More Than Just Cricket

From his (literal) Straight Drive of his cricketing days, Sunil Gavaskar has moved to the metaphorical drive in his rendering or performing of his more complex strokes as he responds to the sports issues he feels are significant in his country and society at large. This deceptive title, Straight Drive, as presented on the cover, confirms the old adage: Don’t judge a book by its cover. At first glance or cursory view, the reader will be of the firm opinion that he’s about to be fed with a recall of a range of dramatic and exciting moments in cricket history, but instead, we are sensitised to sports beyond cricket, coupled with significant societal matters. And if the reader is aware of Sunil’s trademark in his writings, he will know that coverage here will not be through rose-coloured spectacles.

Any social commentator, critic, journalist, or those who interact with the reader have a social responsibility in their engagement. Here are pieces that are fashioned out of personal engagement with his subjects, one who has identified with the substance of his work, particularly in his rendering of undistorted realities, far removed from works which, by their nature, are political in intent. He hopes that the work will make a meaningful transaction with the reader. ‘How does he commit in his columns to rational analysis without prejudice?’ is what the reader will ask.

What strikes us about these columns is their conversational quality. It is as though Sunil is speaking to us on a series of issues which catch our attention with their immediacy. What emerges are positives about achievements, talents, and skills which he has encountered in his sporting years among sportsmen. His admiration of the games, with their impact and relevance in society, is well recorded.

The first column, 30/3/88, starts off with engaging pieces which are a fitting prelude to those which follow. Here is a recall of three separate events which are related with great clarity. The piece on Vijay Amritraj is followed by his celebration of Mohinder Amarnath’s achievements, and his tribute to Tata’s Company contribution to India’s sports are positives worthy of note. It’s an interesting blend of topics that sets the tone for later pieces. This 100th column (17/8/89) reveals Sunil’s prodigious writings over the years. He writes of a multitude of events in the sporting world – some exciting and some controversial. It is also noteworthy that Sunil dwells on the responsibility of writers being true to their craft, the challenges of presenting with objectivity to create a well-balanced piece.

The columns are replete with positive adulations towards his subjects. One instance is his analysis of the Vijay Amritraj issue, in which he surveys it with clarity and objectivity in defence of Vijay and offers a practical solution. So also is his recall of past and present players who deserve recognition and appreciation for their roles and contributions to the sport, particularly in India. His call is a clarion one for greater recognition and tributes to those who have served and distinguished themselves through their creative and innovative styles – those who have illumined and enlivened the sporting arena.

Appreciation for the cricket Board’s role in promoting the game is clearly expressed, but he shows an aversion to instances where there have been administrative blemishes through the self-interest of officials. What is commendable about these writings is a vision that spreads across the global frontier, touching the range of sports beyond cricket – golf, hockey, badminton, and football, with incisive and illuminating coverage.

Apart from the diverse selection of sporting events presented, what surfaces as a major concern is Sunil’s deep-seated desire to transform India’s image in sports into a “world-class phenomenon.” Towards this thrust, he proposes the formulation of a “sports policy” that brings all the great actors together – the past and present players, the administrators, and also media personnel as stalwarts who will direct the future course of Indian sports. This, to him, is a positive thrust if India’s sports are to flourish. To accomplish this, there needs to be the will and commitment, and Sunil knows this.

This work is universal in appeal. It is a work that certainly makes connections and encourages meaningful transactions with the reader. It invites the attention of multiple audiences – the historian, the sociologist, the sportsman, and the common reader. The wider audience is free to view Straight Drive openly and critically in an objective analysis of the work.