In the light of recent Indian victory in the 2011 world cup, what were the other things besides cricket that took the center stage...
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Brand endorsements, official sponsors, exclusive broadcast rights, special advert campaigns and what not.. these were just some of the things that distracted me from cricket. So if the cricketers make more money through endorsing brands than actually playing cricket, why then run like a cheetah to escape the run out!?!
pause.... I could take a break from watching the men in blue for some time...
Cricket Diplomacy
In this dynamic space of public diplomacy, there is yet another philosophy that was developed or at least came to the limelight was how the Governments of India and Pak made all possible attempts to make conversations...so other than the fact that both the PMs got to watch the cricket live in a bullet proof suit... what were the other achievements of this effort of public diplomacy?
Security threat and the menace of managing it..
While the cities that hosted important matches were on high alert and highest level of security checks were a must, it also inconvenienced the public at large. For example, my attempt to get to Worli, which is miles away from Wankhede failed as the cops stopped traffic at worli naka... The route also leads to some of the best hospitals of the city, could have been a disaster for someone trying to rush a loved one into a hospital. Worst, there was no indication or announcement by the Mumbai Police about the planned road blocks so that public could plan their movements across the city.
Betting
Better less said about it since the deal is now done. Hours after the Ind-Pak match, there were email forwards of how this match was actually fixed.... and how the Ambani's booked the entire suit for its guests in anticipation of India playing the finals in Mumbai...
World War III (actually a Ind-Pak cricket match )
The envy.... the rigour.... the energy.... men in blue were truly the angry young men, who gave up everything to win this match. The longing for a win was evident in each delivery, on every strike and every dive made to save runs....
The roads were empty as never seen before. Full screens set up in every nook and corner for public to have free access to the most important match of the decade...
Drink and watch
What also came out time and again is the relatively new trend of people enjoying their match in pubs through the city. It was cash time for clubs as they charged anywhere from INR 1500-3000 just for entry....
Cricket... truly the opium of the masses!!!
Advertisement
Brand endorsements, official sponsors, exclusive broadcast rights, special advert campaigns and what not.. these were just some of the things that distracted me from cricket. So if the cricketers make more money through endorsing brands than actually playing cricket, why then run like a cheetah to escape the run out!?!
pause.... I could take a break from watching the men in blue for some time...
Cricket Diplomacy
In this dynamic space of public diplomacy, there is yet another philosophy that was developed or at least came to the limelight was how the Governments of India and Pak made all possible attempts to make conversations...so other than the fact that both the PMs got to watch the cricket live in a bullet proof suit... what were the other achievements of this effort of public diplomacy?
Security threat and the menace of managing it..
While the cities that hosted important matches were on high alert and highest level of security checks were a must, it also inconvenienced the public at large. For example, my attempt to get to Worli, which is miles away from Wankhede failed as the cops stopped traffic at worli naka... The route also leads to some of the best hospitals of the city, could have been a disaster for someone trying to rush a loved one into a hospital. Worst, there was no indication or announcement by the Mumbai Police about the planned road blocks so that public could plan their movements across the city.
Betting
Better less said about it since the deal is now done. Hours after the Ind-Pak match, there were email forwards of how this match was actually fixed.... and how the Ambani's booked the entire suit for its guests in anticipation of India playing the finals in Mumbai...
World War III (actually a Ind-Pak cricket match )
The envy.... the rigour.... the energy.... men in blue were truly the angry young men, who gave up everything to win this match. The longing for a win was evident in each delivery, on every strike and every dive made to save runs....
The roads were empty as never seen before. Full screens set up in every nook and corner for public to have free access to the most important match of the decade...
Drink and watch
What also came out time and again is the relatively new trend of people enjoying their match in pubs through the city. It was cash time for clubs as they charged anywhere from INR 1500-3000 just for entry....
Cricket... truly the opium of the masses!!!
