I was probably one of the very few people who could predict wickets before seeing the ball being bowled. No, I had not colluded with the either of the teams to throw their wickets on my instructions. This actually meant that, before the cheer from my laptop’s speakers entered my ears, the hurrah of my hostel mates had already made it. For this I blame, ESPN for their delay in transmission of video feed over the net.
To get the root of my problem, my predictions were really a result of my tough luck. I was stuck in my room, trying to juggle two activities, simultaneously. What I failed to take into account is the fact that India Pakistan matches are always (NOTE: ALWAYS) decided, right into the final over! My liking for cricket had successfully surpassed my love-hate relationship with my project for the spring semester. Nevertheless, let me get to the point of my diary entry.
An Indo-Pak cricket match is the one match made in hell. It isn’t smooth for any parties involved in the affair. No one is safe, neither the teams, nor the spectators who would go to such an extent as to devoting almost half a day in commenting on “Indo-Pak cricket match” facebook status (statuses .. to be precise). Not to forget the slew of facebook requests which flooded my inbox, asking me to join the call of “Bharat Bandh” on the 30th of March. I vividly remember the beating my friend received on facebook for daring to suggest that Pakistan can possibly win this world cup match. My sudden desperate urges to log onto facebook had also witnessed an all-time low because of this world cup match! Surely, this match had something in it which could shake even the most laidback of fans.
Let’s not even dare to forget the torments which the minds of every single player on both the sides, might be facing. I can actually empathise with the players on both the sides. Imagine playing on foreign soil, with the Prime Minister of your country in the VIP box, watching your every move. You would surely be excused to feel that in case of a mishap, your citizenship is under threat! With the Indo-Pak cricket match becoming another playground for foreign diplomacy, the situation is surely going to worsen in the coming years.
Meanwhile, I just wish that ESPN resolves this issue of delay of internet video feed and which will stop me from predicting match results. This would indeed be a big relief!
