The year 2020 brought about several unprecedented changes across the globe. A pandemic successfully shut down schools, colleges and workplaces around the world. With all activities confined within homes, mental fatigue and burnout were rampant. In such broken circumstances, the reintroduction of sporting events raised a cheer. They served as a distraction from the grim situation and an opportunity to lend support to our beloved teams. It also provided much-needed jobs and economic relief to hundreds of people. These sporting endeavours now came with a pandemic-induced novel innovation.

Protocols Followed

The Bio-secure bubble, popularly referred to as the Bio-bubble, aims to minimise the risk of sportspersons contracting COVID-19. It isolates them from the outside world, permitting only authorised personnel inside protected areas. Moreover, safety is enhanced with repeated testing and regular temperature checks. This secure environment extends to transportation, hotels, training sessions, and matches. An additional mandate of the bio-bubble is that players will be unable to have access to families, visitors, friends, and relatives outside the bio-bubble for the span of the tournament. The most glaring feature, however, is the near-empty stadiums operating with limited to no capacity. The implementation of these rules and regulations requires adept use of technology. As seen in the cricketing events of 2020, Restrata—A UK based safety and security company, utilised Bluetooth to trace, track, and manage outbreaks. They provide a set of applications termed COVID-safe to manage return to sporting events. These applications ensure that people stay within defined boundaries and alerts authorities in case of accidental breaches. They regulate real-time social distancing and are equipped with robust contact tracing. Authorities can control the isolation of infected individuals and issue mass alerts under dire circumstances.

Mental Fatigue

When the NBA touted the idea to convert the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at the Walt Disney World Orlando into a city to protect players from the virus, the world was startled. Through stringent medical protocols with the desired comforts, the NBA succeeded with no player falling victim to the disease, setting an example for the world to follow.

One of the first main leagues to resume despite the pandemic was the English Premier League. The US Open successfully followed, implementing the bio-bubble. The match between England and West Indies marked a return to international cricket. After this smooth start, the cricketing schedule went for a toss. While tournaments like the US Open lasted for shorter durations, in cricket, players had to stay in bubbles for extended periods, often moving from one bubble to another. Since the end of the 2020 IPL, The Indian Cricket Team has played eight Test matches, six ODIs, and six T20 Internationals.

“It’s probably been the most challenging thing I’ve ever done as far as a professional, as far as committing to something and actually making it through. I would be lying if I sat up here and (said I) knew that everything inside the bubble, the toll that it would take on your mind and your body and everything else, because it’s been extremely tough.”  -LeBron James on the NBA Bubble.

Confined spaces, repetitive and monotonous activities within the bubble amplify mental fatigue. The confines of staying within rooms could cause players to overthink upcoming matches and wreck the minds of those with additional issues or unwell families. While top-notch facilities are offered to players, the close confines and separation from families foster a prison-like environment. While talent is essential, the present scenario also requires sportspersons to possess mental resilience. Rick Bowness, a Canadian professional ice hockey coach, conceded that living in the National Hockey League bubble was not easy. He proceeded to illustrate that no person outside could imagine what they were going through.

Modifications Made

Quite a few athletes have voiced concerns against extended periods in the bio-bubble. Mental fitness coach Paddy Upton has claimed that extended stay could cause dynamic and unique challenges. He rebuked sports bodies across the globe for not conducting adequate research to aid in this new struggle. Several international cricketers like Jason Holder, Sam Curran, Jofra Archer have spoken on the hardships faced. In response to these concerns, all teams’ managements have implemented measures to alleviate the effects by increasing squad sizes. An action all teams emulated is Australia’s idea to have a sports psychologist alongside, tackling bubble fatigue. In this foray, The England Cricket management executed an inspiring plan to rotate the players. While this idea did receive criticism for not putting forward the best team, it ensured that players rest and recharge mentally and physically.

The Indian Premier League – 2021 and The Tokyo Olympics

Riding on the success of the Indian Premier League of 2020, the BCCI has decided to proceed with the IPL 2021. This lucrative tournament held behind closed doors amidst the second wave in the country is raising inquiries. Several of the regulations formulated by the board seem to be lacking on various fronts. The hosting in six venues, inefficient GPS tracking, and the lack of utilisation of a safety and security firm for contact tracing has been put under the radar. Multiple cases across camps have riddled the smooth conduct of this edition. Questions on the games are raging as several cricketers, ground members, and support staff test positive. Numerous players withdrawing from the 14th edition of the game has piled on the misery. Josh Philippe and Mitchell Marsh have spoken out about playing in bubbles for long periods. Mark Wood touched upon another aspect that players consider before stepping back. He admitted that it rewarded them with life-changing money, which made his decision harder.

However, the BCCI had postponed the IPL-2021 after several players and staff from various franchises tested COVID positive. Many countries banning travel to and from India in the wake of exponentially rising cases left numerous overseas players in the lurch. This postponement during the league games jeopardises the country’s dream to host the T20 cricket World Cup as global governing bodies are unlikely to travel to India for the event. It also raises questions on how protected the members in a bio-secure bubble are. Despite all this, the BCCI has re-scheduled the remaining part of the IPL-2021 at UAE and has provided an elaborate health advisory. Notwithstanding that, the live audience matches, the timing of the tournament, and its continuation despite other issues are raising eyebrows.

The Olympic Games, already postponed by a year, was held in July 2021. The Olympic Village  accommodated all athletes during the games, with competitors provided with a list of protocols to be followed. All athletes were required to wear face masks except during the games. They were being tested every four days, with their health regularly updated to an app. While the management had encouraged the athletes to receive the vaccine, it was not mandatory.

As the pandemic has not ebbed, the return of normalcy is not guaranteed anytime soon. It essentially means that the upcoming sporting events will be held in a bubble-like environment. Organisations will have to look into the credibility of the “safe” environment. Several sportspersons, including Devdutt Padikkal, Axar Patel, and, Kiran More have contracted the virus while in the bubble. Since efficient alternatives are not known, sports bodies may choose to improve on the existing systems. The scheduling of matches with sufficient time between tournaments, larger squad sizes, rotation policies are some of the solutions to be considered. While the bio-bubble has been successful, it is up to sporting authorities to weigh the adverse impacts against the necessity of sports in this situation.

Featured Image Credits: The Washington Post.

Most of the world loves its freedom of speech. Everyone has their opinions on a topic, regardless of how much they know about it, and that is their right. Celebrities, too, are no exception to this. Most of them actively voice their opinions on topical concerns on a public platform. From Hollywood starlets to athletes, In recent years, many have jumped into the deep waters of political activism in whatever way they can—not always in subtle underlying tones of politicking. It is evident, vociferous, and bold. While they are as human as the rest of us, the value of their opinion is magnified because of the platform they enjoy. This makes all of us ponder over the question which has posed itself time and again, whether celebrity viewpoint on a political parley do more harm than good to the cause they are upholding.

For decades, celebrities having opinionated political discourse has been a tricky terrain to walk on, both for the household name expressing them and the zealots it reaches. They always run the risk of alienating an entire fraction of their fanbase and the repercussion it befalls, whether that’s in terms of ticket sales, negative press, or dissolved endorsement deals. This is why many in the business, in their own words, ‘Like to stay out of it.’ 

Sports’ paragons have long been a faction of this multitude, with most of them staying as far away from politics as their publicists would like them to be. One bears no qualms that sports have this beautiful way of bringing people together. Be it, children, on a playground or entire nations, sports often creates unparalleled unity between people. As a consequence, a sportsperson is very likely to amass a vast fanbase. They often hold a massive, larger than life influence over their followers. When they use this influence for good, the outcome is truly magical. Hence the reason why in recent years, there has been a paradigm shift in the way sports and politics interact with each other. As the political, demographic and scenarios have changed, many came to the podium to declare their resentment towards injustice and bigotry if and when they see it.

 

The fight against Racism

 

“I’ll be damned if I’m gonna win all these championships and have all this success and not use it to make a change.”  

                              –Lewis hamilton

 

The brutal death of George Floyd shook numerous people to their core—none more so than Formula One driver and reigning champion Lewis Hamilton. The seven-time World Champion took it upon himself to lead the fight against racism in his sport. A sport which, peculiarly, has always predominantly had white male athletes. In fact, Hamilton is the only black Formula One driver in history.

Hamilton strongly believes that he has been given the opportunity of representing his people in the sport for a reason and is determined to unlock the mystery of the lack of black representation in Formula One. Last year, he founded the Hamilton Commission, an organization that aims to improve the representation of people of colour in UK motorsport. Though the Championship winner has forever been an activist for anti-racism, in 2020, the killing of George Floyd, in particular, spurred him on to take up a more prominent role in the fight against racist injustices. 

Through his persistence and incredibly outspoken stance, Lewis Hamilton has also demanded the FIA, Formula One’s governing body, to do more in tackling inequality within the sport. The Briton led F1 into the fight for diversity and holding pre-race anti-racism gestures. Hamilton claimed he had an extra desire for success due to his fight against racism. 

“I had this extra drive in me this year to get to the end of those races. It was a different drive than what I’ve had in me in the past … to get to the end of those races first so that I could utilize that platform [for Black Lives Matter] and shine the light as bright as possible.”

