After Hughes' death, postponing first Ind-Aus Test was the human thing to do

December 1, 2014

Hughes death1Sydney, Dec 1: The decision to postpone the first India-Australia Test is the right one. Yes, going ahead with the game in Brisbane might have served as a distraction for players and fans alike, but this is not the time for distractions. This is a time for being human.

Grieving is a vital part of the human experience. We should make space to lament the loss of those we care about. We should give grief our deepest, fullest attention. We should not rush to put it behind us or distract ourselves with other pursuits.

The players, especially the Australian players, need time to grieve over Phillip Hughes’s death. They need time to come to terms with what has happened and to once again find meaning in the sport they play. That one ball, one short moment in time, could shatter all their universes forever is not easy to absorb, let alone overcome.

Take David Warner. As Greg Baum writes for the Sydney Morning Herald:

“He was a mate of Phillip Hughes, his one-time opening partner. He was on the spot that tragic day at the SCG, he rode with Hughes in the ambulance, he was an ever-present at the hospital … Might it be that India could promise to bowl nothing but long-hops and he still would not give a stuff for this cricket match?”

Those of us who follow sport, any sport, with even a little bit of passion tend to treat what happens on the field as something of the utmost importance. Winning or losing a match can seem like a cataclysmic event that alters the fabric our lives. But in truth, little changes. We either celebrate a victory over mope over a loss. Then we get up the next day and everyone we love is still there and we repeat the cycle.

When Australia lost the Ashes in England in 2013, it felt like despair. Less than two years later, Australia smashed England 5-0 to win back the urn and were on top of the world. The wheel had turned. Despair had become joy, and joy despair.

If a player is dropped, he can always win his place back. It is precisely because sports is not permanent, because today’s loser can become tomorrow’s hero, that we imbue sports with so much meaning. We want to believe it can, and will, get better.

Death, however, is final. There is no tomorrow. It cannot, and will not, get better. Hughes’ voice will not echo around the dressing room again; his cheeky grin will only be seen in photographs. This is what the players have to come to terms with. This is what the sport has to come to terms with.

To expect the Australian players to do that while also being mentally and physically committed to five days of cricket is expecting too much. As former Australia captain Ricky Ponting wrote in his column for News Limited Newspapers on Saturday, 29 November 2014: "Even if the boys think they can play it would be a miracle if they find the right frame of mind needed for five days of cricket.”

In our 24/7, always-on-the-go world, time and attention have become precious commodities. We tend to flit from one thing to another and multitasking has become a badge of honour. But death, especially when it is sudden and unexpected, as in the case of Hughes, demands our full attention.

Normal life will eventually resume, of course, but it should do so naturally. There will be time again for cricket but the time to mourn is only now.

In postponing the first Test, cricket has honoured not just the memory of Phillip Hughes, but also the humanity of those that played alongside him and counted him as a friend.

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News Network
May 28,2020

May 28: Former India captain and Kings XI Punjab head coach Anil Kumble is hopeful of the IPL happening this year and is not averse to the idea of conducting the cash-rich event without spectators due to the COVID-19 threat.

It is not official yet but there is speculation that the BCCI wants to hold the IPL in the October window after the tournament was postponed indefinitely earlier this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Yes we are hopeful and optimistic that there is still a possibility (to hold IPL this year) if we can cram in the schedule," Kumble was quoted as saying by Star Sports show 'Cricket Connected'.

"If we are going to have a stadium without spectators, then probably have 3 or 4 venues; there's still a possibility, we are all optimistic," said the former spinner, who is also the chairman of ICC's Cricket Committee.

Former India batsman VVS Laxman said the stakeholders can stage the league in cities which have multiple stadia to reduce travelling by players.

"Absolutely (there is chance to hold IPL this year), and also make sure that all the stakeholders have a say," he said.

"...you should identify one venue, which probably has 3 or 4 grounds; if at all you find that kind of a venue because travel is again going to be quite challenging," said the former stylish batsman.

"You don't know who's going to be where at the airports, so that I'm sure the franchises and the BCCI will be looking into."

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News Network
April 9,2020

New Delhi, Apr 9: The legendary Kapil Dev on Thursday slammed Shoaib Akhtar's idea of a made-for-television three-match ODI series between India and Pakistan to raise funds for the Covid19 pandemic, saying "India doesn't need the money" and it is not worth risking lives for a cricket match.

Speaking to news agency, Akhtar on Wednesday proposed a closed-door series to jointly raise funds to fight the deadly virus both in India and Pakistan. Dev said the proposal is not feasible.

"He is entitled to his opinion but we don't need to raise the money. We have enough. For us, what is important right now is how our authorities work together to deal with this crisis. I am still seeing a lot of blame game on television from the politicians and that needs to stop," Dev said.

"Anyway, the BCCI has donated a hefty amount (Rs 51 crore) for the cause and is in a position to donate much more if the need arises. It doesn't need to raise funds.

"The situation is unlikely to get normal anytime soon and organising a cricket game means putting our cricketers at risk which we don't need to," said the World Cup-winning former captain.

Dev said cricket should not even matter for at least the next six months.

"It is just not worth the risk. And how much money can you make from three games? In my view, you can't even think of cricket for the next five to six months," he said.

Dev said the focus, at the moment, should only be on saving lives and taking care of the poor who are struggling to make ends meet in a lockdown situation.

"Cricket will resume when things get normal. The game can't be bigger than the country. The pressing issue is to look after the poor, the hospital workers, the police and all other people who are on the frontline of this war," said the 61-year-old.

As an Indian, Dev feels proud that his country is in a position help other nations including the United States.

President Donald Trump has thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for helping the United States with the supply of hydroxychloroquine, an anti-malarial drug being touted as a potential cure for Covid19 patients.

"Helping others is in our culture and I feel proud about that. We should not seek credit after helping others. We should strive to become a nation which gives more and more rather than taking from others," he said.

Like everyone else, Dev is at home and practising social distancing.

Asked how he views the current situation, he said: "Nelson Mandela stayed in a tiny cell for 27 years. Compared to that, we are in a privileged position (that we just have to stay at home for sometime)."

"There is nothing bigger than life at the moment and that is what we need to save."

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Agencies
June 2,2020

New Delhi, Jun 2: Expressing solidarity with the 'Black Lives Matter' campaign, star West Indies batsman Chris Gayle has alleged that he faced racist remarks during his career and cricket is not free of the menace.

Gayle did not elaborate when he faced racial remarks but hinted it might have been during his stints at global T20 leagues.

"I have travelled the globe and experienced racial remarks towards me because I am black, believe me, the list goes on," he posted on instagram on Monday night.

"Racism is not only in football, it's in cricket too. Even within teams as a black man, I get the end of the stick. Black and powerful. Black and proud," he said.

The big-hitting batsman's comments came in the backdrop of African-American George Floyd's death in the USA after a white police officer, Derek Chauvin, pressed his knee on the handcuffed man's neck as he gasped for breath.

The incident has sparked violent protests across the USA.

"Black lives matter just like any other life. Black people matter, p***k all racist people, stop taking black people for fools, even our own black people wise the p***k up and stop bringing down your own!," Gayle wrote.

Racism in cricket was drew attention most recently last year when England pacer Jofra Archer was abused by a spectator in New Zealand.

New Zealand's top players and the cricket board had offered apologies for the incident to the Englishman.

Also on Monday night, the England cricket team's official twitter handle posted a message denouncing racism.

"We stand for diversity, We stand against racism," the message read.

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