Chepauk: From straight bat to sticky wicket

CHENNAI: For years now, the cricket-loving crowd in Chennai has been called amongst the more knowledgeable spectators of the game who welcomed good cricket at their seaside MA Chidambaram Stadium.
However, after Tuesday’s incidents, the ground’s reputation has taken a hit. The venue where the crowd gave Wasim Akram’s Pakistan team a standing ovation in 1999 despite a heartbreaking loss and more recently rooted for the Pakistan women’s cricket team in 2016 against the West Indies, will have to contend with the ugly image of South African batsman Faf du Plessis holding in his hand a shoe thrown from the stands.
In the past, Chepauk has hosted a few high-voltage clashes despite political tensions of a far bigger magnitude.The India-Pakistan match in 1999 and the India-England Test in 2008 post the Mumbai terror attacks were conducted in an exemplary manner.
But over the years, things have not been the same. Every time there was cricket, Chepauk found itself on a sticky wicket. It began in 2013 when Sri Lankan players were barred from playing IPL matches in Chennai owing to the Lankan Tamils issue. The 2014 summer saw M A Chidambaram Stadium go quiet due to the closure of three stands - I, J and K. The deadlock over the stands between the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association and Chennai corporation robbed the iconic venue off the men’s World T20 action in 2016. CSK’s suspension for two years - 2016 and 2017 - pushed the fans to the brink. “We felt one of our family members was missing when CSK was suspended,” said a CSK fan.
With the IPL gone, the city was starved of quality T20 cricket so much so that 10,000 spectators turned out for CSK’s practice session when they returned.
The home opener against Kolkata Knight Riders was meant to be a culmination of the anticipation, a festival for these fans. But Cauvery protestors had different ideas. The ecstasy was shortlived and festivity made way for fear. The result? CSK’s home matches shifted out.
“The people of Chennai deserved to see a good game of cricket,” said a member of the CSK official fan club.
“A shoe being thrown at a player was the last thing one could have expected on the field. I’m sure it was not a CSK or a cricket fan. The CSK Army wanted to celebrate the return as a festival, but there was fear and people were scared,” said another CSK fan. “The matches have been moved and we are sad, but we will follow the team wherever they play and support the men,” he said.
But cricket fans in the city still have a ray of hope. If things go right on May 3, when the Supreme Court hears again on the Cauvery Management Board, they could well see M S Dhoni and company back on the field. For now though, the Chepauk stadium, with its image having taken a beating, will remain empty with the canary yellows bound for Pune.