World Cup amid war and tremors while J&K script a story of steel

By K.R. Nayar
From Eden Gardens

Kolkata. As the ICC T20 World Cup tiptoes into its final week, many unexpected incidents are happening — as unexpected as some of the results of the matches. The US–Israel–Iran war and the attacks on Middle Eastern countries have created tension for the organisers, though fans here are focused on the oncoming matches. A statement from the ICC expressed its concern and said that players, team management, match officials, broadcast teams, and event staff rely on Gulf hub airports, particularly Dubai, and that ICC security consultants are liaising with the relevant authorities to plan their course of action. In Kolkata, the main talking points among cricket fans were about the Friday earthquake and the India–West Indies .

The giant screen at the Eden Gardens. Photo by K.R. Nayar 

Earthquake and cricket fans

An earthquake before an important cricket World Cup match is not something fans expect to happen. While the hurricane after the 2024 ICC T20 World Cup final in Bridgetown was frightening, this earthquake wasn’t that dramatic, though people had rushed out of their offices and homes. Since the epicentre of the quake was in Bangladesh, 100 km from Kolkata, there were no casualties in this city. People were very casual about it and they jokingly suggested that given the likely intensity of the India–West Indies, the earth beneath must have developed pre-match jitters. A few others mentioned that the city must have decided to loosen itself before the match.

For the Indian fans, a collapse of the Indian team is likely to affect them much more than the collapse of anything because of the tremor. As a result of the earthquake, cracks could have developed in the pitch. The question that arises then is whether India should play all the spinners in their team?

Lesson from J&K to Associate nations

While all of this was happening, the one positive and inspiring incident was Jammu & Kashmir’s Ranji Trophy triumph. For a state that has never been talked about as a force capable of conquering the top Indian states with experience and infrastructure, this victory proves that cricket backs the brave and the committed players burning with determination and devotion. This triumph would also be inspiring for the associate nations in this tournament, some of whom have produced a creditable show against the giants of world cricket. If J&K can create its own fairy tale, surely smaller nations in world cricket too can do the same. They showed that belief can outmuscle reputation. It teaches teams never to be overawed by reputation, and that a team need not have a cabinet full of trophies to play like champions.

West Indies Head Coach Darren Sammy at the pre-match press conference. Photo: ICC 

Cool and blunt Sammy

West Indies head coach Darren Sammy is a delight to talk to when it comes to discussing cricket. It was under his captaincy that West Indies won the 2012 and 2016 ICC World T20 titles. His approach to the game and his thinking are unlike those of many cricketers. Behind every remark lies the joy he derives from cricket. As a cricketer and coach,  winning or losing doesn’t matter for him; what matters is the thrill derived from playing the game. During the pre-match press conference, he said that many Indian fans had wished him the best of luck. So he wanted to know whether they meant it. He then added, “We are most people’s second favourite team, but we’re playing against their favourite.”

Pakistan exit and debate

Pakistan’s exit from the World Cup, despite a win over Sri Lanka, sparked both celebration and analysis. One witty fan observed that Pakistan did pass the exam but missed that they needed a distinction to graduate. The Net Run Rate acted as their invisible villain. Their batting performance against Sri Lanka made one wonder whether they woke up only for the last match. The post-mortem on the victory will focus on why they failed to win by the required margin. As for their fans, it was a full-fledged cardio workout.