The last few days have been very kind to the Indian cricket team and its fans, after a disastrous 10-week tour of Australia.
So far, for the Indian fan, there have been two big reasons to cheer – a convincing victory against Pakistan and a commanding one against South Africa.
Just like everyone else, I have also been reading, listening, eating and living a plethora of media reports coming from cricket 'experts', wise men of the game, former players, pundits and every other name that this lot is usually identified by.
In the past few days, every single victory and defeat has been analysed to bits – Ireland's victory, West Indies's defeat and then victory, England & Pakistan's successive defeats, India's victories, New Zealand's emphatic victories ... the narratives have been endless.
From all their talk, one trend emerges very clearly: these so-called pundits are just as emotional as the next-door cricket fan.
Their reactions and outbursts are quite alike, especially in how they follow up their national team's defeat with brutal criticism of anyone and everyone associated with the team – players, coaches, selectors, board members ... no one is spared.
As players are singled out, warnings are issued. "I told you so" becomes one of the most generously shared phrases on social media, TV and other mediums.
Ideally, this would not be expected of the 'experts' of cricket, who have spent a significant part of their lives playing cricket at different levels. They would know that matches can turn around pretty quickly.
Quite a few of these people have themselves been through such victories and losses; they have suffered the tragic twists of fate, as well as enjoyed the more luckier turn of events.
Win? I told you so. Loss? I told you so.
Yet, almost every time a defeat happens, especially in a World Cup, these wise men of cricket behave just like a normal fan.
While the ordinary fan creates a ruckus, breaks TVs, lambastes the players and coaches on social media, curses the selectors and at times breaks into players houses and homes; these wiser, older ones launch scathing attacks on selectors, criticise the captain, incriminate the coaches, exploit hindsight as an analysing and statistical tool to make us believe that had the selectors or captain listened to them, they would not have lost the match.
The normal fan breaks what is nearest to him, while these wise men break the team's morale with their extremely judgmental and often one-dimensional comments.
They seem to feel words of encouragement, hope and optimism are things way below them.
In fact, they often almost end up writing career obituaries of players, coaches and selectors after one or two heavy defeats.
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On the other hand, see how lavishly they shower praise on the team in case of a win.
Instant heroes are made and acres of space dedicated to them in national newspapers and websites, and – quite ironically, with the phrase "I told you so" still at the beginning of each sentence.
As a matter of fact, quite a few of these pundits will not shy away from claiming that the team succeeded because they heeded to their advice.
All this gets to me particularly because it leaves little room to watch a match on its own merit; just the joy of watching a good bowler bowl and good batsman score runs.
The levelheadedness through which one wishes to view a game has gone.
Now, there is only incitement, jingoism and fanaticism when watching or listening to a game. And to this cauldron of bubbling extremities, the ubiquitous advertisers add their annoying contributions all too effectively.
Whatever happens in those 100 overs on the ground is reality. We should accept it.
Players will make mistakes; selectors may at times not put the best XI on the ground; captains can make errors in their judgments; catches will be dropped and run-out chances missed; there will be misfields aplenty as will there be the occasional streaker scurrying across the field.
As cricket fans, we have no control over these. But for that beautiful cover drive, that sensational century, or that match-winning fifer, it is all worth a watch.
Maybe it is time that us non-expert fans of the game mute these pundit types and watch the game entirely on its own merit; without putting too much pressure on the players?
It is hopeless to expect these commentators of balance and integrity, given just how much and how long for they discuss everything. Their nonstop chattering is fueled by heavy payments from member boards, media companies and other vested parties, and that is not about to change soon.
I wish we could go back to the old days when matches were relayed on the radio; not too much advice; very little stats; and a decent running commentary about field placements, bowling action, batting strokes, the buzzing crowd and the glorious weather.
Some day I would love to switch off the commentary on TV and view the game with all the other sounds in the stadium; the sound of the ball hitting the deck, the ball hitting the bat, the players' conversation and the noise from the spectators.
But for now, let us settle for the 'mute' button.