LeBron Vs Zlatan

Politics is a breeding ground for controversy. Oftentimes, sports stars, while wanting to induce change and resolve underlying oppressions with good intentions, are met with the trident of altercations. Evident to this fact was the recent dust-up between the two sporting giants, clashing on each other’s indulgence over non-sporting issues. The tussle between the two started when Swedish footballer Zlatan Ibrahimovic spoke out against LeBron James for getting himself involved in political affairs outside the basketball court. The AC Milan striker felt that athletes of a certain status shouldn’t get involved in politics because it is not their niche. “I don’t do politics. If I were a political politician, I would do politics. That is the first mistake people do when they become famous and reach a certain status. Stay out of it. Just do what you do best because it doesn’t look good”, was Zlatan’s justification. 

This obviously did not go down well with LeBron, whose past advocacy over the Black Lives Matter and other racial injustices underpin movements showed his polar opposite solicitude on the topic. He quickly clapped back during a press briefing stating that he would never stick to just sports. He reiterated that he knew how powerful and influential his voice was and would forever speak up against social injustice. 

Continuing to reprimand the criticism, LeBron called out Ibrahimovic, citing his hypocrisy by referring to Zlatan’s interview with Canal+, where he talked about being a victim of undercover racism in his own native country and not getting the due credit from the Swedish media and public due to his non-traditional Swedish name. It’s not the first time people have taken issues with James’ longtime activism. Back in 2018, in the wake of midterm elections, Fox News commentator Laura Ingraham told him and fellow  NBA star Kevin Durant to just “shut up and dribble.”

This isn’t the first time a black athlete has been openly vocal about their disdain for certain issues. NBA players in the past have revolted silently against racial inequality and injustice pertaining to the circumstances in the U.S by “taking a knee” during the national anthem. Many, of course, took this as a gesture of disrespect and incivility towards the country, stirring a cauldron of backlash and finger-pointing.

The NBA forward, however, has come under hellfire not only for his political backings but also for not being fervent about the treatment of Uighur Muslims in China in the wake of his sponsorship ties to the country. The NBA is trying to enter the Chinese market, a country where more than a million Uighur Muslims have been over the last few years for an apparent re-education.

Many point out the blatant assailable hypocrisy of the situation since Lebron hasn’t used his ‘powerful platform’ and voice about the case, which he otherwise so passionately defends. The player’s business connections to China evidently play a significant role in this locale, and in the broad view, in his exploits of shrinking his responsibility of speaking out against the nation’s brutality towards a minority group. By selectively speaking out, the four-times NBA championship winner assuages his intentions and reflects the overall sentiment of convenient ersatz activism, going as far as to call Houston rockets general manager Daryl Morey “either misinformed or not really educated on the situation” when he championed his convictions about the former British colony.

Even with all these debacles, it’s imperative to note down the amount of push that movements and narratives such as Black Lives Matter got just because people like LeBron James and Kareem Abdul Jabbar were hugely vocal about them. If it wasn’t for public figures dating long back to Mohammad Ali to present-day activist like Colin Kaepernick, putting their well-built careers on the line for calling out social injustice infringed in the system for the wake of the betterment of the future generations, the envelope of change would’ve been long lost in this backlash. It’s relatively easy to call out a celebrity with public outreach for not being tight-lipped about issues and a lot harder to remember that celebrities, even with their shiny mantle of fame, are people. People have opinions, and simply discrediting those opinions would be unfair.

India and Cricket

Cricketers are the most popular people in India. They are idolised, worshipped, and looked up to. Naturally, many of them are approached to endorse multiple things. These may be as basic as skin care products and shampoos and as complicated as political candidates. Many cricketers, however, steer clear of those involvements that affect their careers. They signed up an athlete, not a politician. Many of them simply put curtailments on voicing their thoughts about issues. Cricket Players has been one faction that has successfully managed to not divulge into publicly expressing dissatisfaction over any issue over the past few decades.

Politics and cricket are two crossroads that never unite. Many cricket giants have strolled towards politics post-retirement, but few have taken any risks at the peak of their careers. However, of late, a few have started to a calculated stance, not always a definitive one, but a stance regardless. There seems to have been a shift in Indian cricketers as more and more have sought to foray their opinions into the political hemisphere. The Farmers’ protest, in particular, highlighted the change. Numerous cricketers took a political stance on the matter; some even clashed with each other over their opinions. 

Indian cricketing legends Sachin Tendulkar and Anil Kumble came out to say that the protests were an ‘Internal issue’ when multiple western celebrities decided to raise awareness about the protests on social media. Additionally, India cricket team captain, Virat Kohli, urged the country to remain ‘united’ in a time of crisis. To some, it was a clear attempt at defending the government and swaying public opinion about their stance. In response, Sunrisers Hyderabad seamer Sandeep Sharma questioned Tendulkar’s tweet claiming that the farmers deserved to be heard by the world. Manoj Tiwary, another Indian cricketer, declared the cricketers as puppets who were acting on government instructions. The issue with cricketers expressing their opinion here was that it was selective and trimmed to the extent where it felt more like a carefully curated PR statement. The route they took was delayed and came after a lot of criticism against the government. It seemed like a little too less and a little too late.

Tendulkar, revered as a god in India, was widely supported by the Indian public. In fact, one of India’s largest political parties, the Aam Aadmi Party took to Twitter to publicly request Tendulkar to tweet in favour of the farmers. They pushed back against the likes of Rihanna, claiming that western celebrities had no right to comment over the protests. Muddled political opinions covered Twitter in India—the numerous tweets confirmed the changing landscape of cricket and politics in India. It was clear that over the years, the two would become more and more intertwined, with more and more cricketers voicing their opinions on political matters. How much this will affect the Indian public, only time will tell. 

Politics and Samba Football

They say football is worshipped in Brazil, and that isn’t far from the truth. Brazilian culture, in its essence, involves a lot of football. The sport brings together masses of Brazilians—from the streets to massive stadiums, hordes of men and women indulge in the beautiful game. Ever since its introduction in 1894, the game has grown and become so strongly embedded in the Latin American country that it is now considered a religion.

Brazil has produced some of the greatest footballers to ever grace the game—these mortals have attained god-like statuses in their home country. As a result, they often have incredible sway over the general public. A significant number of former footballers have expressed their stances on Brazilian politics. While holding such a strong say over the future of the country, footballers must be careful in voicing their seminal opinions. Unfortunately, that has been far from the case. 

The 2018 Brazilian general election brought with it a myriad of controversies—once football became involved, the situation grew uglier. The entire controversy of Brazilian politics revolved around one man: Jair Bolsonaro. Proclaiming the current president to be a man who splits opinion would be an understatement. Bolsonaro, a retired military officer, has publicly said he would favour the use of torture, has been convicted in court for racial abuse, and has once told a member of parliament that she is ‘too ugly to even rape’. 

Shockingly, the president received immense support during the general elections, especially from some incredibly high-profile footballers. Of these, perhaps the most eminent were Barcelona and Brazil legends, Rivaldo and Ronaldinho. Both footballers used social media to express their support for Bolsonaro. Additionally, Tottenham Hotspur forward Lucas Moura took to Twitter to demonstrate his support for Bolsonaro. All three footballers are immensely popular in Brazil and, as a result, have many followers who would blindly trust their opinions.  

However, of the three footballers, Moura, in particular, received waves of criticism on the internet. Olympique Lyonnais legend Juninho Pernambucano, another widely popular Brazilian footballer, came out in public to criticize the players who supported Bolsonaro’s campaign. The former free-kick master labelled Bolsonaro and those supporting him fascist. However, it was to no avail.

Bolsonaro ended up winning the election, and Brazil has been on a landslide ever since. The country is as polarised as ever, with the president and his sons at the centre of it. The whole family is under investigation for a range of crimes, from embezzlement to money laundering. These personal issues coupled with Bolsonaro’s atrocious handling of the pandemic, an economic collapse, and his policies on the Amazon rainforest makes it safe to say that the criticism he receives is merited. The fact that sportspersons have had a role to play in this domino effect makes us question them further. 

Conclusion

Even after analyzing both ends of the balance, the situation presents a dichotomy. Should celebrities remain neutral or voice their opinions on a public platform? It is impossible to find one definitive answer. It is necessary for the VIPs to probe closely into the affair they are vocal about. There’s an inherent sense of responsibility and culpability alike if you are gathering your thoughts on the rostrum while the world is keenly watching you. The influence they hold indeed comes at a cost, and those who chose to ensnare themselves in this quagmire should understand that stature and what it encompasses. Neither should this mean they remain or feel voiceless like a tamed lion when a patently indefensible and biased situation presents itself, without charging the social responsibility and try to bring a change in the social structure that they so heavily sway.

It’s important to mention the delicacy of the situation here. It’s especially irksome to everyone when popular faces treat these high-end issues as a cash grab or a mean of reserving their twenty minutes of fame, both harming not only the cause but the overall intent of the gesture itself. When those in power start to toady up to others in power out of fear or for a favour, In that moment of levity, we all lose.

Watching from the other side of the tunnel, we as a crowd need to stop idolizing and hyping up these engagements more than what they are, someone’s opinion. If your rulings towards an issue take into account how your favourite celebrity feels about it, then you equally share part of the blame. At the end of the day, Celebrities speak up about something which they might feel passionate about, but blindly giving yourself into that pit without questioning it or researching about it is equally perilous. While they have to educate themselves thoroughly, as the general public, we have to do it too. Educate ourselves and form an individual opinion. 

