'Wire' questions SC/ST representation in cricket team, Kaif replies aptly
Former cricketer Mohammad Kaif has lashed out at a media report alleging "under-representation" of minorities in the Indian test squad. "How many prime time journalists are SC or ST or for that matter how many senior editors in your organisation are SC or ST?" Kaif demanded to know of The Wire. We'd like to ask them too: should we be reserving seats in cricket or sending our best players?
'Does India Need A Caste-Based Quota in Cricket?': The Wire
According to The Wire, "In the 86 years since India attained Test status, 290 different men have played test cricket for India. However, only four belong to the SC/ST." For this, it has blamed "structural impediments," which is also seen in "urban concentration of the game, contrast with the women's sport as well as the imbalance in the number of minority batsmen and bowlers."
The Wire's article and Kaif's response
Cricket actually helps reduce caste lines. Did you know that?
"Sports is perhaps one field which has successfully broken barriers of caste, players play with inclusiveness but then we have such journalism to spread hatred," Kaif adds about the controversial piece. He's right. Cricket, in fact, reduces caste lines, a study by MIT found. This is largely because cricketers, or any player, plays ALONG WITH the team, irrespective of caste, for a joint win.
Judge a team by its talent, not caste or religion
While The Wire's figures could be correct, it is strange the way they can bring caste angle to any topic. A sane Indian would ask - what caste/religion has to do with selection into the team? But, not the editors at The Wire! A cricket team, or for that matter any team, has to be judged by its results. And currently, the Indian team stands at Number One in ICC rankings. Need we say more?
On a lighter note, does Wire seek caste-certificates while hiring?
It's high time we stop talking about caste. Despite what mainstream media claims, people don't ask anyone their caste/religion before making friends or doing business. We wonder if The Wire seeks candidates' caste certificates while hiring? Do they ask for kundlis too? As far as the team is concerned, they play together, eat together, win together; that's what unity looks like.
