What goes up will come down, but civility must be maintained

The financial markets have gone putrid, blue-eyed boys are learning what unemployment means, institutions are vanishing...

The financial markets have gone putrid, blue-eyed boys are learning what unemployment means, institutions are vanishing, even countries are being threatened without a bullet being fired. There is indeed a cycle, things that go up will, sometimes sooner sometimes later, come down. Even the mighty America, that neither cared for nor knew much about other countries, is down to its knees. Cricket might seem irrelevant when people are discovering they don8217;t have jobs but here too, there is a cycle.

For years, England and Australia ruled cricket. In my childhood, England looked down upon the lesser nations, rarely sent their best teams to the sub-continent and believed that is how it should be. Nobody could complain because it was their prerogative to select a team. But now, a lot of people in England are angry that Sri Lanka may send a second string side there to play Test cricket because the main players are contracted to play the IPL. There is growing talk of India8217;s 8220;filthy wealth8221; threatening the world order. In reality, it is just nature8217;s way of creating cycles. The mighty get weak and the downtrodden get their place in the sun.

And so it strikes me as funny that player after player from England is making fun of the Stanford 20-20, downgrading it relentlessly, talking of how it bears no comparison to the real cricket they will play next year while, at the same time, lining up for a share of the money. If I was Stanford, I would be looking for some respect somewhere and I might have been tempted to say 8216;if you mock at my money, go somewhere else8217;.

England8217;s current predicament carries with it a warning for the BCCI as well. Thanks in large part to the Indian cricket follower, and some smart judgment, they find themselves on the crest of a wave at the moment. And they might want to pause a moment and see if they are making friends on the way up for, make no mistake, another cycle will come around too. And they need to ask themselves if, while they are flush with funds, they are treating the game with respect and doing what is right for Indian cricket. It is important that sport makes money, but it is just as important that sport spends wisely and invests in people as much as in infrastructure.

Some people are feeling the effect of nature8217;s cycle as well and that is inevitable. But what is not acceptable is the manner in which they are being spoken of these days. Is it only me, or do all of you think civility is dead? Anil Kumble has not only been India8217;s finest spin bowler, and would be in a pretty good short list of India8217;s best ever cricketers, he has been an honest and dignified cricketer and a very tough competitor for India. Now, he isn8217;t bowling at his best and doubts are being expressed about his effectiveness, indeed of his worthiness, and that is perfectly acceptable. What isn8217;t is the manner in which it is being done.

8216;Put up or Shut Up8217; a Mumbai paper said as I almost choked on my coffee. The language that followed would have evoked outrage had a cruel teacher used it in reference to a brattish child. And I wondered how the editor would react if his or her son or daughter said that to a guest at home because that is where most newspapers are read. Language is a writer8217;s licence, it is a tool of the trade but impropriety is not. We are talking of a very decent human being who has played with enormous distinction for India; through pain and injury, and never complained. Put Up or Shut Up?

And a couple of evenings ago this young news anchor turned up and brushed Kumble off like he were an annoying speck. 8220;Off with his head8221; was the suggestion. Again, no problem with the point of view, just with the complete lack of respect. These must be difficult times!

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And so to Mohali, with or without Kumble or indeed, anybody! If I were in the Indian camp, I would be delighted to read this comment by Ricky Ponting about Zaheer Khan. 8220;He8217;s just happened to have a good game as well, which is pretty unusual for him.8221; Clearly something has got to Ponting!