T20 World Cup: Why India lost not only in the cricket pitch but outside too?

–Kakali Das |

A wise saying goes like: Anger, ego, jealousy makes one weak. This was visible in the India-Pakistan match a few days ago. In a game, one side wins, and the other loses. But, we must all admit and appreciate the fact that the Pakistan bowlers, fielders and batsmen performed in that match like never before.

Now, in this article, let’s discuss why India lost not only in the cricket pitch but outside it as well, in its match against our neighbouring country, Pakistan. The loss outside is a loss which is much worse. And this loss is being served to us by ourselves. If we do not change our attitude, we will forever remain losers irrespective of our wins in the future.

India-Pakistan matches have never been limited to cricket. There is pride at stake. Some people even compare a game of cricket with a full blown war. Traditionally, in the World Cup, India, earlier, didn’t lose against Pakistan. As a result, TV screens had to suffer a lot across the border. Their fans get disheartened and players are trolled online or offline whenever they lose against India. Pakistan considers its defeat in a game against India as a shame for the country. And hence, India considers Pakistan a bad loser, but in the last few days, it has been proven worldwide how bad a loser India too is, actually.

As we know, the start to our world cup campaign has not been great, as our batsmen did not play well in the match. There were numerous badly played shots in match, but the one shot that was played just before the start of the match proved the country’s hypocrisy in an another level. Minutes before the match, all the Indian players were seen kneeing in support of America’s protest for ‘black lives matter’. In India, in our own country, minorities have been targeted, farmers have been butchered; there have been protests for over 10 months now. But, alas! Not a single tweet for the issues in their own country until today, and now, these hypocrites are kneeing for the issues in America, across the seven seas. Is it because someone in the team management said so? Such a SHAM! So, call it what you would want to, but when the starting is so fake, then how could the ending be good?

Players are signed for contracts worth crores to stay tight-lipped for the issues within the country, and when needed are even made to tweet against the issues as well, just as the tweets earlier by a handful veterans against the farmers’ protest. Let alone fighting for the issues and problems of the ‘insignificant’ countrymen, these plaster saints cannot even stand with their own teammate. After the match, trolls abused Mohammad Shami profusely. He was called a traitor, a Pakistani in Team India, with hashtags #GotoPakistan and what not, that trended on twitter. Virat Kohli, too hasn’t been spared, and has been asked to leave the captaincy; #leavecaptaincy had been trending too, in fact. Trolls on social media cannot be stopped, but it was expected that players would come forward in support of their teammates, as we have witnessed in the European football. No official statement has been made either from BCCI or team yet. Be it a movie star or a cricketer – if one loses (in any context), their ‘religion’ is what matters the most for the people, then. Sigh!

Besides, even reports like Kashmiri students being allegedly attacked at a Punjab college even after the end of the match flashed everywhere. Since they are unable to go fight the terrorists in the border, why won’t they take out the anger and frustration of the loss on the students in the hostels? Isn’t it? Where in Pakistan, TV sets are shattered, in India, we have gone one step further by smashing bones this time. How tolerant and rationale as human beings we are, aren’t we? BRAVO! ‘Slow claps.’ I fail to understand, how on earth we can ever justify our actions as a country as opposed to theirs!

Well, credit must be served wherever due, though. Despite the pressure of losing the match by 10 wickets, the Captain of the Indian Cricket team, Virat Kohli maintained the spirit of the game by hugging the players of the opponent Pakistani team, because players know very well that winning and losing is part and parcel of the game. While Kohli showed sportsperson spirit, some retired seniors did not. They played politics. Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir were upset by the bursting of crackers. They even questioned, who were celebrating Pakistan’s victory by bursting firecrackers! And, stated that whoever burnt crackers after the win of the Pakistani Cricket Team aren’t Indian. By their comments on firecrackers, a negative atmosphere was created and as a result people outraged.

Why is citizenship being linked to cricket? Even if a few morons were celebrating the victory, why are we outraging over minute minority in 1.3 billion people?  Will enacting law to prevent bursting of crackers after a cricket match make these veterans happy?

Now, what outsiders will take away from this is that India or Pakistan, they are both sore losers. What we as a country needed to do was maintain our dignity and tolerance. In a large country as ours, why can’t we be large-hearted? Why losing a game has been linked to country or religions like Hindu-Muslim? In fact, it was we who made fun of Pakistan whenever they associated religion with a particular game, and started waging a war against its opponent team or country, but now why are we treading in their path?

This is Pakistan’s first win in the world cup against us (it was inevitable), but does that make our champion team a loser? NO. It’s for us to understand that we lost a match somewhere for our overconfidence. Why don’t we accept losing like winners? Let’s admit the fact that a young and fresh Pak team outplayed us, especially after IPL (seems the Indian team was overworked).  Attitudes like ‘both the teams can win on their day’ must rise and shine, and Ads like ‘Mauka Mauka,’ which are extremely one-sided must be dumped on the trash. Only then there will be a victory in the truest sense.

I have read somewhere: You become what you hate. We are, somehow, transitioning into an intolerant country (which our govt. anyway already is) as our neighbour. Why are we reacting just how our opponent has been for ages now? Irfan Pathan, former Indian Cricketer wrote a wonderful tweet, “Even I was part of #IndvsPak battles on the field where we have lost but never been told to go to Pakistan! I am taking about India of few years back. THIS CRAP NEEDS TO STOP.”

So, kindly open your eyes before it is too late. Cricket is a game. If you want to be outraged, outrage over our hunger index rank which is below Pakistan.