A narrow-minded generation

WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?

Excuse the offensive expression, but this is what should be told to the Indian layman and his obsession with the fact that advertisements are the major cause of the Indian cricket team’s failure in West Indies. No wait. This is not a crisis analysis report or something. This is more of an analysis of the narrow-minded Indian brain.

We may be scholars, toppers, achievers, successful businessmen and amazing actors (Oh wait! I have my doubts on this one) but the attitude-defining factor inside each and every one of us is a very cheap, narrow-minded and unwarranted affection towards money. In fact, it is so narrow-minded that we don’t even want deserving national icons to get the fruits of their efforts.

The point I am making is that it is high time we bring to an end the ridiculous taunting of the Indian team’s failure at cricket’s most “glamorous” tournament on advertisements. C’mon, the supporting points are baseless. The most ubiquitous one is that cricketers can concentrate on their game if they do lesser advertisements. Wow! So in accordance with this, Sachin Tendulkar “bunks” national team practice sessions for shooting commercials huh? Preposterous! Our national team players don’t miss match practice to shoot ads.

It is high time we understood what accompanies the pressures of fame. Tomorrow, if you or I become national icons, it is certain that many companies will approach us with offers to market their products. English footballer David Beckham endorses products which earn him more than $50m, and he hasn’t even been playing “normal” football, forget the fact about living up to standards. But he isn’t harassed by the media over endorsements.

There can be nothing worse in the world than to not want successful people of your own country to earn and make a healthy living. If it is a failure then blame the strategy, blame the form, blame the ageing and blame the fact that none of us so-called “fans” even appreciate what they have done for us over the last decade. Add to this, the BCCI wants to introduce performance-based pay packages. The divisions in the team are going to worsen with the implementation of this highly “narrow-minded Indian” system.

Remember one thing. India is the only country in the world where people go down to such depths of narrow-minded thoughts, so much so that they want their own icons to “perform or perish”.

I don’t think India deserves sporting icons. The common Indian would rather see Mallika Sherawat juggle around in an item number in a senseless Bollywood movie than watch a sports team produce an emotionally-draining fight back in a match. Go ahead and endorse her for your product. And don’t worry at all; there won’t be a rage in the country if she doesn’t perform.