Details
Politics is the last resort for Cricket’s scoundrels
01-Jul-2019
”
By Gopalkrishna Hegde,
Senior Journalist and Station Director, KLE Dhwani ( BVB 90.4 FM)
[email protected]
“Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel”-Thussaid Dr. Samuel Johnson, a writer,critic and a keen political observer in the 18th century. How true it is eventoday, after two centuries! But, that great quote has been modified a bit andnow we say “Politics is the last resort of scoundrels, rogues, cricketers and cinema stars!” Patriotism is never reflected in the politics but politics is very much visible in the act ofpatriotism. Today ‘Deshabhrisths’ outnumber the ‘Deshabhakts’.
The very common saying that “there should be sports in the politics, but no politics inthe sports” has become a cliché. Except cricket, almost all the sports bodiesin the country are surviving with thesupport of the politicians and the governments. The politicians used the sports as the ladder for their political career. So along with them the corruption, nepotism also entered thearena. The sportsmen slowly followed the footsteps of the politicians and started enjoying the power of the politics.
You all know that the money flows in cricket like the monsoon waters flow on the Mumbai streets. Cricket has become rich, cricketers have become super rich and the political arena is double super rich. It is like good, bad and ugly! Mansur AliKhan Pataudi (Jr.) who was born with a golden spoon in his mouth playeda wonderful cricket, married a cinemastar (Sharmila Tagore) and retired hurt in his first innings of the political test. He lost the elections and never contested again.
Our dearest Ajju Bhai went straight from‘match fixing’ to ‘vote fixing’. A good cricketer and a gentleman Md. Azaruddin’s cricketing career ended with the match fixing scandal butflourished in the political game with a good hand (Congress). He has lost inthe previous elections but continues tobe an active politician. Another active politician is Keerti Azad of BJP wholooks better in this than on the cricket field. There are few other cricketers like Chetan Chowhan, Chetan Sharma, Md.Kaif, Srishant have also fiddled with political ambitions. The “God” of Indian cricket Sachin Tendulkar was made aRajya Sabha member by Congress for political gains but but Sachin could notscore any century there. Along with Rekha, the cine star, Sachin was a miserable failure in his dutiesas a MP. His best scoring shot was,donating his entire earning as a MP to the PM’s relief fund. After facing bouncers from all thecritics Sachin really played a graceful cover drive.
Now comesour real hero (villain!) of our cricket and politics. No body can match the oneand the only Navjot Singh Sidhu. He was a good cricketer, a bad joker on the small screen now an ugly ‘don’t care master’ politician. He started with the BJP in 2004 and joined Congress in 2017. And the mostimportant is that of all people Imran Khan is his best friend today! Both are cricketers turnedpoliticians and Imran Khan is alreadythe Prime Minister of a rogue nationcalled Pakistan. And Imran Khan wishes Navjot Singh Sidhu to become the Prime Minister of India. What a ‘dosti’ yar! Both are singing “ ye dosti hum nahi todenge, todenge desh ko magar saath na chodenge” . How true Samuel Johnson was that patriotism was the last refuge of a scoundrel.
The English men said ‘it’s not cricket’ forany unfair, unfaithful or rude act. Cricket was described as the ‘Gentleman’sGame’. Both Sidhu and Imran Khan have not learnt anything from cricket. Imran Khan was called a playboy of cricket. He was a great fast bowler but definitely hated Indiaas a politician. Sidhu should have understood this. A Pakistani cricketer once said that thematch against Indiawas always a ‘jihad’. A cricket match between India and Pakistan hasturned into a war minus shooting. Imran Khan, the a puppet prime minister underthe control of Pakistani military, utters peace talks with a bomb in his hand. Everybody knows what is happening in the border. Everyone knows who was behindthe 26/11 Mumbai massacre. And the worldknows what Pakistanis. How a true Indian can have any kindof friendship with mankind haters.
Dear Mr.Navjot Sing Sidhu, you should not have gone to Pakistan and hug Imran Khan and his ‘jihadi’ team. The people of India loved youas a cricketer. The match winning batting by you in the 1996 World cup cricket quarter final match at Bangalorewas a memorable one. The cricket diplomacy or the cultural diplomacy between India and Pakistan has always been a thorny rose. Pakistan, not India, was always a thorn in anykind of friendship or relationship. There is not even a single ray of hope fromthe Pakistan side to improve the situation. It isnothing but appeasement politics by the people who show soft corner towards Pakistan. Yes, Mr. Sidhu your act was definitely not cricket.”
