Owing it's popularity to patronage by the great cricketing
nations of the world, indebted to a sub continent where the game since
inception, has been considered as religion and cricketers looked upon as Gods, it
is but natural that inspite of controversies that keeping rearing their ugly
heads now and then, the Gentleman’s game continues to evince keen interest
amongst people of all ages even today.
Awarded celebrity status for not only being outstanding
sportsmen, who play for the honour and prestige of their respective countries, but also for being influential brand ambassadors, cricketers
have come a long way and have evolved from being just sporting idols to style icons. Games that gentleman play today is all about big bashes, big entertainments, big values and the latest fashion trends.
He steps out in style waving to the
crowds. The flamboyant opener walks with confidence, with one hand on the
handle of the willow, with a firm grip on the lower end of the bat, he
stretches out his arms, takes a few warm up steps, jumps a little, bends his body sideways, first left, then right, looks up towards the skies and prays for divine
intervention. This is just one such act on the field that is enough to send crazy
fans into a frenzy or one could cite the presence of the dashing cricketer on
the boundary line, the tall six footer who leaps upwards with an arm stretched
out to hold on to a priceless catch or who falls flat to save the fours even as female fans swoon in the stands.These acts have been there for long now and as long as cricket continues to be played, such acts will be replayed again and again much to the delight of the fans.
So what's new ? The handlebar moustache is in with the likes of openers like Shikar Dhawan and bowlers like Ravindra Jadeja sporting it for sometime now. So now we can expect the opener to walk into the ground twirling his moustache and twirling it again when he scores a ton.The bowler will get his chance too. All he needs is a couple of wickets and a few maiden overs. Swirling the ball, twirling his moustache, on completing his quota of overs he will walk to the deep with a smile on his face.
Does being an all rounder help in gaining an entry into the national team today? Oh! Yes, it does. Today's fashion savvy cricketer dons different roles on the field as and when the situations demand and off field takes on the bigwigs of the modelling world. He plays under pressure, looks good always and when he is not at the nets or playing for his country you could spot him either at a school for acting taking a few tips on how to walk the ramp and look suave on the silver screen.
Many years back, when there were no endorsements, fashion was not in the minds of the players though we know of cricketers of yester years who are still talked about today for their dashing image, good looks and charisma. In the absence of commercialisation, the onus was only on performance and not on fashion. There were neither investors nor sponsors seeking to derive mileage from the game or from the cricketers. Hence the players were not fashion driven.
As I write this blog, funny thoughts crop up in my mind.What if we had a pot bellied Prasanna around today ? He would be rejected outright despite being capable of bowling vicious offbreaks whereas the less talented but fashion conscious Jadeja would make it to the team and in the process also bag a few modelling assignments. How about the specially abled B.S.Chandrasekar, a leg spinner par excellence, a genius who could confound the best batsmen. In his heydays when Chandra bowled with his polio stricken arm he was faster than a pace bowler.With almost no batting skills and a possibility of achieving the dubious distinction of taking more wickets than scoring runs in his entire career, would he be in the reckoning to make it to the national squad today ? Would he be sought after by the glitzy fashion world if he were around today ? Seems highly improbable. As opposed to the olden days when looks and appearance hardly mattered, this is just an example to show that today it is undoubtedly the survival of the fashion fittest. I imagine a Prasanna in cool denims and T.Shirts. I imagine a tall lanky Chandra or a Venkataraghavan with gel styled spiky hair and I chuckle.
The batsman, bowler and the fielder today are all rounders of the game and pin up boys of the modelling world. They are the twenty first century cricketing
heroes who sign up for the 1000 CC Motorbike commercial, endorse the efficient
performing gear oil and the family sedan, dance a salsa while shooting the shampoo commercial and show off a set of sparkling teeth for the toothpaste ad. As companies make a bee line for them, they are compelled to look
smart. Being fashion conscious, they experiment with different kinds of hairstyles
and sport them with elan.
A Vettori in glasses looks cool today. Is it possible to be bespectacled and make hearts flutter? It is possible if the cricketer is a Vettori . What comes to my mind immediately is the wounded warrior from Gaekwad, who stood ground on that fateful day patiently even as he bled profusely. A plain looking Anshuman was often seen sporting black goggles though it never became a style statement. It's as simple as players today cashing on their fashion style to gain more popularity and make their presence felt both on and off field. Of course the opportunities available today are tremendous as compared to the good old days.
