Cricket writers and critics are up to give their opinions regarding the best sight in cricket. I am privileged to read some of the best write-ups by the best writers in the business, and these writers do have magic in their pens. I have read some beautiful descriptions of yorkers, cover-drives, hook shots and slip catches - surely the most exciting and romantic sight in cricket. But if these are sights which unite a nation, then there are sights which unite people with divided opinions.
Nothing is as touching and joyous as the emotional
expressions of players and teams on the cricket field. A winning team
celebrating after winning a match or tournament and doing a victory lap around
the stadium can unite an entire. When that same loses and the players break
into tears, that same nation cries along with them. It is amazing how sport can
unite people.
When Bangladesh's Hasibul Hossain hit the winning run against Kenya in the ICC Trophy final in 1997 and sprinted wildly towards the dressing room, his bat elevated in the air, Bangladeshis were forced onto the streets in celebration. It did not matter who was Muslim or Hindu or which were BNP or Awami League followers - they were all Bangladeshis.
Scenes like this have played out in India, Pakistan, Sri
Lanka and other countries. Teams celebrating deliriously make for the most
emphatic sights; they are not just celebrations but ingredients to unite
nations. A yorker can generate an adrenaline rush, a cover-drive can evoke
pleasant murmurs, a hook shot can portray a player's dare-doing and a catch in
the slip cordon can draw plenty of overawed applause - but can they unite a
nation?
Cricket has sung the song of diplomacy with such expressions
on many occasions. Over the years such emotional expressions have been
instrumental in bringing nations together. Time and again, for a single moment,
they have turned enemies into friends and make them dance to a tune of unity
which politicians can only dream of.
A lap of honour from Pakistan can bring a smile to the faces
of President Zardari, Nawaz Sharif and Imran Khan. Wild celebrations from India
can make Sonia Gandhi and LK Advani clap together. A dance of victory from
Bangladesh can make Sheikh Hasina and Khaleda Zia cheer together.
How electric, magnetic and diplomatic an expression it can
be. That is the beauty and power of sport.
Thank You
Faisal Caesar
Note: This post has been published today at cricketnext.com
Cricket writers and critics are up to give their opinions regarding the best sight in cricket. I am privileged to read some of the best write-ups by the best writers in the business, and these writers do have magic in their pens. I have read some beautiful descriptions of yorkers, cover-drives, hook shots and slip catches - surely the most exciting and romantic sight in cricket. But if these are sights which unite a nation, then there are sights which unite people with divided opinions.Cricket
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