Monday, March 20, 2006

Sachin is booed at Wankhede.

As unrealistic as it may sound, there happened this very strange thing at the Wankhede on Sunday. By now, you all must have read about it in the news papers and heard about it on TV, so I would just post here a few conversations out of a debate that I sparked off on my class yahoogroup. Firstly, I post here, my initial message which started the debate. Please do give in your opinions as l keep updating the responses from my classmates.
When Sachin got out, very obviously, there was immediate silence. This was immediately followed by the mass exodus of the crowds out of the stadium. But, if you noticed it, there was something more too. People started booing at him and even shouted slogans. Now, that is something that I feel is quite serious.

Never had I thought that a Mumbai audience would boo at Sachin Tendulkar or shout slogans at him. Leave apart the fact that he scored just 1 run today or even that he hasn't scored too many runs of-late. But a Wankhede crowd shouting slogans at Tendulkar was completely unheard of. I have been at Wankhede everytime India has played since 1993 and even to many first class games, and I don't need to say that Sachin is considered GOD here.

And giving him the kind of reaction that he got today has left me thinking about the cricketing interests of our public. Have we come to a point where a cricket match is considered just a day-out with friends (or maybe family, but then surely not at North Stand) ? Or is it just like going to a movie and having some fun?

No matter what, but what happened today is a great mark of dis-respect towards apna Sachin and I am sure that must have hurt him a lot, though I am even more sure, that the kind of nobleman that he is, he wouldn't utter a word about it.

Surely, it was kinda fun! with all the abusing and anti-Monty shouting and all that, but I now feel quite strongly that Mumbai is providing a very wrong example of what a cricketing audience should be like. Something needs to be done before Mumbai loses its honour of being called the Mecca of Indian Cricket.

Maybe shifting venue to Brabourne might help, what with no North stand existing. But, having a decent cricket-loving audience in Mumbai, who enjoys just the Cricket and somewhat cuts down on the abusive fun, seems to be a very remote possibilty to me.

What say?

3 comments:

  1. I think the issue of concern here is the standard of the slogans shouted during the match. Many ex-cricketers have also expressed concerns over the same. Audiance enjoys abusing players. That's something to worry about.

    In fact same thing is occuring all over the world. There have been many instances of racist chanting against SA on their recent tour of Australia. And the same thing is happening in Spanish football as well, prompting Fifa to take action. People enjoy it. That's the main concern.

    Booing Tendulkar is not a big thing. Same thing happens in EPL many times. It is out of the anger that their team or favourite player is not doing well. Crowd just wants them to perform better. The language used in booing is the concern.

    BTW, Cricket match "should" be considered as a one day-out and that's what any sports event should be. And people expect complete sporting experience. So improving facilities may help.

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  2. Your blog keeps getting better and better! Your older articles are not as good as newer ones you have a lot more creativity and originality now keep it up!

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  3. what word did crowd use for booing sachin tendulkar,,,,,,,, like recently they boo by word cheater,,,,,,,,,,,

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