The term “It’s not cricket” has all along crept slowly into the business language as another metaphor for saying that something is not being played in a fair manner. Cricket as it evolved from its origins in England into a global game might soon be a part of the Olympics in it’s currently shortest 3-hour, limited-overs format of the T20 International as the contest of twenty overs each has come to be known. Just as it was gearing up to be presented at the Olympics, comes this controversial calling off of the IPL or Indian Premier League at the halfway stage of 30 out of the 60 odd matches planned. The world’s richest league full of televised global sponsorship will be resumed later but for now, it is well and truly suspended. Should we have stopped it? Safety first is the right answer.
How can we stop the IPL of all the
pastimes left for a dangerously isolated society in solitary confinement?
What all should we stop after this? When is it too late to stop a bio-bubble paradise that entertains millions sitting at home eager for some ‘live action’?
Why should we stop anything at all? The best thing about life is that “It goes on!” We cannot stop living by just stopping all activity. Or can we? Should we stop the IPL or should I stop helping people in hospital? Stop reaching them food. Should we stop playing board games at home? Should we even talk or should we stop talking to each other? Luckily we don’t need to start or stop breathing on our own. If that had been left to us, Hail the Lord Above, let poor clumsy, forgetful ‘me’ pass on quietly!
Come on, give me a break. This is hardly
the way to look at life.
Everybody is reacting to everything that is happening, some from jealousy, some from insecurity and some perhaps from pure peer pressure?
Let’s look at the IPL for example. IPL is popularly followed by people. Like any other entertainment show today, it takes about 4 hours of my life on any given day for about 45 days. Everyday is spent watching people competing when the rest of the planet has stopped all normal competition except at this important time of the pandemic, with only one unfortunate competition between life and death going on ceaselessly. Is there any harm in watching a healthy game of cricket especially if there are many life lessons to learn from cricket? More specifically, so much to learn from the IPL itself
comprising a motley team of well balanced professionals from world renowned champs to aspiring but talented youth from the unknown hinterland of our great country.
It is truly a team sport. Teaches COLLABORATION of the highest, widest and most handsome kind. It helps you to understand that you cannot win all the time. Helps you to accept defeat gracefully after having done your best to defeat the opponent, fair and square. Helps you to admire other people and their effort equally and puts into perspective your own failures and shortcomings. It helps you to control and manage your emotions. To me, the biggest learning of the IPL is that one copes with one’s emotions while competing with others who are struggling with theirs too! How often do we see that a whole match or contest is won or lost in
one moment of collective anxiety when some poor Mr Butterfingers drops a simple catch that he would have taken a hundred times on any other given day.
Yes! Watching the IPL from a philosophical point of view is a great learning experience for life-lessons in leadership.
One priceless life lesson is coping with the professional attitude of performing under pressure, taking risks, making rapid decisions, coping with stress from constantly changing conditions and chasing moving targets and of course, beating people through board room strategy executed in the heat and dust of the playing fields. Most importantly it is about facing the inevitable unknown in front of you as the bowler comes in to bowl. If you can, choose the uncertainty of
being hit for a six or beating the bat to hear the stumps rattling as the batsman or batter as they call it now, squares up to face a bowler. I am convinced that the IPL is the big learning tutorial for millions of people around the world. Watch the cricket but learn from it especially the subtle art of Emotional Intelligence. How humbling to see the smiling opponents chatting easily with each other after a match having given it their best to win with total respect for the opponent.
If one understands that to keep a cool head, a calm mind and to perform hard with the body is not only an art but also a science, every game of IPL cricket will become a classroom every evening on television. I rest my case. As I rest and eagerly await the next edition of the IPL.
STAY SAFE AND PROTECTED MEANWHILE! Wear a mask, use all
protection prescribed. LETS LEARN DISCIPLINE FROM THE IPL ATHLETES.
STAY CALM. We shall overcome! Like Kapil Dev told his team at the mid-innings break at the 1983 World Cup: “We have already made 183 runs. They need to make them. Let’s make it as difficult as possible for them to get that one run more than us.” The mighty West Indies were bundled out for 140, leaving us Indians as the winners!