Gentleman’s game

I have been following the Indian Premier League 2013 (IPL) since its beginning about two months ago. Now as it is going to conclude on Sunday, I am feeling nostalgic about it.

I am going to miss all the shots and the unique styles of the players. A few of them have created their exclusive styles to celebrate their success on the field. Like Darren Sammy used to celebrate by popping up a child-pacifier in his mouth. It became such a hit that many of his fans started following him.

The Gangnam Style was also popular among the players. Many of them like Chris Gayle, Harbhajan Singh, Adam Gilchrist and others were seen performing the famous steps introduced by the Korean singer, Psy.

Unique hairstyles also gave a distinctive image to a few players. Like the hairstyle of Lasith Malinga, Ishant Sharma and Chris Gayle must have made the batsmen confused. I guess there would be a long queue of their fans outside the salon to make a hairstyle like them.

I was most surprised when it was time for Gayle’s smart shots. I realised that he was not called “Gayle Storm” for nothing.

But, I got confused when I heard people talking about cricket matches in olden days. Recently, when I visited my uncle’s place, I heard his friends criticising the IPL.

“Then, people used to enjoy the shots made by batsmen, not the funny reactions of players on the field,” said his friend.

“Yes, cricket was once called a gentleman’s game. With all the fanfare attached to the IPL, the game is losing its original charm,” said my uncle.

I am still puzzled. I think I should watch a recording of an old cricket match one day and judge which format is better.

(Published in The Gulf Today on May 25, 2013)