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[fineleg]

http://sightscreen.rediffiland.com/scripts/xanadu_diary_view.php?postId=1166681683
Prem Panicker

The only thing that matters

'Even God does not presume to judge a man until he is dead, so why should you?'

This line, that I read many years ago, has stayed in the mind -- and popped up to the forefront every time I found myself tempted to sit in judgment on this player or that.

The quote came again to mind while browsing through the mountain of stories in the wake of Shane Warne's retirement, when I stumbled on this one.

Think about it -- a day ago, a week ago, if you were asked to sum up Warne in one-word sound bytes, what words would you have picked? And today, what words would you pick?

Now try playing the same game with the members of the Indian cricket team -- assume that before the day is out, your favorite hate object announces his retirement; what words would you use then?

I suspect an exercise of that kind just might soften our attitudes towards players we blithely condemn today.

[colonel]

Isn't the act of judgement an integral part of appreciation? Don't we appreciate a cricketer, a song, a book because we "judge" it worthy?

Panicker's post reminds me of a funny story from that high priest of cricket raconteurs, Ramachandra Guha: Vinoo Mankad and Pankaj Roy was asked by the captain Vijay Merchant to take a few risks and bat aggresively for the last hour or so of a day. When they were walking on to the field, Merchant shouted after them "but don't get out!" To this, Vinoo turned to Roy and said 'that's like asking a man to sleep with his wife without getting her pregnant'.

[RicePlateReddy]

Isn't the act of judgement an integral part of appreciation? Don't we appreciate a cricketer, a song, a book because we "judge" it worthy?

Panicker's post reminds me of a funny story from that high priest of cricket raconteurs, Ramachandra Guha: Vinoo Mankad and Pankaj Roy was asked by the captain Vijay Merchant to take a few risks and bat aggresively for the last hour or so of a day. When they were walking on to the field, Merchant shouted after them "but don't get out!" To this, Vinoo turned to Roy and said 'that's like asking a man to sleep with his wife without getting her pregnant'.

Vinoo's response assumes the average Indian cricketer has balls. Merchant on the other hand could see far into the future.

[RicePlateReddy]

Think about it -- a day ago, a week ago, if you were asked to sum up Warne in one-word sound bytes, what words would you have picked? And today, what words would you pick?

Why stop at players? Let us do the same exercise for:

1. Javagal Srinath, Commentator
2. Steve Bucknor, Umpire
3. Prem Panicker, Reporter

A day ago, a week ago, it would be an unrealistic wish. Heck, if reality struck and they exited the scene a la Warne, I'd be quite confused which deva to offer a cocount to.

[fineleg]

lol @kop.