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Sharuko on Saturday
WHEN the world finally comes to an end, I’m pretty sure that this is what Armageddon will really feel like.
The excruciating pain, where there used to be beautiful summer rain, the darkness, where there used to be a ray of glowing light.
The sheer hopelessness, where there used to be a ray of hope, the lifelessness, where there used to be so much life.
The sadness, where there used to be so much happiness, the ocean of tears, where there used to be so many islands of cheers.
The madness, where there used to be greatness, the staggering volume of questions, where there used to be a central bank of answers.
The punishing weight of helplessness, where there used to be swagger, a flourish here, some swashbuckling there.
It was like an entire nation had just been stabbed in the back and, in an instant, fell into the kind of silence which is usually the sound of the graveyards.
This was a silence with a unique sound.
And, if you listened to it attentively, you would hear it in the beating hearts which, in that moment of defeat, had somehow refused to yield to the ferocious attack of emotions, strong enough to cause a seizure.
Tuesday, July 4, 2023!
On the occasion of the 223rd anniversary of the Fourth of July, the federal holiday in the United States commemorating the country’s Declaration of Independence.
On the 173rd anniversary of the only moment in American history, when two past Presidents – Thomas Jefferson and John Adams – died on the same day in 1776.
On the occasion of the 113th anniversary of the ‘Fight of the Century’ when Jack Johnson beat James J. Jefferies by TKO in Round 15 in Reno, Nevada, to retain his world heavyweight boxing title.
On the 34th anniversary of the day when iconic Hollywood actress, Drew Barrymore, attempted to commit suicide, at the age of 14, in 1989, after a period of personal drug-induced turmoil.
On the occasion of the 57th anniversary of the day the Beatles were attacked in the Philippines for allegedly ignoring orders for breakfast with President Marcos.
Yes, the Fourth of July!
For millions of fans of the Beatles, the music didn’t stop with that attack in Manila.
But, for us, the millions of fans of the Chevrons, it was the day our music died, exactly 57 years after that attack on John Lennon and his crew.
The final wicket to fall was Tendai Chatara, clean bowled, which is something we expected, even though this was an outcome which we never expected.
A loss to Scotland, at home, with a ticket to the World Cup on offer, the dreams of a nation shattered in such a cruel fashion, this was as bad as it gets.
As the nation grieved in silence, all that I could hear were the lyrics of the classic song by Simon & Garfunkel, aptly titled ‘Sound Of Silence,’ which was written by Paul Simon.
“Hello darkness, my old friend, I’ve come to talk to you again, because a vision softly creeping left its seeds while I was sleeping.
“And, the vision that was planted in my brain, still remains, with the sound of silence.
“In the naked light, I saw 10 000 people, maybe more, talking without speaking, hearing without listening, people writing songs that voices never share because no one dared to disturb the sound of silence.”
It feels like Paul Simon wrote the song for exactly the situation which confronted us on Tuesday when the events at Queens Sports Club cast a dark cloud over the entire nation.
A GUY WHO BELIEVES IN FATE
I’m a guy who believes in fate and I told my friend that I feared lightning would strike us twice and history would repeat itself.
I told him I had a feeling this could be 2018 all over again for us — the heartbreak, the final hurdle collapse and the no-show at the ICC Cricket World Cup.
And, given that the ticket we were chasing was for the World Cup in India, I kept telling Obert Masvotore, my friend, that I had a very bad feeling about our adventure.
Some things, I told him, are just meant to happen and, if he didn’t agree, how can he, or anyone else, explain why:
Indian superstars, Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli, both scored their 58th international century against England, both were dismissed at 103, having faced 197 deliveries and having come in to bat at number four?
Tendulkar completed 1 000 international runs against Australia in 1999, in the 19th over of the Test match at the MCG and Kohli achieved the same feat, in the 19th over of a Test match against the Aussies, at the MCG, and both did it at 26.
MS Dhoni’s first Test 100 came against Pakistan and his first ODI 100 also came against Pakistan. In both these innings, his final score was 148 and the two centuries came in his fifth career match for both the formats?
Sourav Ganguly scored 183 against Kenya at the 1999 Cricket World Cup, and soon became India captain, Dhoni scored 183 against Pakistan in 2005, and soon became India’s captain and Kohli scored 183 against Pakistan in 2012 and soon became India captain?
Tendulkar (200 not out), Virender Sehwag (219) and Rohit Sharma (209) were the first Indians to score a double century in ODIs and on those three different occasions India won each of the matches by 153 runs?
South Africa were dismissed for 96 by Australia in the first Test in November 2011, in reply to 284, but fought back to bowl the Aussies for just 47 in their second innings.
