Bleeding Blues: Tale of the retired hurt

We are almost mid-way through the World Cup and, boy, have there been surprises and upsets? To say that cricket can be a great leveler is an understatement. To watch Ireland decimate England courtesy Kevin O Brien's unbelievable 50-ball century and witness the thrill-a-minute India versus England match have been moments of brilliance that will be etched for very long in the memories of all the people that watched these games.

But as the World Cup throws up many more surprises and moments that will leave us collectively gasping for breath, spare a thought for Doug Bollinger, the Aussie speedster, who had to return home without playing a single match due to an injury.

I have often wondered how professional cricketers deal with injuries and particularly career-threatening ones. Is it something that one accepts as a professional hazard associated with sports or does it make the sportsman wonder in frustration - why me and why now?

Saba Karim must have felt cheated when he lost his eye while keeping wickets. Or did he accept that as fate? Raman Lamba's tragic passing away while playing the game that he loved most in a foreign land playing for a foreign club is somewhat inexplicable.

Truly, cricket has its darker side that has sadly ended careers as well as lives. One has to learn to respect and live the wisdom gleaned from the experience of those before you by playing the game sensibly. Bravado and braggadocio have a thin line, that, if crossed can lead to regret and pain to say the least.

I was recently keeping wickets on a two-paced wicket when I was struck by a ball that beat my already age-diminished reflexes and struck me on my left eyebrow, dealing me a deep gash that required several stitches. An inch or two lower could have had dire consequences. The doctor assured me I had just about saved sight in my left eye.

The incident served as a notice to me to respect my body and, most importantly, understand that the almost mundane-looking fielding on the field is performed by trained sportsmen at the peak of their physical prowess. I am grateful I escaped with a bruised eye and a severely battered ego.

On the subject of sports injuries and specifically cricket-related ones, one needs to appreciate that with the great development that has taken place in sports medicine, a lot of these injuries are now curable and a sportsman's career can be prolonged, provided he wishes to respect the signs that the body invariably exudes.

Take the case of Sachin and his tryst with his elbow, back and other injuries. Sports medicine and a great deal of discipline and will power have ensured that he will play the game for some more years to come. Brett Lee who had till six months ago been written off as a spent force due to his injuries, has already made a strong statement on his return to the Aussie side.

Enough on aches, pains and other such ills. India take on minnows Ireland next as I write this post and despite the hype that surrounds the match, to me it still is a mismatch. I mean I don't see the likes of Mooney and Rankin doing much damage to Sehwag's sore ribs! To be frank, it should be a comfortable win for India. However, if there are a few things that could upset the applecart then it could be the indifferent fielding (Dhoni has already thrown up his hands saying that team India can't do better), the small size of the Chinnaswamy stadium, an off-day for Zaheer (the only Indian bowler who has looked in any kind of form) and Kevin O' Brien. Not necessarily in that order.

In any case, someone in the Indian bowling line-up would need to put his hand up and deliver the way Shahid Afridi has been doing for the Pakistani side. So go Team India, bleed them blue!