World Cup: What India's demigod cricketers can learn from South Africa

“They’re humble and nice guys and they’ve taken time out to spend time with Kieron (Adams) and the family. It just shows that they’re human.”

That’s what a South African fan said on the sidelines of street cricket — featuring AB de Villiers and an Under-11 team against Vernon Philander, Dale Steyn, Faf du Plessis, Hashim Amla and Proteas superfan Kieron.

Yes, you read that right — the biggest names from the South African cricket team simply drove a van down to a neighbourhood, knocked on young Kieron’s door, made themselves comfortable and surprised the daylights out of one of their fans as he entered the house to see his idols waiting for him.

We’ve seen this often in the world of sport — Cristiano Ronaldo dressing like a beggar and playing kickabout with a kid on the streets of Madrid, top clubs regularly visiting hospitals where their fans recuperate and also NBA teams going to schools for a pick-up game.

We also saw the Indian team conduct an open house in Australia during the World Cup — posing with fans for pictures and signing autographs.

Which makes you question why these things can’t be done in India. The logic is simple — the closer players are to fans, the less they are considered as demigods. These players are chased madly by fans and the paparazzi alike because they are always available — always at an unattainable distance from the people who made them stars in the first place.

Also the way a fan would react to loss would be very different — it wouldn’t be vitriolic — it wouldn’t trigger #ShamedInSydney — because people can lose and Gods can’t.

Make no mistake, South Africa is a very high-profile team and they didn’t send just anyone to young Kieron’s house — they sent their top players and were part of a stree party which had barbeque, cricket and probably a few drinks for afters — things superstars ‘supposedly’ don’t do.

AB and his team may have lost the World Cup — but their gratitude for the support they received wasn’t just limited to a post-match ’thanks for the support’ quote from the team captain — their support was going into the heart of the community — kit et al — and asking for bowling tips from an Under-13 kid and giving him the ‘best day of his life.’

P.S. Dale Steyn also glared at the kid in trademark style because he had suggested in an audition video that SA’s bowling was an issue.

#Respect #ProteaFire Courtesy : #ProteasCricket #SouthAfrica

Posted by Tulunadu News on Thursday, 5 February 2015

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