Featured Image Credits – CNN

The English Premier League is followed passionately by fans worldwide, over the course of ten months between August and May every single year. With a global presence in 188 countries, carried by over 80 broadcasters in more than fifty different languages, the EPL is the most popular football league on the planet. Its average per-game viewership of over 12 million is colossal compared to La Liga’s 2 million, which places a distant second.

All of the aforementioned statistics urge one to ponder over but one question—what is the reason behind the prodigious popularity? Why does the Premier League command a fan following matched by no other football league? Let’s have a look at some of the key factors.

The Plethora of Quality

The sheer dominance of one or two teams seen in the rest of the four leagues seems to disappear in the Premier League. Multiple teams fighting for the trophy is almost always on show. Teams like Leicester City, Everton, and Wolverhampton, which usually end up in the middle of the pack, have in recent times, invested heavily in either retaining or bringing in world-class players such as Jamie Vardy and James Rodriguez. A four-time UEFA Champions League-winning coach, Carlo Ancelotti, taking over a mid-table side like Everton, further cements the popular saying, “There are no easy games in the Premier League.” 

In the season of 2019/20, the PL also had a fairly low difference of 1.06 points in average points per game between the team placed first and sixth, significantly better than La Liga’s 1.62. Interestingly, the PL has the lowest average total point difference (20.6 points) between the team that finishes 1st and the one that finishes 5th. The PL stands best placed in this regard—3 points lesser than its closest competitor Serie A (23.6 points).

Unpredictability is also an immense factor when it comes to making any competition a spine-tingling affair. People like spending ninety minutes watching a match, not knowing which way the result can go. Whilst the remaining four of the top five leagues of Europe have at the most, produced only two title-winning teams in the last six years, the Premier League has managed to muster up twice the number of champions in the same duration.

Fierce Competition

Everyone loves a nail-biting contest—a match that keeps you on the edge of your seat until the very end. With the exception of the 2019-20 season, in which Liverpool won the title with seven games to spare, the league isn’t done and dusted until the last few weeks. It does a great job of keeping the suspense alive for an exceptionally long period of time into the season before the winner can raise their sails.

Manchester City won the 2012-13 title with literally, the last kick of the season in an unforgettable matchday. Steven Gerrard’s infamous slip against Chelsea cost Liverpool the title, when they almost had both hands on the trophy, and the moment is etched in the hearts of fans. Occurrences like these serve as a reminder to the fans that no matter which team they support, it will never be easy to get their hands on the prestigious trophy.

The Dogfight at the Bottom

The Premier League has produced some of the most exciting relegation battles in recent memory. There is a certain thrill about the fight for survival, with teams at the bottom of the table, often putting on passionate performances. One only has to go back to the season of 2019-20 when Aston Villa drew a hard-fought match on the league’s final day to avoid relegation by one solitary point. West Bromwich Albion were at the bottom of the table until the very last day of the 2004-05 season, only to pull off one of the greatest escapes of the PL by beating Portsmouth 2-0 on the final matchday of the campaign. Leicester City stared down the barrel of the gun whilst at the bottom of the table on Christmas day of 2014. The team went on to win 7 of their last 9 games to secure a berth for the next season—A campaign they would eventually go on to win.

These do-or-die battles lack the quality and finesse of face-offs between the top teams, but they do tap into the more aggressive and primal instincts of individuals and teams like no other. One tends to turn a blind eye to the action at the bottom of the table in other leagues, but this never seems to be the case in the Premier League.

The Side Treats

The introduction of the Fantasy Premier League (FPL) has enchanted fans and increased their overall interest in the league. FPL has seen an amazing response with over 7.6 million users all over the world as of 2020. With users having to choose players from middle and lower-rung teams, even matches between the lesser popular clubs end up being significant as they may affect users’ FPL points tallies. Users can then compare their points with friends and other users, somewhat emulating the competition in the league itself. This feature is only available in the Premier League, making its engagement all the more fruitful to the league’s success.

Sublime commentary and in-depth match analysis also help make the league more popular and get people to talk about the league and its intricacies. Legendary commentators such as Peter Drury and Martin Tyler have given voice to some of the most defining moments in the league’s history. Live programs such as PL Today broadcasted across the world also bring in perspectives of not just experts but fans too. Heated debates between football pundits featuring the likes of club legends and some of the most revered personalities in football often seen in post-match analyses also make for very engaging content.

Distribution of Financial Resources

The most optimal way to ensure high competitiveness levels in any sporting league is to distribute finances in the most equitable way possible. Since its inception in 1992, the PL has had an egalitarian redistribution method of total income garnered. Since 2018, the league has adopted a distribution system in which the entire pot of 3.3 billion pounds coming in through sales of TV rights worldwide gets equally distributed amongst all teams. In contrast, revenue distribution in the rest of the four leagues depends heavily on clubs’ past performance and popularity-related metrics. This puts smaller teams in these leagues at a huge disadvantage.

The introduction of the ‘parachute payment system’, in which relegated clubs are awarded about half of the broadcasting revenue received by other teams in the PL for their first two seasons out of the premiership, ensures a safety net from financial ruin for these teams.  Aggressive marketing and advertising of derby matches and regional rivalries have also increased its annual TV revenue.

 

The pure bliss of witnessing the season unfold itself over the course of ten months is something that goes beyond numbers and statistics. The highs and the lows faced by supporters, the drama, the rumours, and the uncontrollable passion present an experience like no other. The highly competitive nature of this league is definitely the primary reason for its massive fan base. The level of raw entertainment the Premier League provides a sense of joy unparalleled by any other league.  

Featured Image Credits: Mytwocents.com

Every cricket game is an occasion in India. Millions of eyes are glued to the TV set, as eleven men represent the country in a sport that has brought people of this wildly diverse country for decades. Prayers to multiple gods, nearly empty streets and sounds of celebrations are sewn into every single cricket game. Wins send people into wild ecstasy, while losses cover a mournful veil over the entire country.

A fortnight ago, India made history by winning the final Test at the Gabba and retaining the Border-Gavaskar trophy. A team riddled with injuries, written off by the media, and mocked by multiple cricket pundits after the humiliating defeat at Adelaide, scripted a comeback for the ages with a second-string squad, showing resilience, bravery and skill.

Pain

“Can you imagine this Indian batting lineup without Virat Kohli for the next two Test matches? They are in deep trouble.” – Michael Clarke

The test match at Adelaide seemed evenly poised until the third day, where India looked to set a huge target for Australia to chase. However, the famous Australian quartet and the Kookaburra pink ball had other ideas. The juggernaut of Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood had the Indian batsmen on strings. They were fast, accurate, and ruthless, as they sliced through the Indian batting order like a hot knife through butter and picked nine wickets in the opening hour.

Every ball seemed to zip through the corridor of uncertainty, finding the edges and the Australian fielders. India, a team that boasted some of the most experienced batsmen in the game, had no answers to the barrage of deliveries being hurled at them. Not one player could muster up a double-digit score, as India came crashing down while putting up a meagre 36, the lowest ever score in Indian cricketing history. A game set to go down to the wire ended in overwhelming humiliation, and fate hammered the final nail in the coffin as Mohammed Shami copped a nasty blow on his right arm off a Pat Cummins bouncer, that ended the Australia tour for him. India would have to survive for the following three tests without yet another one of their key bowlers, a theme that would continue for the rest of the series.

A mentally fragile Indian side took the field in the fourth innings, with no real hope of defending a mere 90 runs against a batting lineup with big names like Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne. Australia comfortably won the match by eight wickets with Joe Burns, the severely criticised Australian opener scoring a half-century, effectively adding insult to the injury.

The usual fight in Virat Kohli’s eyes seemed lost in the post-match presentation. The Indian captain looked dazed, perhaps unable to accept that the team he had nurtured, the group which he was so immensely proud of, had suffered such a humiliating defeat. With Kohli, arguably India’s best batsman leaving for India, most Indian fans’ hopes of winning in Australia were doused. Most were left with the sight of a humiliating whitewash by the Australians taking shape in the horizon.

Redemption

“Wear this 36 like a badge on your sleeves, and you will be a great team”.- Ravi Shastri after the first test. 

The disastrous outing on the Adelaide Oval had opened up fresh wounds, literally. With Shami being ruled out due to the nasty bouncer in the previous test and Kohli out on paternity leave, Indian cricket team knew that they had to step up, and fast. For the famed Boxing Day match at the Melbourne Cricket ground, India announced four team changes. Ravindra Jadeja came back into the team after suffering a hamstring injury, for Kohli. Twenty-one-year old Shubman Gill came in for Prithvi Shaw, Rishabh Pant took over keeping duties from Saha, and Mohammad Siraj was called on for Shami. 

In the 50th over, Labuschagne, who seemed to have taken a liking to the pitch, fell to some intelligent bowling sketched out by the debutant, Siraj. The wicket was at a crucial juncture and opened the floodgates, as the entire Australian batting side was wiped out for 195 in 73 overs. Siraj, who received news of his father’s demise while he was in Australia, chose against returning to India and decided to honour his father’s wishes and ‘make his country proud’.  He was offered immense support by the team and symbolised the resilience that would eventually characterise this Indian team, a group that fought as one and never backed down.

