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CRICKET, A GAME OF JARGONS
by : D. Chandramouli
You may have heard
the cricket commentary on the radio or TV. At times, the
jargon used in the commentary can be quite incomprehensible.
I'd like to share some of these peculiar terms with the cricket
enthusiasts for better appreciation and
"understanding".
Do you know that
cricket is a game that can be played by men with "short
square legs" and "deep fine legs"? Every bowler on
the field wishes to "bowl a maiden over". Isn't an
unchivalrous desire on the part of these otherwise decent men?
Batsmen can get out "leg before" or "caught
behind". Why on earth should they put their legs before
and what are they doing behind?
A player can be
"run out" while he's actually running in. To say
that a batsman has been stumped means exactly the same thing.
There can be one, two or three slips on the field - is the game
played on ice?
The commentators
never sit in a room; they always sit in a box which draws up a
peculiar mental picture. A bowler may get a hat-trick.
However, we can only see plenty of caps on the field.
All the time, the
players rub the ball vigorously on their pants. This makes
spectators wonder if the players are trying to clean the ball or
to make their trousers dirty.
There are spin
bowlers, seam bowlers, medium-paced bowlers, slow bowlers and pace
bowlers. But one can't understand what exactly a "seam
bowler" means.
Cricket is a game
which can delight you with a "sharp" single. And
the team also occasionally wins by the "skin of the
teeth". Diving is not
unique to swimming - we can find fielders in cricket diving to the
left or right to hold on to a catch.
Have you heard of
the "invisible" umpire? Well, cricket players must
reckon with this "third" umpire viz. TV replays that
help in making decisions that are as close to perfection as
possible.
Do you know that
"Run" is a noun in cricket - an original and
unadulterated English game. Americans are way behind at
least in this game, which in any case is meant for gentlemen only!
Talking of the
spirit of Cricket, an "ONIDA" TV ad says it all:
"You were desperate for a big score first to stay in the
team. Your senior partner makes a faulty call and is
stranded in the middle. Again you think of the team.
You run yourself OUT. That's Cricket!"
"You never
conquer the mountain. You only conquer yourself".
This may well describe Sachin Tendulkar, the great Indian
cricketer. He commented once: "We need to study
in order to learn and improve. Perhaps the mountain will
always be higher than the climber. Perhaps perfection lies
millimeters beyond the human limits. But, human drive
towards excellence continues".
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