Am outraged at this fixing!

The 49th match in IPL 2012 between Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings was fixed! There, I said it.

There is nothing else that would have had more impact and would get the point across of what this blog is about than the first line. Yes, the match was fixed. Believe me you. I was right there witnessing the match in action sitting there right from ball one. 

Having won tickets through a radio channel who were proud to be associated with a team that boasts of the supposed God of cricket, it comes as a big surprise that God listens to only a couple of people's prayers.

I will tell you how it all began. 

I was super excited to be going for a cricket match after a long time and was really looking forward to this game. It promised to be a high-scoring affair with two of the big stars-laden teams in the competition. Both had a point to prove and a long standing rivalry. I was happily cheering the Mumbai bowlers as well as applauding some of the crisp shots by the Chennai batsmen. I am someone who enjoys cricket and is highly passionate about it. I live cricket, I talk cricket. As far as I can remember there hasn't been a day since 1996 when I have slept without having a minimum of 30 mins of cricket in the day for me. Be it in the way of watching it or playing it or reading about it or talking about it. Cricket is, and I am not exaggerating, life for 

me. 

I was happily enjoying the match sitting at Level 3 of the Sachin Tendulkar stand looking at what seemed like an interesting encounter. Somewhere during the match these two gentlemen came and sat besides me. Before them there were a couple of people who came, sat there for a while and shifted later. That's why when these two guys came I did not pay much heed to it. It was around the 9th or the 10th over that the first guy, whom from now on we will refer to as the 'fixer', spoke to his friend. He casually suggested that Mumbai will be chasing 175 runs for victory. I overheard it and was smiling at his confident prediction. I ignored it as just another fan prediction but did tell my friend about the supposed score! Both of us joked how he is a fixer and is probably telling the right score. 

As the first innings got over, somehow Mumbai did manage to restrict CSK to 173 giving them a target of 174. Pretty close, huh! Was our first reaction. But again we rubbished the thought of him being a fixer as it could have been a coincidence. Later, when MI came into bat we suddenly saw him looking at his iPhone every now and then and looking a bit restless. We assumed it was the hunger, the heat and the seating that were causing the restlessness. 

He then called up someone and was intensely discussing the game. He would be overjoyed at some occasions  and quiet on some. Would stand up and applaud if CSK got a wicket and at the same time would also show some appreciation for the boundaries hit by Mumbai. Since he was wearing a blue t-shirt I assumed his loyalties were for Mumbai. But he could just be wearing a blue t-shirt to play safe or may be did not even think about it. 

Anyway, as time passed his actions were getting weirder. He would mimic the IPL tune that the DJs would keep playing. He would cheer on Sachin and ridicule the bowlers when they would get hit. 

Here comes the moment of truth: Come the last three overs of the game, Mumbai was losing control of the game. Losing wickets and not scoring runs. This fixer was still smiling. Then he suddenly got a phone call and I tried to overhear him. He repeated what he was hearing,'Kya, is over mein abhi six lagega?' I heard and instantly turned towards my friends to share what I thought could be vital info. Just at that moment, while I was turning to share the news, I saw Dwayne Smith hitting the bowler for a six towards mid-wicket. Me and my friend both jumped for joy and were somehow laughing at how the fixer's prediction came true. 

By now we were sure he was involved somehow. Either had bet some money or was talking to some fixer. The overs were passing and his volume lowered. With an over to go and 16 to get off it, some people started leaving the ground. Just then, he stopped this family and said, "Ruk jao yaar, Mumbai Indians jeetega, guaranteed." 

Me and my friend we both looked at each other and shared a grin. As we turned around we saw him leaving the ground with a big smirk on his face. Confident as if he had seen it all. Then came the Hilfenhaus over. The man whom the MI guys could not score much off. The man who bowled a toe-crusher to get rid of Malinga of the second ball. With 4 balls left and 15 to get, we had given up. But were hoping that the fixer's prediction comes true. 3 balls to go now and 14 to get, we had by all means given up hope and were staring at yet another defeat for MI. But the fixers had a deal, in comes Hilfenhaus and bowls a full-toss. Smith hits it for a six towards long on, we were jumping in the stands as were the thousand other  MI fans. Smith had given us a glimmer of hope. Two balls later, MI had won, Smith had done the unexpected, CSK had lost a game that was theirs for the taking. 

The only picture in my head was of the fixer who left with a smirk and a confident around him knowing that the team he had chosen, may be, had won, before the game was complete.

I was shattered, outraged, disgusted. I still am. 

The dying sport: Cricket

Most people born post the 1983 World Cup winning India would never have imagined this or would have thought in their wildest dreams that they will see a time when Cricket will be considered a dying sport in India!

As hard it is to believe for a super cricket fanatic like me, it is even harder to imagine the plight of those who are playing the sport currently and hoping to break into the most glamorous profession in India after acting, in India atleast.

Since my trip to the land of the queen where yours truly spent a good year hoping to play the sport at some level in the country of its birth! Sadly though the locals of Yorkshire too had few people interested in the sport. My first few days in Leeds, West Yorkshire told me that England has become more of a football nation than cricket. Every sports shop I visisted had big banners and full size posters of Rooney, Cole, Lampard, etc and not one picture of any cricketer.

