Perhaps we should cheer—be it cricket or even double-Dutch!

By Rypvanwinkle

“Thaaththa,” Bindu Udagedera asked, “have we won?”
“No, Bindu,” Bindu’s father Percy said, “we have lost again…”
“But thaaththa,” Bindu protested, “I thought we are winning and that we will soon have nothing to worry about…”
“How can that be?” Percy asked, “we even lost our last match and now we are not certain of playing in the finals…”
“No, thaaththa,” Bindu said, “I was not thinking of the cricket match; I was thinking of the war…”
“Oh, the war,” Percy said, “that is a different ball game altogether…”
“Why do you say that?” Bindu wanted to know.

“Well, you win some, you lose some,” Percy said, “but we are being told that we are winning…”
“Why thaaththa,” Bindu pointed out, “Mahinda maama has promised us that the match will be over by the end of this year…”
“Don’t forget that Mahinda maama has made many promises in the past…” Percy cautioned.
“But thaaththa,” Bindu argued, “they are talking of so many Tigers dying every day…”
“Yes,” Percy said, “and at that rate we seem to have killed off half the population in the North…”
“Why thaaththa,” Bindu was alarmed, “are you doubting these claims?”
“It is not for us to doubt, Bindu…” Percy said, “our task is to merely cheer each victory just like we do in a game of cricket …”
“It is not like cricket, you know…” Bindu suggested.

“Why do you say that, Bindu?” Percy asked.
“Why thaaththa, sometimes the decision of the umpire goes against you…” Bindu suggested.
“When has that happened in the war?” Percy inquired.
“Why, when all these international groups say nothing when the Tigers commit atrocities…” Bindu pointed out.
“That is certainly true…” Percy agreed.
“And don’t forget that like in cricket, where we are playing against the world champions, in this game too we are playing against the world champions in terrorism…” Bindu pointed out.

“And the true world champions that they are, they are hard to beat…” Percy conceded.
“And, like in cricket, sometimes your best players let you down…” Bindu declared.
“Ah, yes,” Percy said, “I am sure Mahinda maama will agree with that, considering the recent performances of the Foreign Man and Dutugemunu, for instance…”
“And just like in cricket, the captain cannot drop them from the team even when they perform disastrously…” Bindu observed.

“And don’t forget, Bindu, that at one time most of the captain’s brothers were involved in running the game of cricket in the country…” Percy recalled.
“But thaaththa,” Bindu said, “that cricket captain has retired now…”
“That is true,” Percy said, “but that habit is still there, though it maybe in a different game…”
“Then” Bindu said, “there is another reason why this game is like cricket…”
“And what reason is that?” Percy wanted to know.

“Sometimes, thaaththa, when your opponents are doing well and gathering momentum to win the match, a star batsman will suddenly get run out and that changes the game entirely…” Bindu said.
“Yes,” Percy agreed, “sadly, that happens sometimes and that might well be the end of the game for the opposing team…”