For every rose that blooms, a hundred ones wither : Dark side of Indian cricket

[Smith]

Rambabu Pal: A prolific batsman from UP, he couldn't make use of the few chances he got in first-class cricket. Committed suicide at 34 in 2007.

Manish Mishra: Was acutely depressed after he failed to make the Uttar Pradesh Ranji Trophy team, committed suicide at 24 in 2007.

Subhash Dixit: One-time captain of India U-17, his career stalled before the Ranji level. Committed suicide at 22 in 2007.


Jhuma Sarkar: A regular in Bengal Under-19 women's team, failed to progress. Committed suicide at 23 in 2007.

I am extremely sad at reading the story in this week's Outlook. I had read somewhere that in England, a survey suggested young cricketers were the most prone among sportsmen to depression and suicide. And to hear that is being replicated in India, the glamour house of cricket, shows how murky the waters are on which a few lotuses deceptively catch the whole attention.

With the glitz that has become commercial cricket, with the promise of wealth and fame beyond imagination in a cricket crazy country, these are also stories which every aspiring cricketer should give attention to. The familial pressure, compounded by the agony of having little alternative source of income, leaves these cricketers really desperate for anything.

Comments please.

 

[pasag]

Frith wrote a book on it, am yet to read it but Stuart gave it four stars:

Cricket Web - Cricket Books: Silence of The Heart

 

[jimbles]

wow. Glad you bought that to light. Shows a different side.

 

[atisha_ro]

This is more about society... not much of a backup plan if a youngster fails to make it big at cricket, I guess.

 

[sirdj]

This is more about society... not much of a backup plan if a youngster fails to make it big at cricket, I guess.

Yup pretty much so......Indians are quite fatalistic as a society.

kids fail an exam - commit suicide
kids get rejected by girl/boy - commit suicide
kids do not fullfill ambitions of becoming a bollywood star - commit suicide
husband leaves wife - commit suicide
wife leaves husband - throw a party......err that last one did not come out right.

 

[Smith]

Yup pretty much so......Indians are quite fatalistic as a society.

kids fail an exam - commit suicide
kids get rejected by girl/boy - commit suicide
kids do not fullfill ambitions of becoming a bollywood star - commit suicide
husband leaves wife - commit suicide
wife leaves husband - throw a party......err that last one did not come out right.

I guess that happens almost everywhere except perhaps the breakup part.

As Atisha suggested it has got to do with the societal mindset prevalent in India where youngsters are almost always encouraged only to become Engineers or Doctors. Any other profession chosen is completely at the youngster's risk, with little parental or other support and often when the guy fails (which is quite obvious and no way the final result), he has no support structure to fall back upon. The same goes for guys who opt for cricket as a profession. Till very recently, perhaps the turn of the century, that was the case in India. Now things are slowly changing in my opinion.

 

[Matt79]

It's not unique to India however, so an Indian social mindset isn't entirely to blame. As explored elsewhere, including Frith's very good book, despite it being a problem across all society, cricket seems to suffer more than its share of this problem.

Very sad stuff.

 

[sirdj]

I guess that happens almost everywhere except perhaps the breakup part.

As Atisha suggested it has got to do with the societal mindset prevalent in India where youngsters are almost always encouraged only to become Engineers or Doctors. Any other profession chosen is completely at the youngster's risk, with little parental or other support and often when the guy fails (which is quite obvious and no way the final result), he has no support structure to fall back upon. The same goes for guys who opt for cricket as a profession. Till very recently, perhaps the turn of the century, that was the case in India. Now things are slowly changing in my opinion.

Its quite absurd to say that Indian parents pressurise their kids to become doctors and engineers and do not support them if they choose up anything else. Because not everyone in India can afford an education to become doctors and engineers. All parents want is for kids to have a "real" job.
In India your chances of making a career out of sports in next to nothing. You have to be really really really talented to make the national team and there is no support from anyone else but your parents if you do take up sports.
The reason why kids commit suicide is because they have unrealistic expectations that does not match their talents. And when the realisation hits them that they have squandered their whole life chasing an unattainable dream due to the indian fatalistic attitude they feel that they have nothing else to live for. And its going to be a life without being a cricket star then they might as well die.
You are generalising when you say that there is no support structure.......this is a country with the concept of joint family and extended family......there is plenty of support for anyone......even if he is a crook.
BTW What support structure is there in UK/USA for people who fail to become cricketers? or Stock Brokers or Models or Movie stars?

 

[Sanz]

True in every field though, For every Engineer/Doctor that makes it, there are 10000s that do not make. It is another attempt by the media to demonize cricket.

