Boria Majumdar
A South African win on Sunday has the possibility of changing the sport in the country. And forever.
The world cup started poorly for them. Losing to an unfancied Sri Lanka and the age old “chokers” tag was back to haunt them. South Africans don’t win under pressure was the accepted statement. The myth needed to be busted. Critics proved wrong. Fans offered a new lifeline and the sport a fresh start. The semi-final win against England has done exactly that. Ayabonga Khaka, someone who flies under Shabnim Ismail’s radar on most occasions, stepped up when it mattered the most. Two wickets in an over and South Africa had started to believe. Tasmin Brits had provided the early impetus by taking a one handed blinder that would have made Jonty Rhodes proud. But even that may not have been enough. They needed to soak in the pressure that has been their nemesis. Overcome the inner demons. Win against themselves rather than England. Handle expectations to put it bluntly.
Pressure. Perhaps the most used word when it comes to sport. Everyone who has played sport will tell you there is always pressure. From fans, parent bodies, sponsors, family and most importantly from yourself. At the end of the day a sportsperson is alone grappling with her or his own mind. A mind that is full of clutter and is constantly fighting to be freed. Of all the thoughts that keep flooding in, of the possibilities that keep disturbing the equilibrium and finally all the hope and expectation of what can be. The possibilities, options and the potential going forward.
In trying to explain pressure in a little more detail I will turn to a different sport. I will turn to Abhinav Bindra India’s first individual gold medal winner at the summer Olympics. Abhinav, for the record, came the closest in Rio 2016 eventually losing out in a tie break. It was the closest one can get to a medal and yet not win. Was it pressure or was it just that moment? Again we will never know. But as Abhinav says, it just happens. In that moment when Abhinav was shooting the final shot he was sure. There was no doubting his ability. Till the 17th shot he was in silver medal position and in qualification he had shot the best final round of 10 shots. But that one particular shot did not work. And he knew it the moment he fired. A slight shake of the head was proof what he must have felt. 4 years of work had come to nothing and it was a hard pill to swallow. Even for Bindra who had seen it all. Contrary to Rio, Beijing 2008 was different. The final shot from Bindra was a 10.8 and that landed him the gold. Micro mili meters between a gold medal and no medal at all. That’s how sport is. And that’s what pressure does to you- make you the best or worst on a given day.
South Africa will believe than can be the Abhinav of 2008 come Sunday. Beat the mighty Australians. Script lore and inspire a generation. A victory for the hosts will mean a huge deal for the sport and open up multiple possibilities going forward. It will make superstars out of Ismail and Kapp and Khaka, tags they have deserved for a while now. More importantly the women will serve as an inspiration for the men. To follow in their footsteps. We in India will also start to give the South African example. If they can we can. And that’s why the Sunday at Newlands is like no other. A Sunday full of possibilities and one of opportunity. It could change South African cricket. Rather cricket. And forever.
To fall back on the famous lyrics.
Winning.
“I’m winning
I’m winning
I’m winning
I’m winning
I’m winning
And I don’t intend on losing again.”