Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Parade Grounds of Secunderabad; is the barometer for “Cricket Mania” in India!

We are halfway through the ongoing “Cricket World Cup 2011”. Today is the 19th day of the tournament and the Final Match of the World Cup is 19 days from today that is on 2nd April; at Mumbai. Despite the year ending examinations for students and hectic work schedule of grownups, everyone is managing to find time to watch Cricket Matches on TV, hear to scores, hear to cricket news, and discuss performances, results and records. In India, we get excited even if a cricket match is being played between children of one locality with another. We love watching cricket matches being played by film stars most of whom do not know how to hold the bat and bowl over arm. If we are so enthusiastic of such ordinary, roadside cricket matches, it is beyond description to define the ecstasy one derives from World Cup Matches, not just in the Twin Cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad but in every village, town and city in India. This ecstasy gets a further boost with extraordinary, bold and loud coverage of the Matches by the Print and Electronic media and the extensive ball by ball, pre-match and post match commentaries, discussions and debates.
So excited are children with Cricket nowadays; that you find them playing the game at parks, playgrounds and in lanes. The Parade Grounds of Secunderabad are an indication of this frenzy. Quite early in the morning; when it is still dark, children and even grown-ups come to the Parade Grounds to occupy pitches and every available place to play cricket. The rush to play cricket on holidays and Sundays at Parade Grounds is so huge that we who go there for regular morning walks cannot go straight along the walkways and have to oblige the players by fielding for them, as they shout “uncle ball, uncle ball!”

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