However, the batting line up that had to retort with a promising start provided by young Gill, Ajinkya Rahane, who was made captain of the team, stitched up a brilliant century, burying the doubts the Indian batting line’s ability. This put India in a powerful position, and it was up to a severely inexperienced bowling line up to give India an honest opportunity to win the match.

The world expected the Indian bowlers to choke and lose the advantage they held. However, this was a team that sought redemption. Every single bowler bowled to their strengths, complementing their teammates’ abilities. Australia faced a single, united and absolutely ruthless bowling unit. India ripped through the Australian batting line-up with some clever spin bowling and accurate pace bowling, restricting Australia for 200 and virtually sealing the game on day 4. 

After a comfortable chase, India sent out a clear message—“We may be down, but we’re not out yet.”

Resilience

“Can’t wait to get you to the Gabba, Ash.” -Tim Paine, Australian captain.

The series stood level at 1-1. India had the momentum. Australia had the home ground advantage and a full-strength squad. After the incredible fight, India had shown in the second test, and the third test result was up in the air. Australia, a seasoned team full of experienced campaigners, were no pushovers. They had worked their way up from the pits of the ball-tampering scandal and were bolstered by Steve Smith and David Warner’s addition.  On a rainy first day, Australia asserted their dominance with Labuschagne and Smith taking the Indian bowlers to the cleaners. Injury woes never seemed to end. Ravindra Jadeja was ruled out for the rest of the test series with a hit to the left thumb, as India stumbled through their first innings. A large target loomed, and a win seemed well out of reach.

The equation on day five—India needed 309 runs to win, Australia needs eight wickets. It was a textbook day five for this potent bowling attack, who knew they had an excellent chance of dismissing the Indians before the sun went down. Early wickets gave them a spring in their step, as they ran in with intent, looking for a wicket with every single delivery.

Rishabh Pant, who was promoted to number 5, had other plans. With Pujara being steady as a rock at the other end, Pant did something that generations of batsmen from the subcontinent were yet to do. He took the Australian bowlers head-on, in their own den. He stepped down the pitch and sent the ball deep into the stands instead of defending his wicket. With the fiery hot Pant and the Ice cold Pujara on either end of the pitch, the yin-yang of this batting combination hurled the Aussies into disarray. 

As fate would have it, Pant eventually succumbed three runs short of an iconic century. Everything seemed to fall apart when the rock-solid Pujara walked back into the pavilion after a gritty stay on the pitch. Australia needed 5 wickets more to close up shop, and before them stood one batsman and the Indian tail. To add to the misery of the Indians, Hanuma Vihari had pulled his hamstring moments earlier in the game, Jadeja needed assistance with his banana peel, owing to the finger injury. On the other side, Ravi Ashwin was on the pitch after reports that his back barely allowed him to stand up that morning. 

Hanuma Vihari and R Ashwin, both battling their injuries believed when an entire nation had lost hope. They decided that they would outlast the best pace attack in the world for forty-three overs. The images of Vihari limping on the pitch, struggling to walk but determined to reach the other end and retain strike to face the menacing fast bowlers, and of Ashwin taking blows to his body, wincing in pain and still managing to rile up Tim Paine with befitting replies to his sledging, have been etched into the memories of all Indian cricket fans for eternity. 

The pair braved a plethora of close calls, a world of pain, and the expectations of more than a billion people to see India through to stumps without the loss of another wicket. On their way to scripting history, Vihari and Ashwin survived 259 balls as India forced a draw and made Australia retreat to their fortress, the Gabbatoir, for one last stand. 

Glory

“This for me is a representation of the new India where we want to take on challenges and move forward with optimism and positivity and make sure we are up and ready for any challenge that comes our way.” -Virat Kohli.

Playing at the Gabba for an away side has not ended favourably for a cricketing side that isn’t Australia for over three decades. An Indian side playing a bowling unit with a total experience of 3 tests, definitely seemed on the back foot—rain on the cards. The grit shown by the side after a humiliating defeat in the first test was appreciated, but surely, the miracles had to stop at some point. 

A ton from Labuschangne and an early injury to Saini seemed to set the swansong up. A majestic effort from the two-match old Mohammed Siraj restricted Australia to 369 runs. However, the Indian batsmen looked like they were following a script that Indian fans were used to. Six down with over 170 runs to chase down. Resistance by the Indians stood in Sundar’s form and a one test match old Shardul. “Surely it ends here”, was the sentiment around the game, as the Australian pace attack steamed in, hoping to clear up the Indian tail as fast as they could. But this group of rookies had made their minds up. They were playing to make history, not repeat it. 

Washington Sundar and Shardul Thakur stitched up a match-saving 123 run partnership for the seventh wicket, and their message was loud and clear – “This is a new Team India.” The sheer stubbornness and grit the pair displayed lit up the fire of hope in all Indian fans. Two youngsters stood tall against a pace attack that had over a thousand scalps. The sheer audacity of the pair to take this bowling attack on in their fortress, threw the game’s narrative out of balance. Maybe, just maybe, this team could pull off a miracle. 

With the slim lead,  Australia posted a total of 328 runs for the Indian contingent to chase, all thanks to Mohammad Siraj.  All the sacrifices Siraj had made to play this series paid off, as he took his maiden five-for. All three tests old, Siraj shouldered the burden of leading the bowling attack flawlessly. Being racially abused by the Australian crowd at the SCG, Siraj demonstrated the best form of “let your work do your talking” and dedicated his maiden five-for to his late father. Four days into the game, all three results were on the table for the taking.

The Indian batsmen faced an uphill task. The highest chase at the Gabba was 236 by Australia. 328? India was touted to draw by most of the punditry team, as India would retain the Border Gavaskar trophy with a draw. The batsmen had to bat out of their skins to chase this mammoth total down on the last day of play.

The Indians, as they had showcased throughout the series, seemed to have other ideas. Shubman Gill put the hosts on the backfoot with some beautiful strokes. With Pujara refusing to budge from the pitch, Gill played fearlessly, smashing Mitchell Starc for 20 runs in an over on his way to a match-defining knock of 91. Pujara stood tall against countless bouncers, copping numerous blows to his body. He drained the famed Australian pace trio, physically and mentally. When Pujara finally fell, it was up to a 23-year-old boy to guide India to victory. 

In what was undoubtedly the best knock of his career, Rishabh Pant overcame an elbow injury to score a fabulous 89. The Australians had no answers to his fearless batting. He swept, scooped, and slashed. When the whole world predicted India to play it safe and defend their way to a draw, Pant symbolised the young Indian team, who had only one word in their heads—Win. As Pant’s last hit sent the ball to the boundary at long-off, the Indian side rushed out to celebrate and thronged the architect of the great breach of fortress Gabba. This was a side that stood tall when it was denied of its limbs and managed to win under nearly impossible circumstances.

Conclusion

This series marked the dawn of a new era in Indian Cricket. An Indian side that is fearless. They could’ve gone for the draw—but they believed in themselves when no one else did, and in the end, that is what made all the difference.

Every generation of cricket fans has had a few matches or series to remember fondly. A performance that they consider themselves lucky to have witnessed. The previous generation had the 2001 Test win against Australia at Eden Gardens, the 2003 Test win at Adelaide, and the Perth test of 2008 to name a few.

For our generation, every minute of this series will hold a place in the pedestal. We will narrate the tale of 2021—when a group of rookies who had a monumental task of saving the face of Indian cricket, achieved the impossible and defeated Australia at a ground where they felt invincible. When a group of boys, barely a few test matches old, made the world stand up and take notice of them, as they walked around the Gabbatoir with the tricolour raised high in the air.

 

(Featured Image Credits: Yahoo!)

An army of seventy thousand Neapolitans would walk through the corridors of the San Paolo stadium on the 5^th of July, 1984. The stadium bore a likeness to an ancient Roman colosseum, with spectators being seated in ginormous vertical stands. The stone walls vibrated with nervous energy. The people of Naples, dressed in blue to reaffirm their pledged allegiance to Napoli SSC, resembled a tidal wave, engulfing the pitch from all four ends. They were there to see one man, their prince to-be, their messiah—Diego Armando Maradona.

Tens of thousands of voices roared as the tiny Argentinian poetically landed from the sky in a helicopter, onto the freshly cut grass and looked around. The chants, “Ho Visto Maradona, Ho Visto Maradona” (I saw Maradona!) seemed like they could be heard all the way in Milan. Diego Maradona did not disappoint his army of Neapolitans. His career may have been filled with scandals, controversy, and addiction. Still, after his unfortunate passing, we cannot help but look back at the player who defied every notion about how football is played, led his club and his country to glory, and is worshipped by an entire city.

The Shaping of Diego

“If I was in a white dress at a wedding and a muddy ball arrived, I would stop it with my chest, without thinking about it.”

Diego’s upbringing was harsh. Living with his parents, two brothers, and five sisters, he was a kid determined to drag his family from the cruel clutches of poverty. Football was his salvation. There were times where he had to sleep with his football tucked inside his shirt to prevent it from being stolen. His father worked extra shifts to support his ambition, and would “come home looking half-dead”, in his own son’s words.

