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.
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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.
