The celebration that broke out in India following the Indian cricket team's World Cup win is similar to the rapture that rose up here in the GTA last Saturday.
It was a tremendous six weeks of cricket, lovely cricket. The spills and the thrills saw the world's top eight teams making it into the quarter-finals to culminate with play between cricketing powerhouses India and Sri Lanka.
For some it may have been a disappointment that the final did not see the favourites - India's Sachin Tendulkar and Sri Lanka's Muttiah Muralitharan - in pitched battle. Tendulkar was out for 18 runs while Muralitharan failed to a take a wicket in his last international match for Sri Lanka. Despite this though, the game still took the path to a thrilling conclusion through Indian captain, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, rising to the occasion. With the coolness of level-headed leadership, Dhoni delivered the goods to end the game on a high with a brilliantly lofted six deep into Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium. It was the stroke that launched a delirious crowd into a billion-plus national celebration. The celebrations rippled here in the GTA among an equally delirious diaspora and among many of us in the Caribbean community.
India's players deserve all congratulations for a job well done, along with the rewards that are being heaped on them. As is being reported by the India media, team members are being gifted with land and cash.
Over the weekend it was reported that the Board of Control for Cricket in India had announced that each member would be receiving significant monetary gifts. Dhoni will also be receiving additional monies from New Delhi's Chief Minister. Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa also announced that his government would honour the players with a residential plot each from the Bangalore Development Authority. Additionally, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhrayal Nishank also promised property to Dhoni and Sachin Tendulkar. The Gujarat government also announced awards and monetary gifts.
As the runner-up, the Sri Lankan team and its selectors are facing difficult questions at home. Over the weekend the state run newspaper, the Sunday Observer, lashed out against Sri Lanka's cricket selectors by questioning the wisdom of playing an injured Muralitharan. However, it was a response that was filled with sportsmanship from Sri Lankan skipper Kumar Sangakkara. He said of the selection process: "The changes we made were good; unfortunately, we did not do well enough in bowling and fielding. We were unable to maintain pressure on India after their first two wickets. India played very well and that is why we lost."
Despite the difficult questions coming from the government, the team was still greeted at the Bandaranaike International Airport by a large number of public figures. Among them were government ministers, parliamentarians and various other officials. The team was also greeted by religious leaders.
Here in our Caribbean community we supported both our Canadian and West Indies teams. We remain thrilled at the performance of our young Canadian team. The exposure surely would have been a learning experience, with the win against Kenya a feather in the cap for our aspiring players. We are also encouraged by the key performances that were displayed by a few of our players.
However, it is apparent that our West Indian cricket team has a lot of hard work to accomplish before they can return to the top spot all Caribbean nationals continue to dream about. The victories by the West Indies team showed its potential and strength, but these were mostly against the smaller teams. When faced by the giants on the world cricketing stage, the West Indies were unable to maintain the pace. What lies ahead for our West Indian team and our cricketing hope is a tremendous challenge of regrouping as well as seeking out more promising talent among the nations that make up our Caribbean community.
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