RC Editor

Being a Fanatic Fan of a club team generates a different feel of an affiliation than being just nationalistic. It’s easier to support a national team with all its splendour and the fervour. But for a club, which boasts of Internationals players who play for the Club’s glory – what would be the allegiance?



Club cricket is nothing new in India. Our childhood days have been spent playing in the lanes, by-lanes, grounds within our community and swearing by the club we represented. But never before we owed our allegiance to Club Cricket like what the IPL offered. It’s a curious phenomenon where players from all over the world – at loggerheads when they play against each other at the national level – mingle, jostle, hustle, cry, laugh, enjoy together as big band of brothers.

Question pops up and keeps up a little bemused at the end. Let’s take the case of the South African tour of India. Jacques Kallis, Mark Boucher, Dale Steyn, Merwe are part of the visiting team. At times, (which is most of the year round), as being the Fanatic Fans, we follow, revere, whistle at the success of these players whenever they play all around the world either for South Africa or for their respective clubs in their domestic cricket season. The same exalted fervour is in exhibition when we hear see our own Indian players excel in the domestic season or playing for the Indian teams.

A curious situation now arises – just because South Africa is playing India. Interestingly, the Royal Challengers will be better represented (quantitatively speaking) in the South African team than in the Indian team this time. Kallis, Boucher and Steyn will be sporting the field in the final XI. A selfish myopic view would show us only Abhimanyu Mithun in the vicinity as far as our representation in the Indian team is concerned. As much as I would like to see this new found bowling talent to be part of the final XI in Nagpur, but the reality might be something completely different. Without participating in the debate whether Mithun should be included in the XI or not, who should he replace in the bowling department, whether India would go with three pacers or not and other millions of raising eye-browses, I am a bit scared at the thought of supporting a Kallis century, or a Steyn fiver.

The doubts will definitely cease when I will see those men in whites – and not in Red–Golden brigade. A change of colours sometimes do wonders to our thoughts and allegiance. Hopefully, this time, the only colour that should not be changed is the quality of cricket. For me, it’s always green with enthusiasm and white in class.

Looking forward to February 6 at Nagpur.

Any takers?