In the entire year all I saw with regards to cricket and its players were a few Graeme Swann ads of a certain juice company and one of Kevin Pietersen endorsing some brand. Yorkshire, if some of you do not know is the 'Mumbai' of English cricket. Some of the finest cricketers have been part of the Yorkshire team and Yorkshire takes great pride in its stars. It was a great example of hard core British values as for a long time it did not entertain foreign cricketers in its team. A lot of the other counties had stared importing foreign talent but not the Yorkshire men. Our very own Sachin Tendulakr was the first international cricketer ever to have played for Yorkshire county.

Coming back to our discussion, the Headingley stadium too had a dull look about it during the year and even though it had county matches played regularly I never really saw the tradition or culture it was so famous for.

Now, back in India, I have noticed the interest levels for the sport have gone down miserably. Blame it on the overdose in the last couple of months or general losing of interest. What is funny about this dying interest is that it seems to affect more people living in cities. Football has consistently been surging as a sport in India and now its giving cricket a tough competition.

Since my return to Mumbai I have been dying to lay hands on a bat and tonk the ball beyond the boundary, yet I have been unsuccessful at finding someone to run over and bowl the ball at the other end. There was a time during my school days when we used to have three teams each of 7-8 players playing on open grounds and now just about a decade later am having trouble to find 3 people willing to even say yes for playing it!

Agreed that most people of my age are working and are at mid-management to senior level jobs but interest is also one thing. Have tried cajoling some youngsters in my building to join me for a game of under-arm cricket, promoising them that I would play football with them if thet did so and yet I was disappointed!

Today, one of my friends got tickets for the match on Sunday between India and England at the recently revamped Wankhede stadium. We accidentally ended up buying a couple of extra tickets and now are having trouble in finding takers. Their excuse: Do not want to 'waste' my Sunday, seven hours is too long for a sport, who will come that far 'just' to watch a match, 'T20 hai kya?. What match? Who is playing? England is in India, weren't we there a couple of days back? Woh chod, Rugby Finals dekhte hain!

I am surprised! I am shocked! I am disappointed! I am sad!

There was a time when the entire country knew where was India playing, what were the game timings and what was the score...at any given point of time. Catch a security guard who is fast asleep and ask him for the score and he would promptly say...Sachin batting kar raha hai, 200-2. Ask some random people in a train, boss score kya hua hai? and he will frantically send an SMs to the service provider for an updated scorebaord and then proudly show it to you once received.

From that to a time when people know when Manchester United is playing their next game or what is the latest tattoo on Beckham's body but they are not sure if Sachin is even in the playing XI or not!

Cricket indeed is a dying sport now in this country and I won't be surprised if my son (One day I shall have that too) gets up and asks me, dad, what is this long wooded thing that you have on your desk full of signatures of some - J. Kallis, R. Dravid and A. Kumble?

A little sweet, a little sour

It has been one complete year. Life has taken a complete turn, I started off as being unemployed and looking to spend a lot of my money on what seemed like a good education and something that would help me take the next step in my career.

I was all set to step in the land of the Queen and start what would have been the start of my rule. I am back to the country I took birth in, still unemployed, the Queen has taken a big chunk of my savings, I have gained some knowledge which I might have done had I stayed back and done some small time course from some University in India!

Yet, all is not lost and I still do not regret this experience. It gave me a lot more than what I expected of it. It failed to deliver what it promised and yet it delivered things that were not part of the contract. Ahhaa..contract! One word that has not left my life so far and has different meanings for me for different reasons. Anyway, getting back, Leeds was an unforgettable experience and one that has left a deep mark.

The day I landed in Leeds and started spending the money, it was a very different experience. I was not comfortable with the thought of spending almost 3 times of what I had earned so far in a country where I will be forced to stay for atleast a year.

The first few months I spent miserly, saving every penny and writing about every pound that I used up. Slowly, things go better and I got a better hold of myself and my habits.

Now back in the city and I feel people here are so poor and unlucky. Having seen youngsters spend pounds as if they were actually making more money if they spend more, I felt the people here could be given a little more for their efforts. I saw this beggar kid who was singing to me that he wanted to eat rice and dal. I know very well that money given to him might not go there yet my heart melted at his innocent look and smile. I handed him a one rupee and a two rupee coin. I thought it would make him really happy and he would be elated. He was happy nonetheless but the next moment he was seen at the next rickshaw trying to convince another man to let him eat dal and rice.

The rickshaw I sat in had a little tiff with a rickshawalla ahead of him as he banged his vehicle and broke his side view mirror. The fight lasted a good 10 minutes and all I did was observe. I did not utter a word in support of either of them and just saw my meter rising with alarming speed. It did not bother me much as I knew that as much as they fought it was obvious that the other guy would not give him any damages as he was too poor and could not afford a cut from his meagre salary. A little later when I got off, I saw the meter rating and it was much more than what it should have been, I promptly took the cash out and gave him the money and did not bother asking to reduce it for the time wasted at the signal.

I did not do him a favour, nor am I saying that I am a generous guy. I just thought to myself, a few bucks here and there might not make a big difference to me, but I know this rickshawalla will feel happy that his amount was not reduced and he got a little more than what he would have.

To see people spending money like there really is no tomorrow and to come back and see people being happy at having made a little extra. I am back in the country, am back to where I belong, and yet I ain't happy.

This small little incident made me think, is it a little sweet or is it a little sour!