Of Victories, Losses, and Changes of Heart
As far back as I can remember, I always supported South African Cricket Team. I remember being conflicted about supporting Indian cricket team at various points through my childhood (and beyond?) but always remember being a Proteas' supporter. Maybe not such a strong one during the '96 world cup, which is also among the earliest memories of cricket I remember.
Now, for some reasons quite a few of my friends and acquaintances associate me with being rational, lacking emotion, or just lacking in empathy. I don't think that is completely true but that's for another day. What is not, is the next paragraph. (Yes, this paragraph was put in here randomly, without caring much about the flow and as an afterthought.)
Now, for some reasons quite a few of my friends and acquaintances associate me with being rational, lacking emotion, or just lacking in empathy. I don't think that is completely true but that's for another day. What is not, is the next paragraph. (Yes, this paragraph was put in here randomly, without caring much about the flow and as an afterthought.)
By the '99 version of it, I'd read about their readmission in '92, come to know about and admire their players like Fannie de Villiers (oh the action!), Brian McMillan (strictly an okay old-rounder says my cynical-of-nostalgia brain but as a kid, I liked his hair :D), Cronje (No. He didn't fall in my eyes post match-fixing scandal), Kirsten (his shit-face, while taking stance notwithstanding), Andrew Hudson (with that very noticeable stance of his), Donald (I was a wannabe fast bowler; which kid didn't love Ambrose, Akram, Younis, or Donald?), Pat Symcox, Gibbs (cannot forget his lofted cover drive for six, in '00 at Kochi - coincidentally the place I am presently in for sometime now - against India when they scored around 300 with an opening partnership of 225 odd), Pollock, Andrew Hall (who, I realised later, looked a bit like Matt Le Blanc of Friends), and even Nicky Boje!
There was something about these guys - playing good cricket, humble in nature, perpetual underdogs, working always as a team, great at fielding, unlucky at times and many other such issues. I remember supporting (and still do, actually) South African team over the Indian team for pretty much forever. That feeling got much much stronger during the '99 world cup (Lance Klusener!). I don't recall being more heartbroken as while watching that semi-final and the run-out (okay, a few instances in my personal life were more heartbreaking but we'll leave them aside. As they say - what are facts in the face of a good story?).
Before getting onto more details on the subject, I feel the need to go on a tangent about another thing I've felt through childhood - the comments questioning my 'patriotism' for not supporting the Indian Cricket Team. I've touched upon it in this previous post about patriotism. So, here's the deal. A sport has got NOTHING to do with your love for your country (or whichever country for that matter). The fact that you don't really support the Indian Football Team in any given match tells me NOTHING about your patriotism or lack thereof. Patriotism in itself isn't a feeling that I can understand completely - something that I talked about in the article linked above and I shall skip it this time around. So, yeah - I am proud to have been an SA supporter and I am not ashamed that the Indian Cricket Team (pre-Dhoni, maybe) never figured in my top 3 teams either. Okay, strike that out. Ganguly era, it did come in top three for a fair bit. Guess, outside of SA, my loyalties are dictated more by the players I love than the team in itself.
I was saddened and disappointed with how South Africa ended up in the '03 cup. And the '07. And the '11. But, for '15, I really really had my hopes pinned up. They had Ab de Villiers (best batsman in the world, in my opinion - across formats), Amla (second best), Faf du Plessis, Quinton de Kock, Morkel, Steyn, Duminy. On paper, the best team but their campaign for the cup looked so so lackluster - especially during their loss against India, that I'd almost attained the peak of my frustration with them. I'll skip the details - the poor fielding, bad bowling, consistent failing of batting order - for it's too painful to recall and also, not particularly relevant to the point I am trying to make. The point I really am making is that till they met Sri Lanka, I was completely disappointed by them - the odd thrashing of West Indies and Ireland, notwithstanding, for those performances didn't count for a lot in my books when you aren't performing where it counts.
Somewhere mid-way I'd made up my mind - I would just give up on them were they not to make it to the finals. If they can't do it with this team, this time around, they might not for quite sometime to come. I'd had enough of having my hopes rise up and then be shattered. I'd had enough of having the need to defend how they are just one good day away from achieving what they seemed 'destined' for, always. Or, rather, in their case, coming undone by one bad day in important events. But then, they met Sri Lanka in the Quarters - with the baggage of never having won a knock-out match in the World Cups. They delivered a clinical performance that I could be proud of. They surprised me by how easy they made it all look. And then they met New Zealand (my second choice for the cup). I, irrationally (?) blamed a whole lot for the loss on the Duckworth-Lewis for (obviously) not having accounted for AbD and Faf's awesomness. Besides, chasing 298 in 43 overs is comparatively easier than chasing the (potential) 350 in 50 overs - an argument that's been made a few times elsewhere regarding this match.