Today's cricketer works out, he has a well
toned body and he likes to flaunt it. He could be the shrewd middle
order or tail end batsman with a clean shaven look, the dreaded bowler with the funky hairstyle or the discerning wicketkeeper with the long hair. Each one is an icon worth emulating for the Whatsapping and the Liking generation. He is the one who flaunts trendy goggles, classy shoes off field and is a picture of
cool, calm and poise on field.Contrarily when he blows his top,as other team members rush upto him to appease and calm matters down,the scenario is any photographer's delight. The photograph of the angry young man is liked, commented upon and shared.
Billion hearts skip a beat each when he hits a ball high
up in the air or spins an off break, drives a ball straight through the covers or bowls a googly. Each and every action of his is a style statement which is as important as contributing for the team. The crowds go gaga over him when he hits the ball over the boundary for a four or a sixer. They sigh in unision when the style icon is dismissed.
The fashion savvy cricketer has to perform and also look good on the field.With multiple sophisticated cameras installed in the stadiums, he is aware of being
watched 24X7 around the globe and to be fashion conscious is indeed the need of the
hour. The fans are also responsible for
the metamorphosis and this explains the
evolution of the cricketer from being a plain sportsperson to a fashion symbol.
Hearts flutter and fans now bleed blue,
maroon, green and yellow.Traditionally he was viewed as a hero on the field. The
modern day willow wielder is a superstar off field.The 21st cricketers are the most sought after icons. Over the years he has evolved from
being a plain looking guy to the exuberant handsome man who has an image and a
personality to maintain. He is fashion sensitive and rather than he endorsing a brand, the brand becomes synonymous with him.When he is not at the crease or running between
wickets, when he is not giving a shine
to the ball on his trousers or counting his steps for the bowling run up, when
he is not talking to the media, he is walking the ramp somewhere.
Ideally suited for mainstream cinema, but
tied down to cricketing tournaments throughout the year, he is spotted as the
face that can launch a thousands products and once in, there is no looking
back. He has to look good and endorse the products he believes in. Cricketers
are changing the way the world views fashion today. If Kapil Dev's Palmolive “Da Jawab Nahin” and Sachin's Boost “Is The Secret Of His Energy,” Kohli's The
Flying Machine’s collection which has unveiled
denims, casuals, T.Shirts, cargoes, shorts and sneakers is “The New Cool.”
He looks damn good today. That also explains the pressure on him to maintain
his public image, how to dress dapper is always upmost in his mind and hence he has no other option but to stay updated with the
latest fashion trends.
While he was wearing whites with no
endorsement pressure, it was the game alone and his performance on the field that
mattered. The copy book style, the perfect bowling action, the keen eye fixed
on the ball in the air or the ground, the safe pair of gloves behind the
wickets, the arms that hurled the ball from the covers or the deep made
headlines. Not that these actions no longer assume significance but what has
changed drastically is the increased reporting of the off field presence of the
cricket superstars who are constantly under public glare that keeps making
Fashion news.
On field, the guy with the coloured hair
flexes his muscles and immediately he is on the spotlight, on the radar of
commercial establishments waiting to sign him to give their products a
big boost. His tattoos, mohawks and hairstyle make for important discussion
topics on the social media as well as on news hours.Well ! The fans like them the way they are,different every season. Now you can't blame the players, can you ?
Conscious of being watched by National
& International Fashion Houses, either during the course of the game during
the day, under flood lights or off field while facing the arc lights, he knows
fully well that he has created a fashion statement for himself and a new gen of younger fans.
When teams started playing in coloured kits, that
was when fashion first got added to the gentleman’s game. This innovation changed
the appearance of the game, the lifestyles of the cricketers and as finances
started pouring in, the commercial viability was exploited to the maximum
advantage of the businesses and the players. Big businesses, sponsors,
designers and fashion houses were quick to jump into the colourful format of
the game. The players now sport designer wear off field and their on field jersey
with logos are also specially designed by top designers or fashion houses. Now the world wants to see Greek Gods on and off field. Necessarily the players have to be fashion conscious to stay in the race.
The game has come a long way from being a
five day long drawn out monotonous game to a single day faster version and recently to
the shortest entertaining glamorous version which in turn has opened up the
gates for a new generation of fashion crazy young fans to enter the stands, cheer and emulate their fashion conscious super cricketing heroes...and I now wonder, if, to be well groomed is a prerequisite to make it into the playing eleven......
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