Cricket, is supposed to be a game of entertainment and that of sportsmanship. But in the view of recent events, the enthralling game has become more of a controversial game, if not less than a war of false egos on & off the field. On the ground, it’s our home players that have led the spirit of the game down, off it it’s our desi Netas who, not surprisingly, has made an issue of morality out of sheer entertainment.

Consequently & interestingly, the team franchisees may have covered up the issue with a little bit of more fabric, it is still impossible for them to calm down their players. After the Bhaji-Sree slap incident, the limelight was hopped in by the legends of international cricket, Sourav Ganguly and Shane Warne on the grounds of Kolkata Eden Gardens. Apparently Ganguly and Warne entered into a verbal spat after the former Indian skipper forced the umpire to refer a decision to third umpire. This led the Warne team idle for few minutes in the hot sun. Although the argument, like all other previous ones, may have been calmed down by the governing body, it surely leaves a question mark on the sportsmanship of the players.

What has been more active during recent games that have attracted more attention, is not the scorecard of teams, but incidents or rather accidents of sledging, abusing & arguments. It appears as if the transition of the game format from test to on dayers & now to 20-20, has brought along with it the short temperedness in cricketers as well. Or otherwise, the so called gentlemen’s game would not have witnessed the increasing number of such low-grade incidents.

It is true that competition is good for any game as long as it remains healthy. Incidentally the current scenario in the international cricket arena does not reflect any kind of healthiness in the competition level among national as well as international players. It can be argued that this is only a result of over hyped game that leaves it players in a do or die situation where everything seems fair enough to win the game. But what one must not forget is the fact that cricket still remains a game where one is bound to win while the other loose. What a player must not forget is the fact that his opponent is as strong as him and is fighting the same game with same zeal as his or may be more. Our players must try and learn to keep their emotions, especially hostile ones under strict self control as now alonwith their image it’s the young blood also that is connected with their behaviour. Youngsters today connect themselves more with the public image shown by these players, who are ideal for future prospective cricketers. Just like on-screen drinking & on-screen smoking influencing young blood of our country, bitter incidents like these also affect them at a slow but steady rate.

A cricketer, should therefore try not only to protect the spirit and taste of the game but also the future of his country and his game. A sportsman, nomatter which sports he or she belongs to, must not let the name of the game down just because of their incapability of controlling bitter emotions. They must also understand that its not they who are playing the game, it is actually the whole nation that plays with them ball by ball, and any controversy that happens with them, also happens with the nation as well.