Wednesday, February 14, 2007

The Loyal Guard

I want to make it official now. For a long time, I’ve been thinking about it. I’ve deliberated endlessly and now take this step with conviction. With this decision I might leave my peers dismayed, my parents disappointed and my landlord might even kick me out of his house but it’s time I put down my loyalties on paper. At least this way I would’ve no shame and no regrets. After all, honesty might be a ridiculed yet a desirable virtue to possess in our times.

This World Cup, I’m supporting Bermuda. There’s no looking back now. I’m going to cheer for them hoarse, wear their colors and gun for them to win it even if they are stranded hopelessly chasing 618 runs against India in the group stage.

The whole point of ICC allowing teams like Bermuda to play in the World Cup (apart from minting truck loads of dollars) is to promote the game and which game has been promoted in any nation without a loyal band of supporters?

And I sense Bermuda is short of supporters this season. I mean look at the other minnows. Look at Bangladesh. Before you can even bat an eyelid, you’d be swept by a wave of Bangla supporters shouting you down even if you’re on 1800 MW speakers. Canada had John Davison in the last edition. And he’s back as captain this time. Thanks to him, we would follow that team for sheer curiosity. I’m sure any Irish supporter would be passionately hoping that they kick English ass. They’d love this game back in Scotland. It gives them 6 more hours to drown themselves in good old Scotch instead of a plain vanilla 90 minutes. Kenya; we all know what they’re capable of and Netherlands being veterans amongst these minnows at World Cup, I think has more of chance topping their group than India.

And now if this emotional plea was not enough to inspire you to support Bermuda, I shall present a few more facts to appeal to your left brain (And that is, if your brain is still in place after reading all this. Bermuda does have an uncanny knack to get on your nerves. It did on mine!)

The nation is all of 50 sq. km. Their population is 80,000 and yes they’re fielding a 15 member team. No less. Calculate the ratio of players to population and you’ve the biggest underdog ever in the history of cricket.

I went to a link that listed the “Bermuda Players to Watch Out For”. I waited long. It never downloaded.

On another link a player profile read: He has a lot of determination and with some more hard work will surely emerge as a successful cricketer in the future.
Evidently, he needs our support. Let’s cheer him for at least one match!

Their winning percentage in ODI’s is 29%. Sheer figures suggest they’re better than Zimbabwe and Bangladesh. This has been brought to your notice so that you never feel that you’re cheering for a team down in the dumps. Down in the Atlantic yes, but not in the dumps!

Along with the illustrious Papua New Guinea, Bermuda showed the cricketing world that 400 runs could be scored in an ODI. This was in ICC Trophy in 1986. 20 long and winding years before Australia and South Africa had any devious plans of the same. And this IS TRUE! Here’s your chance this World Cup to cheer for the original attacking cricketing nation of our generation!

They’ve only had one Olympic medal winner so far. Finally, you have a country that’s done worse than India in Olympics. It should do your ego good to support them.

Player names are equally evocative. Their team has one Hurdle, one Cann, a Pitcher, a couple of Tuckers and a certain Minors. Can’t you read the signs?

And if all the above were still not enough reason, allow me to throw some light on state of the nation’s economy. It’s GDP per capita of a stunning $76,000 is the highest in the world.

And I’ve also heard they’re taking the best Bermuda supporter from India to partake a slice of that cake!

I leave you with that luscious thought and when you go to sleep from today do not, I repeat do not forget to shout “Goooooooo Beeerrrrmuuddddaaaa!!!”

10 comments:

Jason said...

Do you have any idea how comfortable Bermuda shorts are?

Bermuda are the only team that knows to negotiate the Bermuda Triangle!! The rest are just going to disappear while flying from venue to venue and island to island sometime midway through the World Cup!

Is there a Bermuda Cricket Fan Club on the web?

IssacMJ said...

Great! That makes the two of us in the first Bermuda Fan Club ever on the web.Sometimes when one is making history, the moment just passes you by before you even know it!

spiderman! said...

Count me in as well !! 76000 USD !!
anything for that man ! Even would not flinch an inch to support Pakistan for that !

I have a serious premonition that the 2011 world cup would last about 2 months.If not more.

Anonymous said...

The high GDP in Bermuda comes from the fact that they have all retired rich men from USA emigrating there to evade taxes and bathe in the sun....
The fact that there is a lot of money to be saved in Bermuda means we may end up seeing the Pakistan sqd of 2007 represent Bermuda in 2011....
(some could switch midway through the tournament also)
So cheer the underdogs while you still can :P

Akila said...

u know how much of a cricket fan I am...U know I dont care two hoots or two pence or tuppence abt the World Cup...but this post was bloody reeking Issac and I was ROTFL!!!!!hehehe....Fairly well researched and organized thoughts I shud say!

IssacMJ said...

@Spidey: Oh yeah, I think 2011 is gonna be replete with more dead rubbers than this one.

@Shobhit: If we could get a pay hike soon this year, maybe we could shift to Bermuda too!Do they've decent women there? ;-)

@Akhila: Can't rule out the sounding familiar part. Can I? :-D

Anonymous said...

reading ur blog for the 2nd time..
fantastic post :))
-Dinesh (remember??)

IssacMJ said...

@Dinesh: Maccchiiiiiiii... Yoyos calling! :-D

SRK said...

Looking forward to a special feature on Team Bermuda and its fans in the HT Sports Page :)

Anonymous said...

Given the Bangladeshi treatment of NZ, your choice is not weird.In any case it's 'bet'ter(sic) choice that supporting India.