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Indian
consciousness and the cricket team |
By Harimohan
Paruvu (The writer is the author of 'The
Men Within - A Cricketing Tale' which
happens to be India's first ever cricket-based
Indian English novel)
 A
billion people’s emotions rise in hope. Then a
billion people’s hopes die. And then a billion
people get angry that they have been let down.
Why can’t they play better? They only play for
money? Coach has been bought off? Sack the
coach? Sack the captain? Sack the senior
players? Sack the selection committee?
Parliament in uproar? And then, we can
repeat all this again.
The Indian team reflects our consciousness. It
is our punching bag with our faces on it. Look
at it closely and you will see yourself.
 We
can never forgive ourselves. We can never let
ourselves and our team do better because then we
will have to renounce our victimhood. And accept
responsibility to who we are and what we do. We
cannot blame someone else then. We cannot let
our people have enough freedom to perform
because then we would be totally free. If we did
that we would be happy. We would win.
It is not about the team. It is about ourselves.
What can the will of twenty people do against
the collective will of a billion people who
under the guise of being supporters actually
drag the twenty down because they represent
their own hopes that they are scared to fulfill,
they represent the billion who are scared to own
responsibility, to shun criticism and
resentment, to actually get themselves to
wholeheartedly say – yes, we are proud of you,
we are one. We give you the freedom to be
yourself.
 But
no, we have to be that draconian father we could
never get approval from.
A team with the best names in world cricket,
phenomenal players, names that represent
honesty, commitment and integrity of the highest
order - is struggling. And then, a team of
complete newcomers under a new skipper wins
suddenly. Why?
The Indian consciousness took its foot off the
pedal and relaxed for just a moment and guess
what, the team won. Give yourself a break
fellows. You don’t have to push yourself so hard
to be victims. Give yourself a bit of freedom.
You will achieve. Easily and effortlessly.
And our team will take everyone to the cleaners
as well.
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