It didn’t take long for people in Buenos Aires to take note of his exceptional skill. He possessed unbelievable balance, seemed like he could glide with the ball on his feet, and could point towards the goal with his eyes closed. Diego enjoyed being the underdog. His early life had instilled an unshakeable sense of grit in him, and he always chose to take the side of the people who suffered. He chose to join Boca Juniors, a team that came from the relatively poorer end of Buenos Aires over River Plate, which represented a richer neighbourhood and offered to make him the highest-paid player in their team.

His defiance and will bring out a ‘Bigger than life’ character to anyone who watched him weave a spell over them for ninety minutes in between two goalposts. His big break arrived when FC Barcelona came calling and made Maradona their costliest transfer. An injury-plagued season did not stop him from having moments that would cast an impression for decades.

Maradona’s most memorable moment in Blaugrana colours came in his last match for the club, in the King’s cup final, where he hurtled himself into the eye of a chaotic storm and threw a few punches at an Athletic Club Bilbao player, in the presence of the King of Spain. The camera panned at him in the end, as he sat on the pitch with a black eye, torn jersey, and thousands of people staring from the stands, unable to process what they had just witnessed. The costliest player in the world turned into a street fighter and did not seem to care about controversy. He revelled in it. He had a personality that shouted confidence. His inhuman footballing skills backed it up. He could put you in a trance-like state with a mere ball at his feet, something that wasn’t humanlike at all. Even his teammates have admitted to spending hours watching Diego train with a football.

The God of Naples

In the 1980s, Naples was a downtrodden city, with a majority of its citizens below the poverty line and victims of organized crime by the Camorra cartel. They were mocked by the rest of Italy, with derogatory terms like “Terroni” (Peasants) or “Cholera Sufferers.”  It was; however, a place brimming with passion. The rumours of Maradona being a potential Napoli player led to hunger strikes across the city. People chained themselves to San Paolo, refusing to budge until Diego stepped onto the pitch in Azzurri colours.

The desire to dream was so intense, that people sprawled onto the streets, collecting money from everyone around to help the club fund the transfer. After an unlucky couple of years in Spain, Maradona was eager to represent the people of Naples and bring them silverware. The sporting director of Naples, Juliano, a proud Neapolitan, reportedly told Maradona, “Play your brand of football and Naples will make you its living god.” Italian football was the best in the world at those times. The richest clubs in AC Milan and Juventus and immensely talented players in Platini, Maldini, Laudrup, and Rijkaard made for a fiercely competitive league. Napoli had narrowly escaped relegation the season before Maradona arrived, and a player of his stature being signed by Napoli sent shockwaves across the country.

The disbelief is perhaps, conveyed by a question in his first press conference. “Did the mafia fund your transfer, Diego?”  The question was met with fury by the sporting director, who immediately warned that such accusations would not be taken lightly. Maradona’s seven years in Napoli would be the greatest of his career. He identified himself with the people. Wild, passionate, and simple. He led them to two Serie A titles and a UEFA Cup, scoring 115 goals for the club in the process. The first Scudetto in the 1986/87 season saw Maradona terrorise the league with his agility, skill, and sheer determination. He seemed to elevate a relatively average team with a few seasoned internationals into one that the opposition planned for, weeks in advance.

The final few weeks of their title run had shops in Naples put up posters that read, “Our Maradona, Who Takes the Field, We have hallowed thy name, Thy Kingdom is Napoli, Lead us not into disappointment, But deliver unto us the title, Amen.”

After his second Scudetto, he claimed that the title was more valuable to him than his world cups with Argentina because he was celebrating it with his beloved Napoli supporters while he had to celebrate the world cup alone. Such was the mutual love between Diego and Naples. He was thronged on the streets, people named their children after him, and hundreds of songs were sung in his name. He lived up to expectations, and as promised, rose to the status of a god. Untouchable, “Bigger than the Pope for Naples”, as shouted by a wild fan in an interview after their title win.

His wizardry with the football attracted masses from across Europe and around the world. His most famous exhibition came in a pre-match warm-up in a UEFA Cup semifinal, where he enthralled thousands by juggling a ball on his head and acting puppeteer in chief by putting up a ten-minute show before, arguably, the biggest game in his career. He eventually led Napoli to their only European triumph by scoring and assisting against Stuttgart in the final.

Champion of the World

Diego was a regular for the Argentinian national team, who were starved of silverware. In 1986, the world watched as Mexico hosted the FIFA World Cup and the best player in the world, stepped foot onto the pitch in blue and white. He perhaps, set forth a strong argument of being the greatest player to have ever played the game after this world cup campaign. He seemed unstoppable. He bludgeoned through defenders, chipped over keepers, and changed direction effortlessly. The genius of Maradona was inexplicable. He was a tiny man, putting on a show that millions tuned into, to wonder if anyone would ever pull off feats like this ever again.

However, the greatness of Maradona always lies in the drama. He scored the most controversial goal in world cup history, against England, using his hand. “The Hand of God”, he termed it, as an entire country spewed rage at the act. He also forced his teammates to celebrate so that the referee wouldn’t disallow the goal. Such was his aura, Maradona scored the best goal of his career in the same game after dribbling past the entire English defence. He polarized people, made them question what they had just witnessed. He brought Argentina the world cup and won the golden ball, to seal his reputation as one of the best to have played the game. He did lead a very depleted La Albicelestes side to a world cup final in 1990 to suffer a heartbreaking defeat to West Germany.

The Fall from Grace

The controversy that is synonymous with this phenomenon’s name emanated mainly from his destructive drug addiction. He admitted to first taking banned substances at 22, and the vice only grew along with his fame at Barcelona and Napoli. He was banned by Napoli for 15 months after a positive cocaine test and was forced to retire from the Argentina squad following a positive ephedrine test. In Naples, his obsession grew when Camorra – a Neapolitan mafia crew offered him protection and indulged his desire for drugs and women because staying in the good books of someone who was worshipped by all the city was a no brainer for the mafia group.

Maradona did succumb to temptation. However, ever so mystifyingly, he maintained his extraordinary footballing standards through a physical regime that would kill most humans – he spent Sundays enthralling fans in Serie A, Sunday night to Wednesday squandered in a cocaine haze, Wednesday morning to Saturday devoted to sweating it out in the gym to get fit for the game in the weekend – repeat.

Maradona’s swansong with the city of Naples occurred in the 1990 world cup hosted by Italy, where he had morphed into a star, a legend, a myth, and very close to a god. Fate, in its uncomprehending ways, set up a semi-final clash between his motherland and Italy, and Maradona, in his equally strange ways, managed to enrage Italy by saying, “Neapolitans you shouldn’t forget that in Italy they do not consider you to be Italians. The country comes and asks for your support for just one day of the year, and for the other 364, they’ll call you Africans. It is true that wherever we travel they call us Africans.”

The Italian press wasn’t subtle while adding fuel to the fire, and polarised Naples. Would they support their country, most of which called them “The scum of Italy”, or would they support the person who expected them to switch loyalties for all he had done to the city of Naples. This reflected in the highly polarized atmosphere at San Paolo stadium. The hard-fought match dragged on to penalties, as Naples very own Maradona hammered the final nail onto the coffin holding Italy’s world cup dreams by scoring Argentina’s final spot-kick from 12 yards out and celebrated wildly, marking the beginning of the end for Maradona as a living god in Naples.

Doing justice to the crazy script that his life was, Maradona’s family life was fraught with accusations and denial. The footballer fathered two daughters with his long-time girlfriend Claudia Villafane, whom he married in 1986. In 2004, after suffering a heart attack following a cocaine overdose, he divorced his wife, and during the divorce proceedings, confirmed to have an illegitimate son named Diego Sinagra, an Italian footballer. He further disclosed having an illegitimate daughter Jana Maradona after a court battle with her mother, and in 2019 he accepted being the father of 8 children. These events only amplified the controversial bad-boy image he had created for himself.

A bloated appearance that eventually replaced the chiselled face and muscled body marked the end of the young Maradona who terrified defenders and made the fans gasp in awe. Stints, as a coach for Argentina and clubs in the UAE and Argentina, proved to be an unsuccessful venture. On multiple occasions, he was found saying things about other coaches and players that were unnecessary and brash. But this bluntness, passion, and honesty were what made him one of the biggest characters in football. He said what he wanted to without regret, he was a strong character and had no fear of losing the love of the people, because he rose to an Olympian status in the Hills of Rome by being himself. By being Diego Maradona.

The last memory we have of this iconic person is his wild celebration of an Argentina goal in the world cup. He remained true to himself, from the beginning to the end. It’s an unfortunate day, for we have had to bid adieu to possibly football’s greatest ever player. A kid from the slums of Buenos Aires who ruled the hearts of an entire city, and conquered the imagination of the entire world. You will be missed, Diego Armando Maradona.

Featured Image Credits: Mike King/Getty Images

“The first match in the top European Leagues after the pandemic, the Revierderby between Borussia Dortmund and Schalke 04 got fans all over the world excited over the return of the sport. While there was no absence of fluid, attacking football, the stadium echoed stray shouts from the players, instead of the united, deafening chants of the Yellow Wall it was previously accustomed to. As Raphael Guerriero skillfully escaped the offside trap and finished with his left foot to essentially seal the game, the nonchalant celebrations that followed accurately reflected the current nature of football. The sport was back, yes, but not quite in spirit and passion.”

