Shame, Shame, SHAME!!!

The madness is dead! Long live the madness...

As India crashed out of the cricket world cup, not even able to make it past the first round after losing two of its three group matches, one wondered why most of the money involved in cricket worldwide comes from India.

The players make more in terms of endorsements, are treated to demi-God status and are generally more influential than most hardworking people who happen to be good at what they do. Cricket fever in India is mostly a religion rather than a sport, with the team members as the part of the Pantheon of cricket.

But objectively, what is it that made them get there? What performance, what domination of the sport has caused this adulation? I can understand about certain individuals like Sachin Tendulkar who has distinguished himself as the greatest batsman of this generation and one of the all time greats (most all time greats agree with me on this one). But I cannot understand how some consistent non-performer like Virendra Sehwag or a selfish, pompous ass like Saurav Ganguly get the same adulation.

There are a lot of sports personalities who have been revered over the ages. Even in my generation, people like Michael Jordon, Michael Schumaker, Tiger Woods are respected for their achievements in their chosen sports. But this insanity called cricket in India is unfathomable.

One of the reasons I am not a keen follower of cricket is because it is boringly, painfully slow. And that's just the one day game. Don't even get me started on the test matches. But that is not the biggest reason.

The biggest reason to not follow cricket is because India manages to consistently underperform and break the hearts of the millions of people who hope when there is none. I have had my hopes dashed too many times to know that this team is not worth supporting. And since I will not support any other country, I refuse to support the sport. I withhold my participation, even as a spectator, from the sport that does not give anything back to me. I know I am in an extreme minority here, but this is my way of protesting. Not a single rupee of my earning will be spent to support the grossly inflated and hugely undeserved salaries and endorsement cheques of these people.

And to a large extent, I am not unhappy that India has crashed out of the world cup. I think the nation, and mainly the cricket team, needed this wake up call to face reality which suggests that we are not even a cricketing nation worth its salt to qualify beyond the first round of a world cup, much less winning it.

I know that the madness and frenzy surrounding cricket will not abate as easily, but I think it is high time Indians realized there are other sports where money invested can reap a much higher return. I think the people of India should seriously start thinking about considering to follow another sport. Just to shake things up.

And if that happens, then it is not impossible for a country of a billion people to have a football team worthy enough to qualify for another world cup, one that is a lot tougher and is more a test of your skill rather than how much money is thrown into the field.

I wait for that day.