S.H.MOULANA
RIYADH-At a time the entire population is in misery the consolation our young cricketers have brought to us is worth a million! While saluting these youngsters I would like to recall a speech our former foreign minister late Lakshman Kadirgamar made in London in 2004 during the Champion Trophy contest. He said ‘Ladies and Gentlemen, let me see whether politics and cricket have anything in common. Both are games. Politicians and cricketers are superficially similar, and yet very different. Both groups are wooed by the cruel public who embrace them today and reject them tomorrow.
Cricketers work hard, politicians only pretend to do so. Cricketers are disciplined, a word unknown to most politicians in any language. Cricketers risk their own limbs in the heat of honorable play, politicians encourage others to risk their limbs in pursuit of fruitless causes while they remain secure in the safety of their pavilions. Cricketers deserve the rewards they get, the people get the politicians they deserve. Cricketers retire young, politicians go on forever. Cricketers unite the country, politicians divide it. Cricketers accept the umpire’s verdict even if they disagree with it, politicians who disagree with an umpire usually get him transferred. Cricketers stick to their team through victory and defeat, politicians in a losing team crossover and joining the winning team. Clearly cricketers are the better breed.’ How true is all what he had to say about the cricketers and the politicians?
So, our cricket team deserves to be thanked for the moment of joy they have given us in this hour of despair created by the politicians. We salute our young talent and look forward to many more joyous movements.