The world is in the grip of a deadly pandemic that threatens to wipe off humanity’s very existence. Citizens all over the world are concerned about failing economies, changing lifestyles, and the rapidly spreading fear of the outdoors. Around ten billion people, constituting the fanbase of the four most-watched sports in the world, are also worried that the sports industry might not return to its earlier glory. From a lack of investments to dampening of enthusiasm, athletes around the world face an uphill task as they adapt to overcome the new challenges hindering their pursuit of success.

The Dejection of Sports Enthusiasts

As countries around the globe impose lockdowns to curb the spread of the coronavirus, people are in search of various forms of entertainment. While TV shows and web series saw a massive spike in viewership and popularity, sports events could not capture the interest of their target demographic. Even re-runs of earlier contests did not keep sports enthusiasts hooked as they moved on to other shows.

According to the BARC-Neilsen report, between 14 March 2020 and 20 March 2020, impressions on sports channels fell by 69 per cent. The daily average time spent by viewers decreased by 59 per cent, and the daily average reach of sports events dropped by 29 per cent. This fact deals a shocking blow to the collaboration between various teams and their broadcasting companies and may have many fiscal repercussions in the future.

The Prospect of Business

Sports, elite or professional, have become increasingly dependent on corporate sponsors. In the present times, though, a dearth of live sporting events means no profits for sponsors, which is the basis of most of their income. Multiple reports have suggested that pushing back the Tokyo Olympics by a year will rake up costs of around £2 billion, aside from affecting the schedules of the various sporting events to be held in 2021.

Keeping aside the broader issues at hand, various organizers, smaller sporting events that fall under the umbrella of hugely popular leagues, the support staff, and other businesses may not recover from these economic losses. Clubs in the English Premier League are estimated to lose as much as £750 million — a significant reason being incomplete broadcast contracts. Assuming a best-case scenario where sports activities do resume in the second half of the year, the whole line of activities from sponsorship to event management to strategic services would still stagger under the weight of substantial losses.

The Player’s Perspective

Players across countries are anxious about the current situation of sports in the world. The extension of lockdowns in various countries has provided the players with a much-needed respite from their hectic schedules. Many players who were injured before are now offered a spell to recover. The relaxation of their strenuous routines, however, may come at a hefty price—a loss in mental composure, which could scar many of them. Multiple medal-winning Olympic gymnast Simone Biles has stated that she does not doubt that her coaches and regular training will get her back to shape, but the psychological problems will be much harder to overcome. Players have voiced their longing to return to the pitch all over social media and are also continuing to train hard at home, fortifying their love for the game.

The problem gets more complicated at the grassroots level, where fresh, young talents are forged. Parents will become wary of sending children to sporting events and group activities. It could severely impact the unearthing of new talent in various sports.  Following the spread of the virus and the subsequent curbs on sports, India’s women’s cricket captain, Mithali Raj, opined that the present situation will make it harder for youngsters like Shefali Sharma-who was a revelation for India in the recently concluded T20 World Cup-to make a breakthrough into the international arena.

Safety First

Precautions are an utmost priority in every situation, and the field of sports is no exception. With the re-introduction of several sports, it is vital to ensure the protection of not just the players, but the staff and all the authorities concerned. As with safety measures found in day-to-day life, the players and staff should be checked for high temperatures or any symptoms of the disease before a game. The staff must also ensure to wash the benches thoroughly before and after the game, and the squad members should be seated one seat apart, following social distancing norms. Moreover, players must avoid pre-game handshakes in order to prevent unnecessary contact. Players should be encouraged to get their own bottles as opposed to sharing a water cooler, and are obligated to drive to the stadium instead of availing the facility of a team bus.

Supporters are slowly getting acquainted with watching games from home and not entering the confines of the stadium. The number of ball-boys, assistant referees, and coaches should be truncated as much as possible to reduce further risk. Bundesliga, a German football league, has shown successful implementation of these protocols to bring back the beautiful game, setting a huge precedent for other teams and leagues to follow. Various sports associations in countries like South Korea and New Zealand, where the government has been efficient in combating the virus, have restarted their seasons early amidst precautionary measures. Other sports tournaments will soon be able to complete their respective seasons, after being required to abandon them midway with all these measures being administered.

An Unexpected Surprise

While sports leagues around the world have been comparatively dull due to the lack of atmosphere created by fans, the excitement generated till now has been unusually palpable. Very close games, league finishes and last-minute heroics have been the highlight of various sports post-lockdown. In the world of football, the race for the top 4 in the Premier League was the closest it had been in years. The competition for the spots went till the final day, with Leicester, who were projected to get the spot at 92% before the suspension, narrowly missing it out to Manchester United and Chelsea. Elsewhere, in Spain, Real Madrid took advantage of the points dropped by Barcelona, who were favourites to win the league, to unexpectedly triumph over their long-time rivals. Even the relegation battles in various leagues around Europe, especially in England and Spain was exciting as well, with most teams just escaping league demotion by an inch of their hair.

Another sport that had people at the edge of their seat was Formula 1, with the comeback better than ever—with the first race of the new shortened season in Austria. On completion, the Austrian GP was being debated as one of the greatest F1 races of all time, and with a whopping 9/20 cars retiring, there was no lack of excitement. The race didn’t lack any drama either, as current world champion Lewis Hamilton was given a five-second time penalty for causing Red Bull’s Alexander Albon to spin. McLaren’s 20-year-old Lando Norris put in a stunning final lap of the race to ensure the first podium finish of his career. Since then, F1 has gone on to host one more Grand Prix in Austria and another in Hungary, which didn’t fail to enthral.

Even the West Indies tour of England didn’t disappoint, with the game going into Day 5, with both the teams fiercely battling it out. Eventually, West Indies couldn’t hold out on a draw on the last day of the Second Test, with England winning by 113 runs, in large part due to immense contributions from Stuart Broad and Ben Stokes.

The Prospect of Revival

Several sports associations pushed for a quick continuation to end the season before the tentative start of the new season, keeping in mind the revenues in broadcasting and other entities. Tennis fans around the world were disappointed, having witnessed the cancellation of their beloved grass-court championship at Wimbledon. A plethora of top-tier football leagues had advanced as far as training sessions pretty early and managed to bring their players to match-day fitness just in time.

The extremely intense competition in the NBA resumed on the 31st of July, with the Jazz triumphing over the NOLA Pelicans, and the Lakers winning over their local LA rivals on the first day, with the point differential in both being just two. Closer to home, with the pandemic situation in India still dire, the IPL is scheduled to be held in the UAE, with a start date of 19th September being announced. Amid a stressful lockdown, avid sports fans turn to highlight reels of nail-biting finishes as well as documentaries such as Netflix’s ‘The Last Dance’ to quench their thirst for sports.

In the very near foreseeable future, it is reasonable for fans to expect their favourite teams back in action, albeit the lack of a stadium environment. In these trying times, the unique ability of sports bringing people all over the world together is truly lamented more than ever. It is incredibly likely, however, that the sporting industry would re-emerge more robust and in favour than it already was before the lockdown. The respective federations, coaches, players and fans are working in conjunction the best they can in order to establish new protocols and guidelines to revive the sport one way or another. After a long hiatus, fans and players alike remain optimistic about their chances of experiencing the thrill and excitement of the sport that they love.

[Featured Image Credits: The Economist]

Sports from around the world have seen their fair share of financial scandals. Football is no exception and, has unfortunately seen itself associated with corruption multiple times, particularly with respect to the business aspect of it. With major financial frauds dating back to the 1940s with match fixings, the practice of committing the crime has continued to this day.

Keeping a Check on Overspending—FFP Regulations

Earlier this year, the world of football was left shocked following the news of Manchester City being handed a two-year ban from the Champions League for being in violation of Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules. FFP rules are a set of guidelines upheld by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) in order to discourage clubs from exploiting their financial superiority and gaining an unfair advantage. FFP rules state that what a club spends, must be balanced with what they earn. Its inherent design was to keep rich owners from spending their clubs into possible financial ruin, through overspending beyond their means on player wages and transfer fees. The other purpose of FFP was to prevent teams from doing what clubs like Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City were accused of doing—buying trophies through lucrative sponsorships that increased a club’s revenue, thereby increasing the amount which the clubs are allowed to spend. 

UEFA’s Club Financial Control Body (CFCB) found Manchester City guilty of deliberately inflating the financial value of a sponsorship deal–which would allow them to spend the extra money and thus, deceive UEFA. Leaked emails found that Manchester City owner, Sheikh Mansour injected €2.7bn into the club over the last 7 years through its various shareholders and over-valued certain sponsorship contracts. In addition to being banned from the UCL, the club was also fined 33 million dollars. French club Paris Saint-Germain was also accused of violating the FFP rules after UEFA opened an investigation regarding PSG’s 2017-18 finances—the season during which the club signed football stars, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe for world-record transfer fees. The investigation, however, was soon shut down after PSG filed an appeal claiming that UEFA took too long to review their own decision.

