By: Kamal Baruah
I was met by blank looks for his chosen profession as an analyst. Soon he put me at ease, for a layman, it’s all about a scorer, whose job is on the sight screen (scoreboard) placed behind the bowler. Meanwhile, I stood by for a moment and wondered at such career. On a lighter note; I shared one instance from our time that we usually put a scorer, who was rather inept at a gully cricket. No doubt, it sounds like a brilliant job for a cricket-loving stats geek. Also the scorer took care of the task as 12th man carrying drinks for us. The team called him as manager. Missing those days of swallowing raw, juicy nemutenga (lemon) during interval is a nostalgic feeling.
Behind the scenes of today’s sports world, the dressing room is packed with backroom staff. The presence of high profile coaches and mentors make a difference. Besides there are director, physiotherapist, trainer, video analyst, nutritionist and what’s more, IPL brings some of the biggest superstars of past greats of world cricket together and emerged as the most valuable sports league in the line with EPL and NBA.
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No one can deny the role of manager for developing the team’s tactics; strategy and overall game plan in today’s sports. However the SKY flaunted his ability to hit iconic sky shot of 360 degrees that enthralls the Wankhede in disbelief. Even MI mentor Tendulkar the demigod to fans while watching from the dressing room stunned by Suryakumar’s brilliant shot. On another day Shubman Gill was spotted having chat with Sachin’s masterclass that went viral.
Like cricket in India, Europeans have the most passionate supporters for football. Italians, Spanish, Portuguese, Swedish, Hungarian, England fans travel overseas to support their team anywhere in Europe. However great footballers like Wayne Rooney, Xavi, Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard have made their mark at their respective clubs Derby County, Barcelona, Aston Villa and Everton respectively.
IPL is not just for those who care which franchise wins it. It’s cricket, so the cricket lover glued to live score in the sleepless night of the IPL final. Viewers witnessed GT coach Nehra wandering restlessly on that day. My companion hasn’t noted such hidden IPL activities so far though her assigned task as manager of girls’ Kabaddi team for CBSE clusters athletic meet in last winter. With no coach, the team was led by a sports teacher.
CBSE conducts inter school sports and games competitions not unlike cash-rich IPL. The participants were in tracksuits sporting the iconic 3-stripes and Adidas trefoil, in a wide range of colours whereas I came as stranger to the station in the midnight hours to cheer them up. The first time manager found it all fun and excitement. The wishes poured on while the train left amid the surrounding whistle blowing twice a sound over rails. They woke up in the morning after the high noise that caused annoyance for passengers boarding in the vicinity of a squealing railway station in Silchar.
There were no cozy arrangements for those budding players but a classroom accommodated a dozen of makeshift arrangement of beds one after another. The team had to negotiate with pitiable accommodation on the floor. Off field IPL extravaganza made her head in disbelief meanwhile the school teams had to face all the hurdles. Surprisingly, non-veg are totally prohibited. The vegetables were watery and tasteless after a hard-fought victory. But it helped girls under 17 in starve at dinner to keep below 55 kg weight limit.
The sports teacher cum coach made things possible to follow the timely instructions given by the host school, while the manager was to give in house care of girls’ belongings. After all, she had to gather support from other team to boost up their morals. As the game fever took over match after match, the manager felt more to experience live at kutcha ground (soft-surface). The atmospheres run surreal when supporters kept roaring continuously with the raider running into the opposing team’s half of the court, touched out as many of players and returned to own half of the court all without being tackles by the defenders in 30 seconds. It was amazing and unforgettable experience.
At home, news came in the air. Amid much fanfare and dancing, her team reached the final after seeing off the local school. The crowd cheered as they got on the stage to receive the trophy. The first time manager felt overwhelmed by her new assignment and a part of a team of winning champion. The girls were wiggling and shaking with gold medals inside the sleeper coach and raised the trophy up high with pride for their school SSA Guwahati. She thanked her Principal for an inspired task bestowed on her as Kabaddi Manager.
