Is there life after cricket?

<div class="section1"><div class="Normal">NEW DELHI: Life’s looking humdrum again. The India-Pakistan series is over. We’ve won the ODIs, we’ve won the Tests. Now what? <br /><br />The question being debated in over 10 million cricket-obsessed middle class homes — and most offices — in the sub-continent is: How do you fill the gruelling summer months without those magical men in blue and green? ‘‘It’s like having the AC suddenly give way mid-May with no repairwalla at hand and no money to buy a new one,’’ says Rajat Anand, who runs a nursery school.This, from a man who is neck deep into admissions. <br /><br />You could, if you care to, switch from Dravid to David. The Premier League is precariously positioned for Man U fans (read most Indians) and Beckham’s past is spicing up the scene. ‘‘Football’s next on the agenda,’’ admits Amrit Banerjee. His being a resettled Kolkattan may have something — and not everything — to do with this. <br /><br />‘‘It’s all about entertainment,’’ says Sanjana Gandhi, mother of two teenage boys. ‘‘And these days kids discuss Nistelrooy as much as Tendulkar. We should too, just to know. Alternately, we could catch up on shopping and films.’’ Maybe the malls and multiplexes will finally pick up those much-needed TRPs. <br /><br />So may Advaniji and Soniaji. ‘‘After cricket what? Naturally the polls,’’ says Nikhil Srivastava. ‘‘Let’s say we would be just as interested in finding out who our new PM is as in knowing who’s the man of the series, even if both results are predictable.’’<br /><br />There are others — yes there are others — for whom no cricket equals no problem: happiness is having their cricket-crazy wives accompany them when they take their dog out for the evening walk. Yet others, who would love to plan a party that’s not theme cricket. And many more who would care to find out ‘‘how much poorer the budget that follows elections will leave us at the end of the year’’. <br /><br />The next big game for us begins only in August when India tours England for the Natwest Series and the ICC Championship Trophy that follows. <br /><br />Meanwhile, office-goers could try getting back to work, dinner could be dal-subzi-roti once again, computer games and DVDs could regain sales. <br /><br />You could even try dreaming your way through that afternoon snooze... if there’s anything much left to dream about. <br /><br /><formid=367815></formid=367815></div> </div>