While the FFP attempts to regulate the financing of clubs, the incomes of players and the taxes they pay aren’t accounted for by any football association. Being amongst the highest-paid athletes in the world, incidents of tax evasion among high-profile footballers are a common occurrence. Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC), liable for tax collection within the United Kingdom, conducted an investigation into evasion by English football clubs, players, and agents. The attention on football came after the 2017 budget when all businesses were instructed to vary ‘image rights’ to employee payments. The financial motive for players to make their own Image Rights Company (IRC) is that it could save huge sums of money in tax. This led to clubs paying player’s IRC as a part of their wages guaranteeing a 19% corporation tax instead of 45% as an employee. Since 2017, the tax authorities have rightfully claimed back £330m in tax income from approximately 44 league clubs, 171 players, and 31 agents.

Football Stars—The Law Is Catching Up

Despite the taxation policies in the UK being relatively relaxed as compared to the 52% total effective tax in Spain for high profile footballers, the Mediterranean country has still managed to attract arguably the three brightest stars of world football–Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, and Neymar. Over the past few years, the three footballers have had to make frequent visits to the Spanish courts regarding trials over tax evasion. In 2016, Lionel Messi and father-manager Jorge were convicted of defrauding the Spanish state of 4.1 million euros in unpaid taxes on the striker’s image rights, controlled by offshore companies. The pair were both given 21-month jail terms during the trial which later was changed to a fine by the Spanish courts, with the Barcelona star paying 252,000 euros. In addition to the suspended jail terms, the Argentinian international was fined about 2 million euros, with his father paying an additional 1.5 million euros. 

In 2016, former Barcelona forward Neymar was found guilty of tax fraud by a Brazilian court and charged with a fine of 45.9 million euros due to the fact that he didn’t appropriately declare earnings from former club Santos and sportswear giant Nike. In a similar case, the Spanish Court found that there was enough evidence to go to trial over allegations tied to the Barcelona transfer. Both Neymar and Lionel Messi however, were spared prison due to Spain’s unwritten two-year sentence rule, which states that jail sentences of two years need not necessarily be served and can be replaced with a fine and probation. 

Meanwhile, Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo, registered as a non-resident taxpayer under the Beckham Law, was accused of evading tax of €14.7m between 2011 and 2014. He also incorrectly described his image rights as capital gains to benefit from a lower tax rate. In his case, three of his tax fraud accusations had a penalty of 2 years each because of which the two-year prison sentence rule wouldn’t be applicable. Fortunately for him, the football star walked out of the court hearing by paying a hefty fine and escaping prison time.

In addition to players, popular managers such as Jose Mourinho have also been accused of concealing €3.3 million in earnings in offshore accounts. However, just like another celebrity, and with assistance from the Spanish Judiciary, he managed to escape custodial sentence by paying a hefty fine and accepting probation, considering it was his first offence.

The Infamous FIFA Scandals

Amongst all the financial scandals in the history of football, the title of the most infamous one would probably go to the 2015 FIFA corruption case. It single-handedly brought down heavyweights in the upper echelons of the organization—the former president of FIFA, Sepp Blatter, and former UEFA president, Michel Platini. In May 2015, a number of officials were arrested, with 18 of them indicted on charges of bribery, fraud, and money laundering. Additionally, they were convicted of using bribes in an attempt to influence clothing sponsorship contracts, the selection process for the 2010 FIFA World Cup host as well as the 2011 FIFA presidential election. 

The bidding processes for the locations of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups were also investigated. Sepp Blatter, the long-term president, who was constantly accused of unethical financial dealings was charged with criminal mismanagement over a TV rights deal for the World Cup. He was also charged for a ‘disloyal payment’ to Michel Platini which occurred right before the FIFA Presidential election. Sepp, along with Michel Platini, who was suspended amidst the investigation at the time is currently facing a six-year ban from administering FIFA activities.

When not only the players but also the governing bodies practice such crimes, financial frauds like these would only make people question the integrity and credibility of the sport they love. While football has been on the wrong side of the news lately, more often than not, fans still religiously watch and support it in the comfort of their homes, or in the stands, vehemently chanting words of support for their home teams. If the sanctity of the game is to be preserved, organisations around the world must take drastic action to ensure personal greed does not overcome the underlying passion to be in service of the beautiful game.

Featured image credits: Philip Schmidli

On 4th and 5th October, the Sacramento Kings played the Indiana Pacers in Mumbai as a part of the NBA’s preseason, at the NSCI Dome in Worli. Basketball fans all over the country celebrated this landmark event since this was the first time an NBA game was held in India.   

A driving influence behind bringing the games to the country was Indian-American businessman Vivek Ranadive. Ranadive, a Mumbaikar who owns the Sacramento Kings, had been pushing for the league to play a match in India. Ranadive and the NBA Commissioner, Adam Silver, visited India in December 2014 to lay the foundation for the games. The first game on 4th October was open only to students of the Reliance Foundation but the second match on Saturday was open to the public. The audience didn’t disappoint, filling the entire stadium with jerseys of various colours and teams. Dunk squads and members of the rap group Gully Gang performed at the event to hype the audience before the upcoming spectacle. After the pre-game warm-ups and pleasantries, the national anthems of both countries USA and India were played. The Indian national anthem being played before the NBA game reinforced the surreality of the moment.

Following the conclusion of the pre-game ceremonies, the historic match finally began. DJ Warren started the proceedings with a two-pointer for the Pacers and then collected a lone point, but Marvin Bagley’s jump shots put the Kings slightly ahead as he grabbed back-to-back two-pointers. It was neck-to-neck then with Pacers ahead 15-14 with five minutes left in the opening quarter. A three-pointer by Marvin Bagley put the Kings 19-17 ahead, but the Pacers soon bridged the gap. Sacramento called a time-out and came back guns blazing, moving ahead with a score of 28-23. The Kings ended the first quarter with a slim lead of 30-25.

Cutting the defence, Domantas Sabonis highlighted the difference in the skills of NBA players, dunking the ball to finish the play. Back-to-back three-pointers by both teams brought the score to a tie of 33-33. The second quarter proved to be a comeback as the Pacers regrouped themselves and hit back hard. The Holiday brothers took the centre-stage as Aaron Holiday scored five points and Justin Holiday scored a three. Justin and Edmond Summer went on a roll as they brought the Pacers up 11 points bringing the score to 55-44, going into another timeout. Two consecutive three-pointers by Buddy Hield brought Sacramento back into the game, but the relentless Indiana offence continued racking up points as they ended the second quarter with a 71-59 lead.

The halftime continued with the in-arena entertainment, with a ‘t-shirt toss’, which has been a beloved part of the game-viewing experience for fans. The crowd was also featured on the massive screen as part of ‘Fashion Cam’ and ‘Emoji Cam’—a game where people had to enact the emoticon being shown on the screen as the camera panned to them.

The game was graced with the presence of celebrities and former NBA players alike. Stars such as Priyanka Chopra, Russell Peters, Bhuvan Bam and Rannvijay Singha filled the stadium. Kiren Rijiju, Minister of State Youth Affairs & Sports, also attended the event to show his support for the game. In between quarters, former Sacramento legends Jason Williams and Vlade Divac were introduced to cheers from the crowd. The NBA had also organised a meet-and-greet session with Williams, affectionately called ‘White Chocolate’ by fans and famous for his elbow pass, on 3rd October. The biggest applause, however, was reserved for Larry Bird, who is widely regarded as one of the best to ever play in the NBA. He was greeted with chants of “Larry, Larry” as he rose and waved to the fans in the arena.

The Kings started the third quarter aiming to get back into the game, but to no avail as the Pacers kept adding to the tally of points. They headed into the fourth quarter with a 17- point lead, which was no different as the Pacers continued to cruise past, while their opponents were left playing catch-up. With some brilliant basketball on display, Pacers came out on top 130-106 in the second pre-season game between the two sides.

The result, however, carried little meaning in the larger picture. It was the culmination of a near-decade-long effort, with the NBA finally arriving in India and putting on a show for the basketball enthusiasts in the country.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver marvelled at the enormous progress the NBA has made in India and spoke about the league’s future in the country. “We’ve seen enormous progress in India just in the last five years. One of the things we’ve been discussing recently―and I know this is something else my friend Vivek [Ranadive] is pushing me on―is the ability to launch a league here in India,” Silver told media at a press conference before the first game. In addition, the NBA has committed to growing basketball in India and encouraging the youth to play the game. It launched the NBA Academy India, an elite basketball training centre, in May 2017. The academy builds on its existing development initiatives in India, such as the Reliance Foundation Jr NBA program, which has reached more than 6 million children since its launch in 2013. An NBA Basketball school has also been set up in Mumbai, with plans to launch more in the future. “I think our two most immediate goals in India for the NBA are―one, to see the development of some top-tier talent coming out of India and making it to the NBA and WNBA, and two, serious consideration of the launch of a league.” Silver added.

As part of the Legacy Project, the NBA, along with Indiana and Sacramento, visited five under-resourced municipal schools in and around Mumbai and provided them with technology updates, new basketball courts and improved infrastructure. With the consistent growth of basketball and the development of grassroots efforts encouraging people to play the game, the league promises to have an exciting future in India.

