Diplomacy has striven to use the immense hold cricket has over people.
CRICKET—the very word conjures up a serene winter’s day…the plucky exploits of men in white…windscreens billowing in the wind…the ‘plock’ of bat meeting ball…wild cheering of spectators…the lengthening shadow creeping across the ground in harmony to the waning sun (rain-splotched English summers be damned)…. Yet, with its increasing hold on people, this idealised arcadia took on the contours of faith; when bands of eleven ‘represented’ countries, patriotic pride and its handmaiden, nationalism, reared its head. When ‘incidents’ and controversies on the field went out of hand, statecraft had to be deployed to stanch the flow of passion. On the other hand, diplomacy has taken recourse to cricket, to use its immense goodwill and its incredible reach into every nook and cranny.
Elements of all this can be plainly seen as the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 edges to its mid-point: the colourful fervour, raw emotions, exemplary sportsmanship and…controversies. Last week, the International Cricket Council (ICC) officially requested the BCCI to have the small insignia on Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s gloves to be removed. An honorary lt. colonel in the parachute regiment of the Territorial Army, the dagger with the wings insignia is similar to the para forces’ badge, and therefore in breach of the ICC regulations that players can’t wear anything that is related to ‘political, religious or racial activities or causes’. Indeed, shades of politics have always coloured cricket, despite efforts to keep it clear of its innate political undercurrents.
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An Aggressive Wave
Korean music stars (K-pop idols) are reaching out to audiences or consumers through their works on every possible platform. These platforms range from the purely cultural to the political. They are seen and heard on social media everywhere, and even the United Nations is not left behind. Recently, South Korea (hereafter referred to as Korea), has been in the global spotlight due to a few major events. For example, Korean author Han Kang giving her Nobel acceptance speech while Korea's streets overflowed with people marching against the president and demanding his impeachment. K-pop artists are not distant from the political picture. The popular band BTS turned down the invitation for the president's inaugural performance. On the other hand, Girls' Generation (SNSD) performed the song Into the New World on the occasion of the president's impeachment by the National Assembly. Ironically, one group turned down the performance to avoid getting politicised while the other proactively performed for a political cause.