 

[Cruxdude]

Well people should think realistically about their chances to represent India. It is a huge country with loads of cricketers and corruption. The eleven representing India are not going to be the best in the country as it is very easy in a country of such size o miss out on talents. Cricket should never be a career aspiration. If it happens good otherwise better should be the attitude.

I don't know why but committing suicide is very much common now. So many people are taking the easier way out and ruining the happiness of their family and everyone around them. A friend of mine committed suicide this month because Qualcomm didn't offer him a job after interning with them.

Life will always be a struggle. People will have to be brave and face it.

 

[Matt79]

There's normally more to it than a lack of courage however. A lot of people are physically suffering from 'mental' health concerns that make it extraordinarily difficult for them to deal with their situation. It's also pretty rare that ONE event will be solely responsible for someone doing something so drastic. When there's one apparent event that prompted it, that will often have simply been the trigger, or the final straw, on top of a lot of other stuff.

Really think suicide is one of those things where we judge at our own peril. Unless you've been through something like that, I'm guessing you simply can't imagine how wretched someone would have to be feeling to undertake such a course. And given that, saying that they're simply lacking in guts is a bit of a cheap shot.

 

[Cruxdude]

If every one who faces difficulties in life is going to commit suicide the world would be pretty empty now. Suicide is wrong. It should never happen.

 

[Matt79]

The fact that the millions, if not billions, of people who do face serious difficulties in life, and who are not very courageous DON'T kill themselves suggests that that theory is wrong, and there's a bit more to it.

I'm not saying it's a good thing, or something we should support, I'm just saying that so unreservedly condeming those who find themselves in so desperate a condition is a bit heartless, and a bit foolish, given you have no idea what they're feeling.

 

[Cruxdude]

Think about their family. This guy is everything for them. What purpose do his parents have in life now after losing someone for whom they spent their entire life. While condemning all suicide victims is wrong those who do it for trivial stuff should be.

 

[atisha_ro]

Think Vronsky from "Anna Karenina" - he sure found a honourable way to suicide: frontline soldier. A hero!

 

[Matt79]

Think about their family. This guy is everything for them. What purpose do his parents have in life now after losing someone for whom they spent their entire life. While condemning all suicide victims is wrong those who do it for trivial stuff should be.

No-one does it for trivial reasons. No-one.

Even if the event that caused it seems trivial, as I suggested, there will inevitably be a stack of other stuff going on, maybe beneath the surface and that no-one else is aware of, but it will be there.

I take your point about their family, but do you think a suicide hates his parents, or children, or partner? Imagine how awful you'd have to be feeling to decide that despite loving them, you - and they - would be better off without you.

 

[Cruxdude]

No-one does it for trivial reasons. No-one.

Even if the event that caused it seems trivial, as I suggested, there will inevitably be a stack of other stuff going on, maybe beneath the surface and that no-one else is aware of, but it will be there.

I take your point about their family, but do you think a suicide hates his parents, or children, or partner? Imagine how awful you'd have to be feeling to decide that despite loving them, you - and they - would be better off without you.

Well children who commit suicide at 15,20 know nothing about life. They have just started out and when they face their first failure in life they commit suicide. This is an increasing phenomenon in India don't know about your place.

And about hating family, they don't hate their family they just don't think about them at that moment. Just step back and think about it and the number of suicides will come down.

 

[atisha_ro]

Back on topic, an interesting bit from Frith in his column (emphasis mine):

It's also a somewhat closed world because of its time-consuming nature, promoting group strength. The companionship and the sense of togetherness have been compared with serving in the armed forces or even being in prison. So the hidden corrosive factor is not cricket itself but the loss of cricket, the barren aftermath. It's the emptiness that follows that can damage the soul.

 

[Matt79]

Well children who commit suicide at 15,20 know nothing about life. They have just started out and when they face their first failure in life they commit suicide. This is an increasing phenomenon in India don't know about your place.

And about hating family, they don't hate their family they just don't think about them at that moment. Just step back and think about it and the number of suicides will come down.

The thing about being a kid is that you lack the experience and emotional maturity to cope with the kind of stresses I'm talking about, making them more susceptical. Teenagers' brain chemistry is unusual compared to different ages, and they are prone to not being able to control their emotions.

But again, everyone gets their heart broken for the first time as a teen, everyone has severe disappointment at some point as a teen. Most don't kill themselves. Again, there'd be something else at play in most cases.

 

[silentstriker]

Well children who commit suicide at 15,20 know nothing about life. They have just started out and when they face their first failure in life they commit suicide. This is an increasing phenomenon in India don't know about your place.

And about hating family, they don't hate their family they just don't think about them at that moment. Just step back and think about it and the number of suicides will come down.

I think a lot of those kids are already depressed.