Sir— This refers to the editorial, “Cricket as mood-setter” (June 20). In cricket, like any other sport, anything can happen and it is certain that one side will lose. Unfortunately, India and Pakistan do not accept this fact. likewise, the public of both the countries also behave irresponsibly. The desperation in the people on loss of a match reflects the stereotype mindset of the people. They treat the opposite team as criminals who need to be punished.
Sport is a healthy activity but this mindset has not let it remain a sport anymore. Over emphasis on the competitiveness has made cricket matches a religion and cricketers gods. If people really love sports, they should admire India’s win in hockey. The Indian cricket team failed this time, but then who does notIJ Players have a right to make mistakes and learn from it. After all, there’s a next time for everyone.