“By Gopalkrishna Hegde,
Senior Journalist and Station Director, KLE Dhwani ( BVB 90.4 FM)
[email protected]
“Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel”-Thussaid Dr. Samuel Johnson, a writer,critic and a keen political observer in the 18th century. How true it is eventoday, after two centuries! But, that great quote has been modified a bit andnow we say “Politics is the last resort of scoundrels, rogues, cricketers and cinema stars!” Patriotism is never reflected in the politics but politics is very much visible in the act ofpatriotism. Today ‘Deshabhrisths’ outnumber the ‘Deshabhakts’.
The very common saying that “there should be sports in the politics, but no politics inthe sports” has become a cliché. Except cricket, almost all the sports bodiesin the country are surviving with thesupport of the politicians and the governments. The politicians used the sports as the ladder for their political career. So along with them the corruption, nepotism also entered thearena. The sportsmen slowly followed the footsteps of the politicians and started enjoying the power of the politics.
You all know that the money flows in cricket like the monsoon waters flow on the Mumbai streets. Cricket has become rich, cricketers have become super rich and the political arena is double super rich. It is like good, bad and ugly! Mansur AliKhan Pataudi (Jr.) who was born with a golden spoon in his mouth playeda wonderful cricket, married a cinemastar (Sharmila Tagore) and retired hurt in his first innings of the political test. He lost the elections and never contested again.
Our dearest Ajju Bhai went straight from‘match fixing’ to ‘vote fixing’. A good cricketer and a gentleman Md. Azaruddin’s cricketing career ended with the match fixing scandal butflourished in the political game with a good hand (Congress). He has lost inthe previous elections but continues tobe an active politician. Another active politician is Keerti Azad of BJP wholooks better in this than on the cricket field. There are few other cricketers like Chetan Chowhan, Chetan Sharma, Md.Kaif, Srishant have also fiddled with political ambitions. The “God” of Indian cricket Sachin Tendulkar was made aRajya Sabha member by Congress for political gains but but Sachin could notscore any century there. Along with Rekha, the cine star, Sachin was a miserable failure in his dutiesas a MP. His best scoring shot was,donating his entire earning as a MP to the PM’s relief fund. After facing bouncers from all thecritics Sachin really played a graceful cover drive.
Now comesour real hero (villain!) of our cricket and politics. No body can match the oneand the only Navjot Singh Sidhu. He was a good cricketer, a bad joker on the small screen now an ugly ‘don’t care master’ politician. He started with the BJP in 2004 and joined Congress in 2017. And the mostimportant is that of all people Imran Khan is his best friend today! Both are cricketers turnedpoliticians and Imran Khan is alreadythe Prime Minister of a rogue nationcalled Pakistan. And Imran Khan wishes Navjot Singh Sidhu to become the Prime Minister of India. What a ‘dosti’ yar! Both are singing “ ye dosti hum nahi todenge, todenge desh ko magar saath na chodenge” . How true Samuel Johnson was that patriotism was the last refuge of a scoundrel.
The English men said ‘it’s not cricket’ forany unfair, unfaithful or rude act. Cricket was described as the ‘Gentleman’sGame’. Both Sidhu and Imran Khan have not learnt anything from cricket. Imran Khan was called a playboy of cricket. He was a great fast bowler but definitely hated Indiaas a politician. Sidhu should have understood this. A Pakistani cricketer once said that thematch against Indiawas always a ‘jihad’. A cricket match between India and Pakistan hasturned into a war minus shooting. Imran Khan, the a puppet prime minister underthe control of Pakistani military, utters peace talks with a bomb in his hand. Everybody knows what is happening in the border. Everyone knows who was behindthe 26/11 Mumbai massacre. And the worldknows what Pakistanis. How a true Indian can have any kindof friendship with mankind haters.
Dear Mr.Navjot Sing Sidhu, you should not have gone to Pakistan and hug Imran Khan and his ‘jihadi’ team. The people of India loved youas a cricketer. The match winning batting by you in the 1996 World cup cricket quarter final match at Bangalorewas a memorable one. The cricket diplomacy or the cultural diplomacy between India and Pakistan has always been a thorny rose. Pakistan, not India, was always a thorn in anykind of friendship or relationship. There is not even a single ray of hope fromthe Pakistan side to improve the situation. It isnothing but appeasement politics by the people who show soft corner towards Pakistan. Yes, Mr. Sidhu your act was definitely not cricket.”