Featured Image Credits: The National Basketball Association

The MIT Sports Club organised an inter-branch badminton tournament on 1st September in the MIT Recreation Centre. The Sports Club organisers and participants assembled at the centre, early morning, as the matches began at 6 AM. Since it was a one-day event, the finals were conducted that same evening.

There were a total of five categories—two men’s singles, one men’s doubles, one women’s singles, and one mixed doubles. After a selection round, the players were divided into eight teams based on their branches. While some teams had players from only one branch, other teams had branches clubbed together due to a lack of representation. It so happened that the mechanical team was left scrambling until the last minute to find a participant for their women’s team.

The eight teams were sorted into two pools, with each team competing against the other three teams of the same pool. The branch with the highest number of victories across all five categories proceeded to the next round, regardless of whether the players won or lost their respective matches.

The top four teams, two from each pool, that qualified for the semi-finals were—Aeronautical, ECE, Mechanical, and CSE. The finals took place between ECE and CSE. Both teams put up a fair fight in their final match, making it an enthralling game to watch. However, the calm demeanour and focused playing of the ECE team got them the first place. “I was the only fourth year on the team. The prospect of being the only fourth year in the finals kept me going. All in all, it was good, wholesome experience”, remarked Akshat Parwar, the captain of the CSE team.

Having conducted numerous matches with fair judgment, the Sports Committee delighted in the success of the event. All participants, irrespective of a win, took home an enjoyable experience of playing in the tournament.

Image Credits: The Photography Club, Manipal

All eyes were on England this summer as the World Cup came home to English soil after a gap of twenty years. Major cricketing nations from around the world were ready to battle it out for the title of World Champions at the Mecca of Cricket. This year, however, the International Cricket Council (ICC) have attracted criticism for their poor planning and execution of the World Cup. Michael Holding, the West Indian fast bowler who eventually became a commentator, recently joined the bandwagon as he blasted the ICC after being chastised for speaking out against umpiring mistakes while on air during a match. The move was the first of many querulous disagreements that everyone from senior players to officials have had with the ICC regarding several decisions they took concerning the Cricket World Cup which kicked off on 30th May in England.

A report by The Times of India stated that the ICC had asked Holding not to point out the errors made by the umpires presiding over the West Indies’ match against Australia. Holding scathingly called out a mistake that resulted in West Indies’ star batsman and the Universe Boss, Chris Gayle getting dismissed on what should have been a free-hit delivery. Holding then resorted to an email to express his displeasure and went on to further question the ICC’s standards by pointing out that had FIFA organised the event, such a mistake would have led to the umpire being sacked. However, later on, both Holding and the ICC made it clear to the newspaper that the matter had been resolved. It is interesting to note that this was one of the only issues that found a solution, among the countless problems that have plagued this edition of the World Cup since its commencement.

Umpiring errors have been a major cause of worry in this year’s World Cup with standards having taken a dip in several matches. The most notable example was the West Indies–Australia match which led to several cricketers calling out the errors and comparing the incident to similar lapses that took place during the recent Indian Premier League. At Trent Bridge, poor umpiring took the centre stage as four decisions were overturned through the use of DRS with the main talking point being Chris Gayle’s dismissal that occurred on a no-ball which escaped the notice of the umpires. West Indian Carlos Brathwaite also remarked after the match that several balls which were close to head height were called wides. Following West Indies’ narrow defeat by a margin of just 15 runs, several fans took to social media to express their displeasure, with most of them attributing Australia’s victory to the mistakes by the officials.

In the first World Cup taking place in the UK since 1999, rain and bad weather have held the centre stage with four matches getting drowned out. The India vs New Zealand match which was termed as a ‘Match between Titans’ recently became the fourth encounter to be thoroughly washed out, and fans were understandably enraged. Twitter and Reddit have been set ablaze by innumerable trolls and memes that showcase the fans’ displeasure at the way things have fared in England and Wales. While both teams retained their unbeaten record as they shared a point each, fans were left unhappy with the ICC’s decision to host the World Cup in England despite knowing of the unpredictable British weather.

Sri Lanka suffered the most because of the so-called British summer, losing two complete games to the bad weather. While it remains to be seen whether that will make a difference in their eventual progress, given their recent form, it is safe to say that it is quite unfair to the team. While the pinnacle India vs Pakistan match had 40% chance of rain, the Indian team got away luckily and were able to play the full course of the game, despite losing a little time due to a rain delay. Nonetheless, imagine the furore that would have occurred if such an important match had to be abandoned due to bad weather. Bristol has been the worst hit stadium with Gloucestershire following close behind. The ICC has promised ticket refunds, and this could cost them anywhere between ten to twenty thousand pounds.

Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, West Indies, South Africa, Pakistan, India, and New Zealand have all lost out on those two vital points due to a rain delay. This World Cup, which is still in its preliminary stages, has had more washed out matches than any that has preceded it. While Britain might seem like a good option due to the diverse population it houses, the ICC should have been more wary about its most prominent disadvantage—the weather, which is unruly and unpredictable. While the weather is cricket’s most significant uncontrollable factor, knowing fully well about the British summer, shifting the tournament to UAE or Dubai should have been an option worth considering for the ICC.

Several cricket pundits had called for the World Cup to be hosted by a new member this time around to circumnavigate the British Summer issue. But looking at how difficult it has been to get the World Cup to the Asian subcontinent, this seems like something that will not be happening in the near future. The 1987 World Cup restructured how the world viewed cricket and also changed how countries wielded power within the ICC. The 1987 World Cup was moved out of England allowing other members of the ICC to quote tenders for hosting the prestigious tournament on their home soil. The plans to move it out were set in motion shortly after India won the 1983 World Cup, with Indian politician and cricket administrator NKP Salve and Jagmohan Dalmiya fighting to bring the WC to the Asian subcontinent. This resulted in a coalition involving India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. Encouraged by these shifts in dynamics, the Asian teams offered the 21 voting Associates £20,000 each as the World Cup share if they supported them as opposed to the usual £3000-4000. This move went on to forever change how the game within the game was played, and finally, the World Cup came to Asia.

This was not the only controversy that riled the Council, with several countries showing their displeasure with the ICC’s lack of efforts to resolve the bail controversy that is threatening to ruin the tournament. Both Virat Kohli and Aaron Finch condemned the “unfair” problem that resulted in the bails not dislodging at the right moment leading to not-outs. David Warner was one of the fortunate few who stayed on the crease because Jasprit Bumrah’s delivery failed to remove the bails despite it hitting the stumps. This is not the first time the Zing bails have caused trouble with several complaints having been raised during this year’s IPL due to the same issue. Even the pacy Jofra Archer couldn’t remove the bails cleanly while bowling to Prithvi Shaw who hence made a lucky escape. Prithvi Shaw, Chris Lynn, and KL Rahul were all given second chances due to these slightly heavier bails during the IPL-2019. This World Cup has already witnessed several occasions where these bails failed to come off, making it a relevant issue.

While the likes of Kohli, Finch, Michael Vaughan, and Nasser Hussain have asked the ICC to look into the matter and switch back to the traditional wooden bails, the ICC has backed its decision to use these bails. “We wouldn’t change anything mid-event as it would compromise the integrity of the event—the equipment is the same for all ten teams across all 48 games. The stumps have not changed in the last four years. They have been used in all ICC events since the 2015 Men’s Cricket World Cup. This means they’ve been used in more than 1000 games—this is a statistical anomaly. This issue has always been part of the game.” the ICC told Sky Sports. Though it does not make sense to change equipment mid-World Cup, it is to be noted that this issue was brought up several times in the past, and the ICC should have looked into the matter before deciding to go ahead with these bails.

The ICC was also blamed for not providing the right facilities to players, with the Indian players complaining that they were asked to go to private gyms for their workouts as the ones in the hotels were not good enough. Considering the massive popularity that Indian players command, security has been a significant concern for the team management, with the ICC asking security personnel to be invisible. This is a difficult thing to accomplish when one considers the large numbers of people that flock to these hotels for a chance to interact with their idols. Additionally, travelling has grown to become a significant cause of concern because cricketers are being asked to take buses rather than trains, which seems like a better option as they help to save time. “The ICC seems intent on making it a World Cup to remember and not only for the rain but also for its logistical planning, and facilities. They have been unable to provide telecast of games and even access to an equipped gym in the team hotels. This is when the ICC budget for the tournament in England is much greater than its budget for a tournament in India,” said a senior BCCI official while talking to Cricketfanatic.

Fans have also been suffering due to these bad logistical decisions as many of them faced difficulty getting to Trent Bridge on time for several matches. Due to long queues outside the venue, several fans had to wait for hours to collect their tickets as ticket scanners at the gates could not read bar codes. The Oval also faced a similar issue, and this led to the ICC releasing a statement wherein they offered a full refund to ‘anyone who was impacted by the delays because of the high volume of ticket collections.’

The 2019 Cricket World Cup was supposed to breathe fresh air into the sport in the UK as it was returning to England and Wales after a long twenty-year gap. But this is difficult to do when the weather decides the pace of the narrative. Hopefully, the ICC’s decision to have a round robin format will help minimise the damage done by the rain to the chances of various teams. As the tournament stretches out to a long six weeks, cricket fans all around the world are hoping that the skies stay clear and that in the end, the World Cup will conclude with the weather being just a minor footnote of no important deterring consequence.

Featured Image credits: Daily Maverick