Spain and the Saffers

Thank God it’s all over. The barbaric, peace-killing vuvuzela fiddlers, the sports newspapers littered with football, the oracle octopus, the mad football obsession- over and done with. It’s time cricket got a chance to breathe again after all this monstrosity.
And to be honest, yesterday’s final was all I watched of the FIFA World Cup 2010, because despite being a born football foe I was curious to know what this spectacle was all really about that people found more interesting than England playing Bangladesh.

So Spain won and in typical courtesy, congratulations to them. From other sources I know them to be a good unit which has been unlucky in the major world events, but yesterday did the big job. And then I had to think of the Saffers. Yes, the cricketing Saffers in whose country the whole thing was hosted and many of them were watching it all happening live at the stadium. I hope they cringed in shame when they saw Spain lifting the trophy.

Later, browsing through a social network site, I saw a comparison of the Saffers with Spain. Both a bunch of talented sportsmen, both feared units, and both a bit unlucky at the big stage; until yesterday for Spain then. It led to a question; could it be then that cricket’s notorious so-called chokers will finally win a World Cup? I don’t know. No one knows. But it would have been good if Biff, ‘Woogie’ and all the rest, sitting there and watching Spain win, took a parcel of inspiration home with them. And then remember to use it for the big cricket event in India.

And for the winning, please don’t suggest they should use Paul the octopus. I’d rather fry him and make a seafood pasta of the bloody beast with green parsley and Romano cheese.