Deadly gentleman’s game
Dear Editor,
A short pitched rising delivery which you can either hook or duck is what experts advise a batsman.Watching the ball till the end is what cricketing coaches teach but what if this deadly bouncer hits your head bang on. A gentleman’s game can turn into bloody affair. A24 year aspiring young Aussie opener Phil Hughes could have never imagined that a dream cherry can take away all his dreams away within a fraction of a second. It is just that he was playing with death. Destiny can’t be so cruel for anyone. Every batsman facing a fast bowler would feel shivers down the spine every time, he bats in a fast greenish pitch, first day, first session. It would not be to survive a session when blowers are fresh with a fast burst of pace but it would now be surviving ones life. It would be a dare to hook a pacer in a greenish pitch. Bowlers get disheartened when batsmen often smash them whole day mercilessly all around the park.What could have been the psyche of Cris Broad, as a pacer, when he was hit for six sixes in an over by Yuvi in a Twenty 20 match. I thought he will never return but he came back and delivered. Although a hurt bowler, can only imagine wickets of a batsman to be shattered but he could never think to hurt a batsman physically. A bowler cherishes the feeling when a batsman is beaten by his deliveries but he would never intend to hit him .
It is quite unfortunate that we have lost Phil Hughes a warrior while fighting as a gentleman in a cricketing battle field. More care should be taken towards safety padding and crash proof helmets in future,The game should continue as life moves on in spite of death. May God give peace to the departed Soul.We all cricket lovers have deep sympathies for his family and mates. Phil do watch upcoming series of India and Aussies from the sky.
Sanjay Raina
Chandigarh.