and the impetus to attach to culture!

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  9. This is so neat. As an American, I knew nothing about Cricket, and now I feel I have been given an introduction! Your description “Even the stadium plays music that suppresses the commentators’ words” reminds me of the soccer game I attended long ago in Argentina (Boca Juniors vs. I Don’t Recall But Who Cares). The fans were rowdy and so loud that absolutely no one could hear the commentators. It did not matter one iota. It was all about being there at the game.

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  10. This piece definitely has my “American” showing. I have no understanding of cricket what-so-ever (my only experience with it was from the end of “Bend it Like Beckham”). However, lack of understanding of the game aside, I think we can all relate to the ever changing face of the games we grew up with. I’m impressed how well you showed and shared your nostalgia.

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  11. I still enjoy cricket in all its forms. Probably because my dad was a cricketer and cricket was not just a game but a part of my upbringing. But it’s different now, watching the game without him around. I often wonder what he would have thought when a game slipped away or a controversial wicket fell. Enjoyed your post.

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  12. Very well written Parul ! We are always our biggest critic, but the first few paras hit the nostalgic chord in me, especially sharing the tv with neighbours, how invitation was not necessary in those days, and how tv was always running in the background and I liked how you equated it to breathing.

    I don’t enjoy IPL because there is no one team that I root for. It’s purely entertainment.

    I still enjoy 50 over game. Mostly the opening and closing overs . It gives you a chance to warm up to it, make it unpredictable and gives you tense moments.

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    1. Thank you Sampada! Hearing from you after a long time.
      I am glad the memories I shared resonated with you. Nostalgia hit me too when I started thinking about the game and how things used to be. I also like and enjoy the closing overs. So happy to see you here! Hugs.

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  13. Very well written
    What to say you have already written about me .I don’t like watching every time match . I am only interested when India is bating and that too when scoring runs . Otherwise I have lot of other works to do .

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  15. Cricket is a religion in our country and no matter what form it is played in, it will find followers. That said, do you remember Test Matches? Boy! I don’t think I could sit through them at all. The fifty overs format is a comfortable one and the kids and I have been following it this year.

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  18. Interesting post. I will be honest that I like the longer formats (Tests and ODIs) in bits and pieces. If there is a good bowling performance or a batting one, I will be glued to the screen or maybe the last few overs. But if you tell me to watch batsmen defend all day in Tests or them taking singles or doubles in the middle overs of ODIs, I will honestly get quite bored.

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