Bored of Majumdar

Is it really very difficult to choose a side and stick to it? Are people becoming increasing sensitive to the people who are sensitive to just about everything? Is this why anything that comes for public consumption tries to appease everyone dead or otherwise?

Boria Majumdar is one such person who is every toasted slice of breads worst nightmare. The guy happens to be a ‘cricket historian’ (whatever the hell that means) at least that’s what the by-line or the super on his face or voice whenever he graces the idiot box informs me.

Boria Majumdar is passionate. Perhaps a little too consumed by passion for my liking but then I yam who I yam remember. I find faults with everyone and more so when I look at the man in the mirror but then you’ve been tortured for too long now. You have learnt to accept me in whatever form I come in but why is that I don’t seem find it in me to extend the same courtesy to people like Mr. Majumdar. For starters this guy is like Karina Kapoor or Isha Kippokar when it comes to choosing a name. Majumdar has a few set lines like anyone who follows cricket- Sachin is the greatest butIndia has never seen anyone like Rahul Dravid for Ganguly is the real hero. What gets my goat about people like Boria Majumdar and others who respond to the same roll call is that these people choose their stands depending on what channel they are on. Just going through his article on IPL’s second edition in two publications makes one think no wonder toasts hate Majumdar for he butters every corner of both sides.

Keeping in mind the profile of Tehlka and its People’s Magazine image, Majumdar finds it surprisingly easy to crib about the functioning of IPL. He has a problem with the seriousness of the gentleman’s game being diluted with tactical breaks. He goes on to say that the IPL, eventually, is a cricket tournament and all the fan-fare and entertainment are mere sidekicks. Unless the cricket is of the highest quality and unless its sanctity is maintained, the tournament runs the risk of turning into a one-year wonder.  Didn’t you notice this the last time around with the cheer leaders!? Or Citi Moment of success? Even people like Harsha Bhogle can’t decide who are they when they say certain things. Some years ago when an entertainment channel got the rights to telecast cricket over a dedicated sports channel, Mr. B. came went on to say if cricket ain't a joke then why are jokers torturing us? But when Lalit Modi came up with IPL and the dancing gals then the sameBhogle went over the top with 22,000 words a minute expressing how wonderful this boost has been for cricket!!

Back to Boria. A few days later the gentleman gets an opportunity to write for Times of India’s center page and he does a 360 degree turn and stops at 180 degrees. For TOI he says that no matter who wins the second edition, cricket will be the winner. He hoes and hums about Lalit Modisaving the world from total annihilation largely because he took the IPL to South Africa; how organizing IPL in less than three weeks will help boost South Africa’s image as a global sports destination. He then lambasts the Aussie Davis Cup team for not coming to India due to security concerns but forgets that IPL was shifted because the government told Ms. Modi and Company-He-Keeps that they won’t give extra security cover due to the elections. He also forgets to write thatSouth Africa went to polls during the darned IPL. 

Boria Majumdar if you think that with T20 already having carved out its own niche among the youth, cricket, thanks to the IPL, is the biggest gainer, then this has happened due to the dancing girls, tactical breaks and Lalit Modi’s stupid statements like FIFA should learn how to set up an international event in less than three weeks.

By the way maybe Majumdar makes sense. His views might be his but a 'Dr.' before his name and him being a fellow of La Trobe University, Melbourne, kind of adds some zing to it. Don't you think so?

But seriously man, choose a side and for a change stick to it.

Image Courtesy: www.latrobe.edu.au