Sanity!

Pakistan and India played a fantastic game of cricket in the semi-finals of the world cup. At the end of the day, one team had to win and other lose – but there was no violence, no burning and no-overturning of automobiles. Afridi – the Pakistan captain said it all – "I am sorry to my nation, but I wish good luck to India," – what can be better, coming from the icon of international cricket – he led his nation with pride and brought them from the edge of disaster. Cricket, a game played by rational people around the world is the the only game remaining on the face of the Earth that is sane. Pakistan – should take immense pride in the way they overcame such a negative effect coming into the tournament and the way they played and  they deserve the world cup.  As they shook hands and hug each other, one has to wonder if sport has a role to play in moving humanity to the next level.

Cricket has to be taught to the other 5 Billion people as a game that evolved – winning is important but not exclusively so – playing cricket is more important. It will cure wars and ego, it will ameliorate grief and it will feed the poor and the ambitious. It will flatten the world, it will bring leaders of opposing countries to shake hands and share a drink and it will bring unending joy to billions, left with very little else. It will write history and leave it for the next generation and extra-terrestrials as an advanced form of engagement – with strategy, tactics and  pure joy. It will teach and nourish and it will give reason to live for many. It will leave scraps for the intellectuals to debate over the state of the pitch and statistics – but for most, all of that is irrelevant. A heave over mid-wicket and a sumptuous extra-cover drive – both are treated with equal passion, one requiring guts and the other talent. As they spin and seam the ball, as the many millions rise and fall, as a flash of the blade takes the meat or the edge, as they run and run for the last yard and as they swing the ball in and out – there is only one outcome – they will break or make the hearts of millions. However, they will quietly return to mull over what could have been and what is equitable.

It is all cricket.