Star value - the quality present in cricket that other Indian sports sorely lack

The raucous reception given to India’s cricketing heroes after their triumph at the 2007 World T20

When Sachin Tendulkar strides out and casts his imposing shadow on the field, nearly half of the Indian population is put under a magic spell. MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli mesmerise the Indian youth, starring in advertisements by the dozen. Nowadays, the pillars of Indian cricket are donning the headlines as much for their activities off the field as on it. If the cricketing statistics of a young talented player increase linearly, his graph in the endorsement market witnesses an exponential rise.

The problem with we Indians is that we do not just enjoy and love our cricketers, we idolise and worship them. Every single antic of these superstars is followed by the cricket fanatics in the country with a lot of curiosity and interest. Tweets on Twitter, posts on Facebook pages, etc. by cricketing icons sell like hot pancakes. The media is performing its role to perfection by driving everything to the extreme limit.

Not remaining blindfolded to the reality, a universal star can take the game to great heights in the country. A sport star like Dhoni or Sachin or Sehwag, who are real crowd pullers and entertainers, can capture millions of young hearts through their masterful exhibitions. Even a single person of this quality can dramatically change the entire facet of the game, so obviously a truckload of superstars can bring about a revolution.

A cricketing revolution which was triggered by yesteryear stars like Sunil Gavaskar and Kapil Dev was taken to unimaginable heights by the one and only Sachin Tendulkar. But that’s not to forget that a lot of other champions too had graced the game with their presence – and now, the mantle has been successfully passed on to Dhoni and Co. Be it the visual media or the print, a cricketer’s smiling face has become a necessity, not an option. It is driving the youth into a frenzy.

Mere talent won’t do the trick. You need talent, exposure and the apt leverage to lock horns with the best in the business around the globe.

But this is not the scenario as far as other sports in India are concerned. Cricket and cricketing superstars are taking the centre stage while the others are happy to float in the background. And what’s more, in all the other sporting arenas, we don’t have a star who is a global conqueror barring one or two athletes. So automatically, national attention and interest dies out.

The Olympic Games in Beijing or even Athens tell a sad story, where India was nowhere near global standards in most of the events. The once mighty Indian hockey team which had an Olympic crown a quarter of a century ago was left twiddling their thumbs when the team failed to make the qualifying cut in Beijing. Indian hockey hasn’t witnessed a real star after Major Dhyan Chand left the arena.

Viswanathan Anand is another interesting case. The numerous battles he has won in the game would have made even a soldier proud. But for a man of his calibre, for whom the chessboard was a battlefield, for whom the pieces were blood-stained kinsmen, his achievements have neither attracted many eyeballs, nor have been given due credit. The people who welcomed him at the Chennai airport on his arrival after winning the World Chess Championship a couple of years ago were a few officials from the chess federation, and a few family members. The security officials could well have carried on with their afternoon nap.

This was a rather tame arrival of a world conqueror if you compare it with the swashbuckling fiesta the Indian cricket team received after winning the World T20 title in South Africa. The whole of Mumbai had come to a standstill. Open roof car rides through the city reminded us of crowned princes visiting their subjects during the days of monarchy. The security guards at the airport had the time of their life containing the hordes of fans who had descended to get a glimpse of their idols. Heroes were born overnight and fortunes were made.

The absence of a global icon makes it difficult for the common man to really delve himself into the heart of the sport. A Rafael Nadal or a Roger Federer inspires inspires careers and changes the mindset of the people. But Indian tennis lacks such imposing names.

Saina Nehwal’s rise in badminton offers a ray of hope. An emerging talent is on the way to becoming an international star. Consistency matters a lot at the international level. Bring consistency, and you will make full use of the talent. Both are mutually dependant.

Indian boxing is taking a turn for the better with men like Sushil Kumar donning the role of the protagonist.

While transforming cricketers into demi-gods may have its own side effects, a global star is just the tonic that other sports in the country need at this situation. It’s the right medicine which can ignite young minds and instil a stern and strong will power, which can convert a good player into a great one, a game into a profession.