Dear Editor,
Did Granger or Patterson or any PNC die-hard watch the ICC world cup game between those two teams from arch-enemy countries? Had Granger watched, he would have seen when Kohli walked, he stood taller than all the players and the umpires, than all the diplomats and politicians who preached unity from one side of their mouths and conflict from the other. He would have seen the Pakistani player who made the appeal hang his head quietly. He would have seen a visible ray of reconciliation envelop the crowd, he would have seen chivalry, gentleman-ness, and decency of the like neither the game of cricket nor politics had seen in a very long time. He would have seen Kohli accomplish what all the Presidents and Prime Ministers of both countries, (and the LFSBs and CBJs) failed to accomplish since the birth of independence.
Kohli was not out (not guilty of cheating, rigging, or corruption) as the replay showed his bat was inches away from the ball. The sound heard was from a creaky bat handle. Sometimes creaky sounds from sneaky people using freaky logics can cause umpires to ask for reviews at the High Court and even higher. But all that was unnecessary. Kohli was a chivalrous, diplomatic intelligent human being. He walked.
Sobers did many times, too. He once made a gentlemanly declaration and lost the test match to England. But Sobers won, his image remains carved out in the annals of history, not lost in some shameful wayside garbage dump.
Yours faithfully,
Gokarran Sukhdeo
