The Spirit of the Game in America

Bat, Ball, Beer and Banter

An excerpt from the July 1859 edition of the New York Clipper quoting a player from Philadelphia describes cricket in the best manner.

The essence of Cricket transcends the emphasis other sports put on rules and competition. Yes, there is a will to outperform the opposition while adhering to the rules of the game, but what matters more is the good-humored spirit of the players, and the gentlemanly approach to the game.

A cricket match is more than just a fierce contest between gigantic, brawny athletes trying to crush their opponents or showcase their physical prowess.  A cricket match, more than anything, is a fair-minded, sweet-tempered contest between skillful, active, earnest, wide-awake, and quiet gentlemen on a velvety turf of a picturesque ground.

Lords 1837 Jubilee Match Painting

As hysterical as the sight of quiet and earnest men taking on a quaint field might seem, their intensity is not be underestimated by any means. Underneath the layer of tranquility lies dormant their vigor, which explodes in the exciting stages of the game. It is these intense stages that reveal the true character of a player as they are obligated to control their nerves in pressure situations with a calm head under the crushing weight of the utter silence that surrounds them. A player must never loose his temper or be disrespectful towards others in any circumstances.

The players and the team must remain calculative about using the right strategies at different stages of the game and must remain methodical in their approach as both teams try to device a winning formula. There is no such thing as a fixed winning formula that can be used but rather teams must improvise and adapt to the demands of the situation they find themselves in. Cricket being as nuanced as it is means that no two matches can ever be identical so the idea of having prescribed formulas is just not reasonable.

It would be wrong to characterize cricket as a dull sport, rather the excitement ebbs and flows throughout the game. Being good at cricket is all about being patient and knowing when to strike, and playing out the moments of intense pressure with poise. Just like in life where a person must remain patient in bad times and must approach the situation wisely.

Cricket plays a crucial role in the character development of the players and the attitude they acquire as players. It teaches them perseverance, humility, honesty, discipline, respect, selflessness, temperance, commitment, compassion, humor and the list goes on. A cricketers approach to the game is a reflection of their approach to life. That is why people say that if you are good at cricket then you’re good at life.

Cricket is great leveler when it comes to reveling in success or coping up with failure. Cricket teaches a player humility as success is not guaranteed even when a player is in the best of forms. A batter that scored a century in the previous game can easily get out on a duck in the next game, or likewise, a bowler, who took plenty of wickets in one game can easily be taken for runs in the next game. Just like in life, success is not given but it is something to be earned and strive for, in cricket players must strive to achieve to be the best. Similarly, the game teaches you that bad times do not last forever, one must have a strong character and the right attitude to face challenging times, and the rest will take care of itself.

Cricket is played best when it is not taken too seriously. The idea is to take the field to enjoy oneself in the company of others. It is to give your best as player and to be competitive right till the end. Winning matters but not more than the manner in which it is done. Teams and players must approach the game with utmost respect and fairness towards the opposition because that is what makes the game beautiful. That does not mean that there is no sense of competition. A game of cricket is incomplete without a fierce contest between the two teams and the showcase of their skills and talents. But the fierceness and the animosity between the teams is quickly forgotten once the game is over. Once off the field, both teams get together amicably and discourse over anything from cricket, to politics, to current affairs or about just life in general. And the best of discussions happen over a pint of beer.