For a loved entity in my life, it is very easy to get redemption. You basically just need to be equipped with a sincere sounding apology for what you might've caused me the hurt about. Before the NZ match (and more strongly so before the Sri Lanka match), I felt this time it would be different. If South Africa failed me once more, there'd be no redemption. South Africa earned it (unintentionally) and some. I am this random supporter of theirs. And, seeing the fact that they lost to New Zealand in a matter of a few balls in an extremely closely fought match just made it all go away. Realising the fact that this loss meant more to them than it could ever mean to me - and they had given it their all, my momentary lapse in faith ceased to matter. Seeing their emotions on display - and not in a theatrical, unnatural manner but in a manner that was most natural - my disappointment vanished for I realised we wanted the same thing. It was not an issue of lack of intent but iffy moments that all of us go through at various points.
In some ways, this was like the massive fight you'd have had with your partner and feel nothing worse could've happened for you. And then, you realise how much it just means to you.
There is more I could write talking about the playing styles, captaincy issues, collective failures, bowling problems but this is not a time for cold analysis. I'll instead add a few images.
So, dear South African Cricket Team, my first sports love and also my strongest till date - I am sorry to have had a moment of loss of faith. I am sorry to have questioned you and your players' passion & commitment, albeit in my head. You have my complete backing all over again. Our love affair is renewed and I'll eagerly support you during your next return to the field. I'll eagerly support you in '19. Till then, I wish you speedy recovery.
Before getting onto more details on the subject, I feel the need to go on a tangent about another thing I've felt through childhood - the comments questioning my 'patriotism' for not supporting the Indian Cricket Team. I've touched upon it in this previous post about patriotism. So, here's the deal. A sport has got NOTHING to do with your love for your country (or whichever country for that matter). The fact that you don't really support the Indian Football Team in any given match tells me NOTHING about your patriotism or lack thereof. Patriotism in itself isn't a feeling that I can understand completely - something that I talked about in the article linked above and I shall skip it this time around. So, yeah - I am proud to have been an SA supporter and I am not ashamed that the Indian Cricket Team (pre-Dhoni, maybe) never figured in my top 3 teams either. Okay, strike that out. Ganguly era, it did come in top three for a fair bit. Guess, outside of SA, my loyalties are dictated more by the players I love than the team in itself.
I was saddened and disappointed with how South Africa ended up in the '03 cup. And the '07. And the '11. But, for '15, I really really had my hopes pinned up. They had Ab de Villiers (best batsman in the world, in my opinion - across formats), Amla (second best), Faf du Plessis, Quinton de Kock, Morkel, Steyn, Duminy. On paper, the best team but their campaign for the cup looked so so lackluster - especially during their loss against India, that I'd almost attained the peak of my frustration with them. I'll skip the details - the poor fielding, bad bowling, consistent failing of batting order - for it's too painful to recall and also, not particularly relevant to the point I am trying to make. The point I really am making is that till they met Sri Lanka, I was completely disappointed by them - the odd thrashing of West Indies and Ireland, notwithstanding, for those performances didn't count for a lot in my books when you aren't performing where it counts.
Somewhere mid-way I'd made up my mind - I would just give up on them were they not to make it to the finals. If they can't do it with this team, this time around, they might not for quite sometime to come. I'd had enough of having my hopes rise up and then be shattered. I'd had enough of having the need to defend how they are just one good day away from achieving what they seemed 'destined' for, always. Or, rather, in their case, coming undone by one bad day in important events. But then, they met Sri Lanka in the Quarters - with the baggage of never having won a knock-out match in the World Cups. They delivered a clinical performance that I could be proud of. They surprised me by how easy they made it all look. And then they met New Zealand (my second choice for the cup). I, irrationally (?) blamed a whole lot for the loss on the Duckworth-Lewis for (obviously) not having accounted for AbD and Faf's awesomness. Besides, chasing 298 in 43 overs is comparatively easier than chasing the (potential) 350 in 50 overs - an argument that's been made a few times elsewhere regarding this match.
For a loved entity in my life, it is very easy to get redemption. You basically just need to be equipped with a sincere sounding apology for what you might've caused me the hurt about. Before the NZ match (and more strongly so before the Sri Lanka match), I felt this time it would be different. If South Africa failed me once more, there'd be no redemption. South Africa earned it (unintentionally) and some. I am this random supporter of theirs. And, seeing the fact that they lost to New Zealand in a matter of a few balls in an extremely closely fought match just made it all go away. Realising the fact that this loss meant more to them than it could ever mean to me - and they had given it their all, my momentary lapse in faith ceased to matter. Seeing their emotions on display - and not in a theatrical, unnatural manner but in a manner that was most natural - my disappointment vanished for I realised we wanted the same thing. It was not an issue of lack of intent but iffy moments that all of us go through at various points.
In some ways, this was like the massive fight you'd have had with your partner and feel nothing worse could've happened for you. And then, you realise how much it just means to you.
There is more I could write talking about the playing styles, captaincy issues, collective failures, bowling problems but this is not a time for cold analysis. I'll instead add a few images.
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| All Images from here (Spiant Sports) |
So, dear South African Cricket Team, my first sports love and also my strongest till date - I am sorry to have had a moment of loss of faith. I am sorry to have questioned you and your players' passion & commitment, albeit in my head. You have my complete backing all over again. Our love affair is renewed and I'll eagerly support you during your next return to the field. I'll eagerly support you in '19. Till then, I wish you speedy recovery.
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