It left the Proteas needing 236 to win and after reaching 125/1, on the third day, they found themselves needing 111 runs for victory.
At that point, the local time in South Africa was 11:11am, the Proteas needed 111 runs and the date was 11/11/2011.
On February 9, 2018, Afghanistan scored 333 In Sharjah, UAE, and bowled Zimbabwe out for 179 to win the match by 154 runs.
Well, two days later, Zimbabwe scored 333 runs, bowled Afghanistan out for 179 and won the match by 154 runs.
England and Australia played the first Test at the MCG in 1877 and the Aussies won the match by 45 runs.
A hundred years later, in 1977, the two teams met at the same venue and Australia won again by 45 runs.
Some things cannot be explained.
And, once the situation for our Chevrons turned out to be the same as we needed, in 2018, to qualify for the World Cup, I got really worried.
Because, just like in 2018, we had two chances to grab our ticket to the World Cup and, just like five years ago, our first game was against the Qualifier favourites.
Back in 2018, we failed our first test, against the West Indies, and then collapsed against UAE in our must-win final game.
I told my friend we could lose to Sri Lanka, the qualifier favourites, in our penultimate game, and that’s what happened.
And, I told him I feared we would stumble against Scotland, and that’s what happened.
DIED ON THE FOURTH OF JULY
We will not be at the World Cup in India later this year and that hurts because we know that we were good enough to be there.
That hurts because the Netherlands, a team that we beat in our group, and went into the Super Six with half our points, found a way to sneak their way to India.
It hurts when the best batter, in the qualifier, is one of you, Sean Williams, and still you failed to make it to the World Cup.
It hurts when you have someone who scores 600 runs, at an average of 100, with a highest score of 174, and you still can’t make it to the World Cup.
It hurts when you have the best supporters in your corner, men, women and children who gave everything for the cause of their team, and their country, and you still can’t make the grade.
It hurts when you had your conditions to play in, something which is very important in cricket, and still you failed to make the cut to the World Cup.
It hurts when one bad performance, the one against Sri Lanka, effectively made the difference between staying at home, and going to a World Cup dance.
It hurts when you lose a golden opportunity, as we have now done, to go to India and use the occasion to celebrate the 40th anniversary of our maiden appearance at the Cricket World Cup.
They have been celebrating the 40th anniversary of India’s first success in the ICC World Cup and Zimbabwe has been a big part of the narrative of their triumph.
After all, one of the finest matches India played in that tournament was against débutantes Zimbabwe, who were on course for a sensational win, only for Kapil Dev’s unbeaten 175, off 138 balls, to turn things around.
That World Cup story, and the celebrations, also include Zimbabwe’s stunning victory over Australia.
How fitting it would have been for Zimbabwe to be in India this year, for a World Cup, where the events of 40 years ago, at the 1983 World Cup, are being celebrated.
Of course, we won’t be there, even though our name will repeatedly be mentioned and feted.
Maybe, it was meant to be that we will not make it to India because the sporting gods decided that our final match, against Scotland, had to be played on the Fourth of July.
It’s a day, in the history of sport, which is synonymous with major upsets and these are just a few of them:
It was on the Fourth of July in 1954 when the Miracle of Bern happened with rank outsiders West Germany shocking favourites Hungary 3-2 in the World Cup final.
In the group games, Hungary had thrashed the same West Germany 8-3 and were unbeaten in 31 games, including a 6-3 thrashing of England at Wembley and a 7-1 massacre of the Three Lions in Budapest.
It was on the Fourth of July in 1969 when Ann Jones upset three-time defending champions, Billie Jean King 3-6, 6-3, 6-2, in the Wimbledon ladies final.
It was on the Fourth of July in 1981 that Bjorn Borg’s streak of five straight Wimbledon titles came to an end when he lost to John McEnroe in four sets.
It was on the Fourth of July in 2004 when rank underdogs Greece produced one of the greatest shocks in the history of football by upsetting hosts, and favourites, Portugal in the final of Euro 2004.
It was on the Fourth of July in 2015 when Chile won their first Copa America title by defeating favourites Argentina, who had finished second at the World Cup the previous year, 4-1 on penalties.
It was on the Fourth of July in 2019 that the American humour magazine, Mad Max, announced that it was stopping publishing new material after 67 years in the media trenches.
Maybe, we should have known that, in a way, the fun had stopped for us when they fixtured our make-or-break game against the Scots on the Fourth of July.
To God Be The Glory!
Peace to the GEPA Chief, the Big Fish, George Norton, Daily Service, Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse and all the Chakariboys still in the struggle.
Come on United!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Brunooooooooooooooooooo!
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