At almost every match in the World Cup, at least a small group of Indian fans manage to turn up clad in the Indian blues, with flags and banners in hand.
Their team might be out and the ruckus at home since the team’s return has been unbelievable but without Indian fans sitting in the stands and cheering, the World Cup doesn’t quite seem the celebration it is supposed to be. Yet, at almost every match in the World Cup, at least a small group of Indian fans manage to turn up clad in the Indian blues, with flags and banners in hand.
There were a few present at the match between the New Zealand and Sri Lanka. It was a small group of five spectators, all of whom got their tickets changed from Barbados, where India was supposed to play its matches to Grenada, where all the top teams are clashing.
“Well, the Indian team crashed out most unexpectedly but since we already had tickets, we wanted to have some fun anyways,” said Ritesh, who had hopped over from Miami.
“Still can’t believe the Indians are out. The World Cup died when India crashed out and with the West Indies also out now, I wonder who will want to watch the matches.” Aussie fans especially the young ones are brash and arrogant, almost reflecting their teams status in world cricket.
Met one at the guest house, the other day, who had just watched the England versus Australia match in Antigua and said he was hoping that the England team would have scored some runs so as to give him the opportunity to watch all the batsmen bat. “Had they scored 300 runs, then at least for once we would have had some excitement. Winning so easily is boring,” he said. Among the older ones was a headmaster, who had also taught Ireland’s Jeremy Bray, who is originally from Down Under.
“Sometimes, I think the lads just talk too much. Play your cricket hard but is it necessary to talk so much and harbour so much arrogance? I think not,” he said. “That’s why I liked Steve Waugh. He at least had some respect for the traditions of the game. Not like Ricky Ponting,” he said.
New Zealand’s fans walk into their team’s net sessions, interact with the players, borrow a bat and a ball from the team to have some playing time in the middle of the Grenada national stadium — all this on the eve of a crucial match against Sri Lanka.
“Our fans do this all the time. It’s some tour group that has come down from New Zealand to support us. The least we can do it extend a nice welcome,” said New Zealand’s media manager John Durning.
The West Indian fans have only one topic to discuss, win or lose all conversation centres around Brian Lara. There is no cricketer in the West Indies who bipolarizes the fans in the region like the great batsman.
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