The game is the same in all the parts of the globe; everywhere you go, whether in the parks of England or New Zealand in the summer days, whether on the footpaths of the Asian countries or near the sea beaches in the Caribbean, it’s all about a bat and ball in simple words and lots of joy and enthusiasm among the living bodies.
But the high brand of intense game that we do play among countries professionally, is not the same in all parts of the world. The amount of pressure that all the players go through especially in those countries of Asia seems to be a different plate on the dining table.
The spotlight on Cricketers all the time:
There is no drop of doubt how vital fans are to any sports, let alone cricket. But in a country, where Cricket occupies an exalted place with social media connecting it as a bridge and the lights always on you with the camera rushing behind almost all the time, it sometimes becomes unbearable.
As a player, it gets so tough to squeeze some time to give yourself to switch off the radar to be free of the flow. There is always a camera that’s following you all the time wherever you go and for those famous modern-day cricketers, especially in India, It’s almost next to impossible to have a walk in the city with full space even on a busy Monday.
The picture that tells a story:
This picture was taken by some pedestrian when India was in Leicester, England for their practice game before the rescheduled Test match between India and England.
Virat Kohli, the modern super-star of the universe, is walking on a lovely sunny day in the city with his bag, appeared to be coming after finishing his shopping. I wonder whether that guy on the bicycle just beside him had any knowledge about Kohli.
To add more questions to it, the three persons behind are walking like they hardly have any interest in that man walking before them. It can’t happen in India.
If one asks Kohli to have a wish that can’t be possible in this life, especially in the next 10-15 years, Surely, he will want to walk even on a weekday on the Delhi roads with that freedom and relaxation.
The crowd and its pressure on foreigners in India:
Wherever you can settle at any place in India, you can see a cricket match being played; the only thing you require will be a bat and a ball; Very few things matter when India is connected in playing a game of cricket. In some ways, sports attach to different cultures and societies.
For any foreign side to come and play the game in India is so tough physically because of the heavy heat but more than so is mentally due to the pressure one goes through.
“I love playing in India; I love the culture- it’s an unmatched energy.” Marcus Stoinis, the Australian all-rounder expressed in the web series called “The New Era of Australian Cricket”. “It heightens all your senses.”
As a foreign player, they use to love India in the first few weeks because the energy gets the best of you but then it gets a bit claustrophobic, especially when as a player or as a team, you tend to fail. “Indians love cricket match and the only century you have is in your change room or in your bedroom.” The former Australian head coach, Justin Langer spotted in the same content. “Even in the hotel room, it’s not uncommon for someone to come as a fake hotel service and knock on the door for a selfie; it’s literally relentless.”
Everyone knows the game:
It’s hard mentally to cope with the game when things are not going with you especially; since there are thousands of guys that keep on questioning your place on the side. This generally happens in Asia; especially in India or Pakistan or Bangladesh when you start to receive huge bits of advice from all where.
There seems to be some sort of advice all the time in the air, and the pressure mounts up on the players all the time. It shuts one down from all the corners with much pressure and with 152 crore people begin to point a finger at your ability.
The game is different in England or New Zealand:
It’s important to understand what differentiates the game in those few regions compared to the countries made for the sport. There was a Blast final, the domestic T20 league of England, which took place on the same day when its two semifinals occur on the same date. Never happens in India!!!
The Indian Premier League (IPL) is such a mouth-watering occasion every calendar year for cricket lovers all around the globe. If there is some sort of delay for any reason, the match officials can drag the game to the next day, which is after 12 in the night.
It just can’t take place in England; people have their jobs and offices; the kids have their schools; so, what they do is mostly play those T20s during the day and do everything not to drag it to the next day at any cost.
The Leadership pressure difference in both yards:
It’s a huge privilege to lead a side in any format but the amount of pressure these leaders go through can hardly be imagined. The focus and shift on all your activities feel a bit weird a few times.
There was a time when former Indian captain, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, revealed that after their early exit after the 2007 ODI World Cup in the Caribbean, the players after returning back to their home was chased on the bus by the angry public like players have attempted any crime in losing the tournament. It’s a shame!!
The pressure that the Indian players go through before any contest against arch-rivals, Pakistan is something else. People will argue that England has an Australian type of contest which they called Ashes but the Indo-Pak competition is a different cup of tea.
Nonetheless, Everywhere you go, they are still hitting the ball long and away or deceiving and threatening the batters, the bowlers are still taking wickets, but the pressure in the different zone is not the same. Trust me!!