Cricket lovely cricket

As always in India, the pressure to succeed doesn’t stem from ‘play up and play the game’, but from a hard edge, sharpened further by economic necessity.

The great Trinidadian writer CLR James said, ‘what do they know of cricket who only cricket know?’. In India, and most of South Asia, to understand the impact of the game at every level of society is to begin to understand the psyche of the country. Cricket contextualises life and that life has many expressions, whether one is privileged or impoverished.

It is more than just a game for many millions. Cricket’s a form of escapism from the drudgery of life for many poor people and, for a lucky few among them, a route out of poverty. For others, it’s an expensive luxury that can be discarded or picked up as easily as one picks up a bat and ball.

for Rohit, cricket is possibly the only way out of poverty

These tensions are beautifully illustrated in 'Howzat!' and you can see the attitude towards the game in the boys’ different approaches. For Rohit, cricket is possibly the only way out of poverty. For Ishwar, it’s part of his life but not the overriding driver, as there’s an education to consider.

Alefiya is probably representative of many girls throughout the world who want to play, but can't or won't due to peer pressures or availability of opportunity. She’s fortunate that her parents are (at the moment) supportive. It’s an excellent opportunity for her to express herself through sport, but also to realise what it takes to be a cricketer in reality rather than the romance of the idea.

No such luxury for Rohit, who has to discard romantic notions of the game and approach it as a route to a better life. Technically the boy is gifted and elegant as a player, and he handles the pressure with grace and humility. What will become of him?