In the Name of Cricket

Duke-Carolina.

Yankees-Red Sox.

Harvard-Yale.

In America, these pairs represent the epitome of the term “rivalry.” But, the “rivalry” that these programs endure is cute compared to the rivalry between India and Pakistan in the sport of cricket. The religious hostilities between these two contentious nations are often manifested in the riots that occur while a match is in progress. And even though a match may be deemed a “friendly,” neither side has any plans to make companionship.

Cricket itself is a religion. Crowds of hundreds of thousands gather in stadium chanting their national hymns, hoping for a glorious victory. Men and women from the modern city of Bangalore to the impoverished villages in South India stay up all night in prayer, or wake up before dawn to kneel before the television set. Every miracle is treasured while every failure is accompanied with more prayer for future success. Legends and heroes are born in the wake of a victory, and priests begin to compare them to mythical creatures who overcame all odds to slain a beast. Devout individuals find themselves devoting much of their time reciting large parts of the Bhagavad Gita or the Qu’ran in front of the television screen.

In nations like Pakistan and India, where income is very unevenly distributed, a sport like cricket can cause nations to become united. People who normally depend on their faith in their savior to guide them through their every day lives place their faith in the hands of the “sports gods.” As an Indian suburbanite recently stated in a news article, “Hell, I personally find it easier to contribute $500 to Dish Network in the name of cricket than giving the same amount to the local Islamic Center --- all so that when the call for prayer (aka the toss) occurs, I am there, with hope in my heart and 'chai' in my hand, ready to adore the apparitions on the sacred television monitor.”

Three years ago, I was in my home country to witness the biggest sporting event for Indians in recent times. It was the cricket World Cup, and Pakistan was playing India in the world semifinal. And as expected, the day began with some prayers with the rest of my family. The highs and lows were present, but at the end my nation was triumphant. I found myself jumping in glee with over a billion others around me.

As a sports enthusiast, I love watching Duke match up with North Carolina, or the Red Sox trounce the Yankees in a championship series. And certainly, these games are rivalries to a certain degree. But whenever I turn on ESPN and I hear, “the 122^nd Anniversary of the greatest rivalry in sports is being renewed in Cambridge, Massachusetts between Harvard and Yale,” I laugh.

And I’m sure the rest of the world does as well.