The Maidan. This is the open arena where the Sachin Ramesh Tendulkars of India hone their skills and to make a bigger name for themselves. The sprawling Maidans across India draw aspiring cricketers in droves. Clubs that dot our cities and towns face off on these grounds. Thus, they throw up a bunch of battle-ready cricketers who graduate to playing representative cricket for their schools, colleges and states. At any given time on the weekends, one finds multiple contests taking place on Mumbai's Shivaji Maidan, Delhi's India Gate grounds or Kolkata's Maidan, so much so that a batsman who plays a delicate leg-glance might find his stroke blocked by the makeshift stumps being used for another match on an adjoining pitch. Or sometimes, a ferocious square cut might not go the distance it is intended to simply because the Maidan wall is too close to the batting strip.
These maidans capture the spirit of India in many crucial ways. Unlike parks, which have lush green lawns, these maidans have matted, scraggy grass that struggle to stay alive under a million feet and all the dust and tumult that they raise. Enthusiastic boys, sometimes as young as 10 or 11, run
around with such gusto that you might be led to believe that their lives depended on how fast they moved. The rough and ready methods employed in the course of these cricket matches give these boys a certain edge, which in due couse is translated into basic cricketing skills of a reasonable high order. Not everybody from this crowd of cricketers goes on to become a Tendulkar, but without the Maidan and gully cricket, the sport would not have quite attained the status that it enjoys in India. Cricket is a religion in this part of the world because young boys, who might not have access to regular playing facilities, can go over to their open Maidans to put their abilities to the test. This helps as when they graduate to the next level - more organised age-group cricket sponsored by the official establishment - they don't really feel like fish out of water
For Complete IIPM Article, Click on IIPM Article
Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009
These maidans capture the spirit of India in many crucial ways. Unlike parks, which have lush green lawns, these maidans have matted, scraggy grass that struggle to stay alive under a million feet and all the dust and tumult that they raise. Enthusiastic boys, sometimes as young as 10 or 11, run
around with such gusto that you might be led to believe that their lives depended on how fast they moved. The rough and ready methods employed in the course of these cricket matches give these boys a certain edge, which in due couse is translated into basic cricketing skills of a reasonable high order. Not everybody from this crowd of cricketers goes on to become a Tendulkar, but without the Maidan and gully cricket, the sport would not have quite attained the status that it enjoys in India. Cricket is a religion in this part of the world because young boys, who might not have access to regular playing facilities, can go over to their open Maidans to put their abilities to the test. This helps as when they graduate to the next level - more organised age-group cricket sponsored by the official establishment - they don't really feel like fish out of waterFor Complete IIPM Article, Click on IIPM Article
Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009
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