There was absolutely no enthusiasm amongst the general public in India for the Cricket World Cup 2007 finals. India was an absolute no show and got knocked out in the Group matches, so much so that it could not qualify for the Super 8 Series.
This led to a total change of mood and loss of interest towards the tournament. Nobody was interested in any cricket related news. Within one day the audiences vanished and the channels showing the CWC games had lost their popularity. The public frustration and resentment was at its peak. So much so, that a couple of groups came forward asking the people not to buy the products of the companies who had shown all the high-pitched ads displaying the Indian Team players.
All the ads showing the cricket stars were gone. A couple of companies went to the extent of making public announcements to renounce the cricket players and pledging not to use these players in their ads and publicity material until they showed a marked improvement in their performace.
The cricket players in particular and the cricket board of India (BCCI) as a whole became the favorite topics of the comedy shows. The comedians had a field day encashing on the high-pitched claims made by the players in the ads and their poor performance. The promotors of one of India's leading television channels went to the extent of cooking up a scheme to revamp the entire cricketing and playing format of the game in the country, which was, as expected, promptly rejected by BCCI.
Let's see how the events unfold. Something drastic needs to be done and that too soon to retain the public interest in the game.
Gajendra
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