This is of course a rare cricketers, but perhaps not such a rare individual. He could well be pointing out the direction in which cricket (read: international cricket) must take in India.
Sachin Tendulkar has expressed shock and anguish of watching his city in flames after they wrapped up their fifth one day international against England in Cuttack. To worry about one’s own safety or that of one’s family at times like these are only natural. But most residents of Mumbai are experiencing a greater pain than the fear of loss of one’s family. They are feeling the turmoil of watching their city being held to ransom and one that took them not only by surprise but also, shocked them of the level of military force required to push back the divisive elements.
Tendulkar is no doubt one of them who felt similar feelings of being unable to sleep through the nights thereafter until knowing that the city had been brought under a saner control. But the images one saw of a smiling Tendulkar, nonchalantly sharing a joke with his colleagues, is also showing the attempt to carry on, to not drop bag and baggage in the face of the aftermath and like most Mumbaikars (or Bombayites), picking up their share of the load and burden of seeking their livelihood are moving on, this time knowing that a lot more is required. Some many argue that Tendulkar need not appear in a domestic tie and that facing Hyderabad, his services may not be imperative but perhaps even Tendulkar would refute that. More likely, it is his way of saying, I’m preparing for the next task on the agenda, undeterred by the events of last week and perhaps in that lies a cue to England and the rest of the world that sitting on one’s backside is not achieving anything, not even earning one’s bread, no matter how critical and valid the reasons for doing so.
