International and regional tensions are rising dangerously once again. Capitals from London to Wellington not to mention Kabul, Kathmandu and Colombo, are on edge. The next few weeks will be some of the most intense and testing of times for millions of people across the globe. The ICC Cricket World Cup began on Saturday and until the champions are declared six weeks hence, things like politics, familial relations and personal hygiene will cease to matter for the millions of fans of this strangest of all international sports.
In the host country, Australia, the Prime Minister and his ruling cohort of nincompoops are no doubt breathing a collective sigh of great relief. The media, which for several weeks have relished eviscerating the hapless government in the headlines will now only focus on Mitchell Johnson’s speed, Clarko’s back injury and David Warner’s boundaries and out of bounds comments.
Pundits are predicting and prognosticating. Players are struggling to find (or stay) in that elusive "zone". Captains and coaches are talking tough. The punters are sleepless and fidgety. No one listens or believes anything any of these people have to say. As usual it is the musicians who best capture the spirit of the times and over the years super pop stars as well as complete unknowns have summed up cricket and winning in a multitude of ways. Let’s check just a few out.
I Made a Hundred in the Backyard at Mum’s
Greg Champion
Let’s give the host nation the chance to take the field first with the appropriately named Greg Champion. Champion is a minor celebrity in that small sub culture of sports/musical comedy beloved by radio listeners for his part on the regular AFL pre-game show, The Coodabeen Champions. This clip from the mid-80’s sums up the essential aam aadmi ethos of the true sporting fan: heroic, homely and completely ridiculous.
The Cricket Song
Wilbur Sargunaraj
For the miniscule pool of human beings who have yet to get their heads around this whole c.r.i.c.k.e.t thing, the Dravidian Diety and India’s "First You Tube Sensation", Mr. Wilbur Sargunaraj explains (and effuses about) the game he so loves. Not a bad musician but Wilbur has some way to go before he wins the world cup of dancing!
Meeting Mr Miandad
The Duckworth Lewis Method
Channelling the pop harmonies of the Beatles and tapping into a quaint neo-Little England sentimentality the Duckworth Lewis duo set off in their camper van to meet the iconic Javed Miandad. Alas other than meeting and greeting the great man, the lads seem rather star struck and head back home to Blighty in a hurry.
She Ne Khela He Se Aaj Cricket Match (Love Marriage)
Mohammad Rafi
Music by Shankar Jaikisan. Leading man by Dev Anand. Vocals by Mohammad Rafi. Subject: cricket and love. Has there ever been a better formula for success? Even though the song included such immortal lines as "Ek nazar mein dil bechara hogaya LBW", it appears this 1959 ditty remained forever a novelty one off.
Victory Calypso
Lord Beginner
Lord Beginner one of the early and more influential calypso stars of the Caribbean penned this joyous victory anthem to celebrate the victory of tiny West Indies over the former colonial masters, England, in the 2nd Test at Lords in 1950. "Cricket, lovely cricket/at Lord’s where I saw it" became a hugely popular refrain not only among the West Indian immigrant community in the UK but all across the Caribbean throughout the 1950s.
Queen
We Are The Champions
This is the song every team, every fan, every President and Prime Minister wants to be singing on March 29. Led by Parsi/Zanzibari/Bombay/Guju bhai-boy (Farrokh Bulsara aka Freddy Mercury) stadium rockers Queen give a memorable performance of probably the grandest sports anthem of them all.
May the best team win!!
In the host country, Australia, the Prime Minister and his ruling cohort of nincompoops are no doubt breathing a collective sigh of great relief. The media, which for several weeks have relished eviscerating the hapless government in the headlines will now only focus on Mitchell Johnson’s speed, Clarko’s back injury and David Warner’s boundaries and out of bounds comments.
Pundits are predicting and prognosticating. Players are struggling to find (or stay) in that elusive "zone". Captains and coaches are talking tough. The punters are sleepless and fidgety. No one listens or believes anything any of these people have to say. As usual it is the musicians who best capture the spirit of the times and over the years super pop stars as well as complete unknowns have summed up cricket and winning in a multitude of ways. Let’s check just a few out.
I Made a Hundred in the Backyard at Mum’s
Greg Champion
Let’s give the host nation the chance to take the field first with the appropriately named Greg Champion. Champion is a minor celebrity in that small sub culture of sports/musical comedy beloved by radio listeners for his part on the regular AFL pre-game show, The Coodabeen Champions. This clip from the mid-80’s sums up the essential aam aadmi ethos of the true sporting fan: heroic, homely and completely ridiculous.
The Cricket Song
Wilbur Sargunaraj
For the miniscule pool of human beings who have yet to get their heads around this whole c.r.i.c.k.e.t thing, the Dravidian Diety and India’s "First You Tube Sensation", Mr. Wilbur Sargunaraj explains (and effuses about) the game he so loves. Not a bad musician but Wilbur has some way to go before he wins the world cup of dancing!
Meeting Mr Miandad
The Duckworth Lewis Method
Channelling the pop harmonies of the Beatles and tapping into a quaint neo-Little England sentimentality the Duckworth Lewis duo set off in their camper van to meet the iconic Javed Miandad. Alas other than meeting and greeting the great man, the lads seem rather star struck and head back home to Blighty in a hurry.
She Ne Khela He Se Aaj Cricket Match (Love Marriage)
Mohammad Rafi
Music by Shankar Jaikisan. Leading man by Dev Anand. Vocals by Mohammad Rafi. Subject: cricket and love. Has there ever been a better formula for success? Even though the song included such immortal lines as "Ek nazar mein dil bechara hogaya LBW", it appears this 1959 ditty remained forever a novelty one off.
Victory Calypso
Lord Beginner
Lord Beginner one of the early and more influential calypso stars of the Caribbean penned this joyous victory anthem to celebrate the victory of tiny West Indies over the former colonial masters, England, in the 2nd Test at Lords in 1950. "Cricket, lovely cricket/at Lord’s where I saw it" became a hugely popular refrain not only among the West Indian immigrant community in the UK but all across the Caribbean throughout the 1950s.
Queen
We Are The Champions
This is the song every team, every fan, every President and Prime Minister wants to be singing on March 29. Led by Parsi/Zanzibari/Bombay/Guju bhai-boy (Farrokh Bulsara aka Freddy Mercury) stadium rockers Queen give a memorable performance of probably the grandest sports anthem of them all.
May the best team win!!
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