Where True Victory Lives...

UPDATE: Please read my friend Vik's post here. I think he did a brilliant job (a much better job) on what I really wanted to convey through my Cricket post. Thanks Vik!

Alot of my Indian friends here weren't very happy about me congratulating the Aussie Cricket team in my last post. Too bad mates, I congratulate whoever who wins. To me, Cricket is simply a game that depends alot on circumstantial luck as well. Shit happens, one team wins, the other one loses...get over it! Anyways, my friend KP even blogged about the issue, addressed to me - read here. So I had to write this post in order to let you all know how I honestly feel about this cricket drama going on in Sydney at the moment, between Australia and India. I have lived in Australia for so long now I call Australia home. But that doesn't mean I blindly support Aussies in any given situation. At the same time, I haven't forgotten my roots. That also doesn't mean I blindly take Sri Lanka/India's side in any given situation. I'm a very fair person and as far as I know, I'm not judgement-impaired, neither am I a white-skin lover for the heck of it (I felt some friends in KP's post thought of me to be a white-skin lover - I really don't care what people think about me anyways, you are free to think whatever about me ok..I'm not bothered at all). I respect EVERY nation for it's QUALITY and ATTITUDE. Not just cos I was born there or have lived there longer and call it home. If Sri Lanka does a bad mistake, I'm not afraid to say it out loud (to be honest, I'm not very impressed about Sri Lankan politicians and the on-going war there anyways...so yeah, I say they are all totally screwed and seems like they love being screwed for years). The Attitude sucks. That's the whole problem behind the on-going conflicts. Anyways, I live in Aus so I know about Aussies much more than most of the Indian people who are screaming right now and calling Aussies racist etc etc. Actually Aussies are not as bad as you think they are. They are pretty friendly people...even alot less racist than some Indians/Sri Lankans are! Trust me when I say that.

Anyways, back to Cricket - Now I know that Indians are very passionate about Cricket as much as Aussies are. But throwing a massive hissy fit over something that's as simple as a match, wasn't very sporty of the Indian team. That's my opinion on this issue. The Indians are threatening to boycott the whole tour?? That's totally extreme. Ok let's say that the umpires were blind, the Aussie team was rude, Harbhajan Singh was racist etc etc. So both teams are at fault right? Now what's the big deal here? Why be so dramatic and drag the scene to eternity ? It's not a good habit. In Sports, many anger-related matters happen on the field and ofcourse some team wins and the other team has to lose. It takes alot of grace to accept defeat than to throw childish fits, that too at an International level. Aussies won...accept it and move on - it's as simple as that. Now if Aussies were a bad team (somehow I believe in their strength and determination, and that they are a TOP team) and if they were unsporty and unfair, and did not deserve to win, then I hope it all comes out in the open soon and that their victory be disqualified. But to throw away a whole tour while appealing for Harbhajan Singh's guilty racial-abuse verdict to be overturned is not a very mature act. If he gets cleared by his appeal, then that's fine, let it happen in due course, but why protest? That's childish. When the Aussie team was in Mumbai last Oct, there were crazy taunts by the Indian cricket fans that abused Symonds throughout all the matches. But I'm glad Aussies played on in India and that they did not throw a tanty or threaten to cancel the tour. That's what true sportsmanship is! Not suspending the whole tour and protesting, cos that's batty to the core. Back in Oct, neither did the Aussie fans turn extreme and abusive towards Indians, as much as Indians seem to be towards Aussies right now (I see alot of name-calling and racial slur against Aussies all over Blogville at the moment - that only proves no one is perfect). If you behave badly, then expect to get some in return. Also, I remember how the Indian cricket fans were trashing their own team when they couldn't get through to WC last time - it was horrible to see how Indians humiliated their own skin. I even told some bloggers that it's so extreme and stupid to embarass your own team just cos they LOST! Now, all of a suddden those same Indians who trashed their team are feeling so patriotic? So it's all about winning is it? :). Grow up people...it's only a game! If this is what the reaction is just for a game of Cricket, then I'm not surprised why there are so many wars in this world and why people are killing each other over trivial things. Extremism of any sorts should never be encouraged. Something wrong may have happened in this series...so let's rectify it and move on, instead of throwing tanties and bringing in racial debates. I was truly disappointed by some friends who brought in the Black/White debate into this. It's so very sad! Respect people for who they are...not for their skin color.

I love all my Indian friends here and I'm not taking Aussie or Indian's side. I believe both the teams are GREAT teams and GREAT to watch (hunk-wise too;-)). I'm just telling you exactly how I feel about this unwarranted drama over something that's supposed to be SPORTY and FUN. C'mon India, chuck the whingy attitude and play on! If Aussies were a bad team and did not deserve the victory, then get them in the next match and show them you don't give up easily and that you are as determined as hell. Sport is not only about winning the game, it's also about having a winning attitude. That's where true victory lives. Great cricketers never hold grudges. We don't want long faces, bring back the fun in Cricket!

And I LOVE AUSTRAAAALYA! I'm not black, I'm not white...I'm human. And I'm treated exactly that way in land Down Under.

Current Music: Down Under by Men At Work