Our all-time favourite Kapil Dev- the retired
Cricketer- is bringing with himself something he calls ‘Ek Nayi League’. About
this thing, which literally means ‘A new League’, he has only revealed that
this is such a league where the player is sure to get a hit-wicket if they play
with their heart. Now what he means by it, is still a suspense. The only thing
certain abut it is ‘cricket’ as the term ‘hit wicket’ is related only with this
game.
Before our favourite once-upon-a-time cricketer breaks the suspense, why
not make some guesses on what it must be. Let’s begin this way- when is it
advised to people not to use their hearts or sentiments while doing their
tasks? As far as I remember, it is said to surgeons. It is said that if they
have any emotional feeling for the patient, they cannot perform their operation
properly and may end up killing the poor patient. But will this apply here? No.
We are not going to do any operation or post-mortem of the cricket ball. We are
just going to play a game.
Okay, if we think of games, we see that it is actually
advised to the players to play with all their heart in order to win. As far as
I can think, I find only one game where I personally feel this thing is not
much applicable. That’s the slow cycle race. Here if you put your heart in the
race, you would ride faster. But here the person who wins is the one who is the
slowest. But we don’t find wickets in slow-cycle race. Nor do we play cricket
on cycles. So this guess also needs a goodbye!
Now, if we talk keeping just ‘cricket’ in the centre, we can
think of only one time when it is advised to the players not to use their
hearts. It is the time when the opponent team members try to abuse or attack
the sentiments of the cricketers. At that moment if the cricketer takes things
to heart, he cannot concentrate on the game. So does it mean this league is
such where abusing an opponent cricketer would actually be allowed? Or will
there be people around who would be appointed just to make the players mentally
weak??? To be honest, I find a small possibility.
But then, one more thing comes in my mind. Will, in this
league, the rules be somewhat like that of the slow cycle race? Just as in the
race, you need to cycle the slowest without your feet touching the ground,
similarly, will the rule in this game be that you need to score the lowest but
actually need to hit the ball and make a few runs?? It’s a ‘new league’ after
all. Anything can happen. But still, I can’t convince myself much.
At the end of the day, all I can conclude is my third guess
will find a possibility. There will be people trying to make the game tough for
the players by weakening them mentally.
And I can conclude one more thing as well- If Kapil Dev sir is
reading this post right now, he is sure to laugh his heart out! (So will I
myself, when I shall read it back once the original secret is disclosed).
