The Hindu Business Line : Some games are more equal than others

Wafers, whose love for cricket was second only to her love for CA, almost dropped her glass of Coke. "Why?" she screamed. She knew that China wasn't given to extremes . And she wanted to hear what his reasoning was for she felt it was an absurd statement.

"Indians are crazy about cricket and cricketers. Ditto with movies and movie stars," China said. "So what's your problem?" asked Wafers. His eyes still on the Outlook article, China said, "The silly game has become an industry and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is awash with money".

Wafers' blood pressure rose. "So?" she asked. China simply said, "It is not good for India." Stupid engineer, thought Wafers. He gets subsidised education at IIT, plans to work abroad for a fancy pay and talks of what is good for India.

China could read her mind but refrained from being drawn into that debate. Instead he said, "You understand economics. So let me explain in the language of the economist." Big deal, thought Wafers. She didn't like grand standing. "Economics," said China, "talks about negative externalities and market failure. The market economy tends to overproduce goods and services that have external costs. Cricket falls in this category. While the BCCI and the cricketers are laughing their way to the banks, they are imposing costs on society."

Wafers couldn't digest anyone rubbishing her favourite game. And so she asked, "How?"

Stuffing more pasta into his mouth, China said, "Look, work suffers in many offices when matches are being played. In cities such as Kolkata work comes to a standstill. Worse still, far too much time is wasted on highlights and post mortems by self-proclaimed analysts. The amount of output lost clearly exceeds the value created by the game!"

Wafers couldn't help saying, "Boy, this is a democratic country. We do what pleases us. You can't play big brother."

The captain at the table joined the debate. "There are other issues as well. Today, everyone talks about the need to be globally competitive. But cricket is neither a global game nor is the Indian team truly competitive!"

"Crap," said Wafers. "Are we not proud of showing off Tendulkar? Does our sense of patriotism not shoot up when India wins a match?" she asked. China smiled. An angry Wafers was always a treat to watch. "In developing countries where cricket is played, it is a diversion from the pressing problems of life. When Sri Lanka won the World Cup it was to them a great escape from the socio-economic problems that was ravaging their nation."

The captain nodded and said, "In the few developed countries, such as Australia, New Zealand and England, which play cricket, it is not the national game." So, terms such as `world champions' are a misnomer when it comes to cricket. Olympic winners are the real world champions. For, they compete against the best in the world."

China wasn't through yet. "Why do people play sports? Because it promotes physical fitness. But cricket does no such thing. How many of our test cricketers can run fast? And the game isn't strenuous. Only the wicket keeper's job is physically demanding. That job alone is comparable with that of an athlete."

The captain bringing in a pack of French fries for Wafers said, "And it is not a coincidence that we have failed to produce a good wicket keeper in the last 15 years!" Wafers couldn't help thinking, "Strangely enough, people responsible for cricket in India have decided that a specialist wicket keeper is not necessary."

Wafers was beginning to feel converted. She couldn't help recall what her kid brother had said the other day. "If India keeps winning consistently the way Australia has done in the past many years, it would be great."

Yes, India is some eighth in the test rankings with only the minnows behind them, Wafers remembered. And also that when India finished runners up in the World Cup it had been walloped by Australia. As China had then remarked, "We finished a distant second."

Wafers couldn't let down her heroes. She thundered, "You guys are jealous that the cricketers make money. As if you folks don't like the smell of currency." Why grudge them?

China responded, "Look, that isn't the issue. Cricket is diverting scarce resources from games that are more appropriate for our country. Hockey, for instance. Many developed countries play hockey. So winning the Olympic gold in hockey is an achievement.

"Further, hockey is played for about 90 minutes. It does not disrupt office work like cricket does. And it demands tremendous physical fitness. Once world champions, we today are the whipping boys. Reason, lack of incentives. While our cricketers fly around the world and drive imported sports cars (on some which even Customs duty is waived off), our hockey players travel by rail in second class compartments."

The captain at the table said, "Recently, I saw a former Olympics hockey player who had come to inaugurate sports day celebrations at a school. Had he been a test cricketer, he would have been pampered beyond imagination."

Wafers was beginning to feel that China and the captain had a point. China drove the final nail saying, "If the Indian cricket team were a listed stock, no one would touch it with a barge pole. The theory of valuation suggests that the value of a stock is the present value of the future cash flows. And neither the Indian cricket team's present performance nor anticipated performance is anything to write home about."

Wafers was stumped. She remembered a Bernard Shaw quote, "Cricket is a game played by 11 flannelled fools and watched by 11,000 fools."

She decided to have her sip and give her friends a quick slip. Disgusted. Disappointed. And as usual confused.

Racy@thehindu.co.in

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