Cricket as we know it today has reached a stage in its evolution taking a trajectory particularly in the last two decade that most of the followers of the sport could not foresee. It must also be acknowledged as an universal truth that any activity controlled or executed by humans has to reflect the vagaries and social milieu of the human society as a whole. The sport of Cricket is no different to that universal truth. In the world order Socialism and communism has given way to Capitalism or consumerism. Manufacturing based Economy has given way to knowledge economy. Films and Television serials the world over bears ample testimony to that fact. Films like “Good Bye Lenin”, “Wall E” “Inside Job” are examples of it. In India the criminalisation of the post-Industrial economy and worshiping criminals as heroes is reflected in films like the Doom series, Don series etc. The laid back atmosphere of cricket has also given way to maddeningly dynamic t20. The smooth cover drives have given way to pulsating helicopter shots. The royalty like elegance of Gavaskar and Tendulkar has given way to emotionally charged display of passion. Virat-Anushka might have become a staple food for the national media, but it must also be wondered how many of us can remember one incident of any Indian player blowing kisses to their celebrity paramour after scoring a century? None. So Cricket is no longer a gentleman’s game, or to rephrase the statement it can be said the gentleman of our times are not what it used to be a decade back.
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