External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday attended the book launch event of former Indian cricketer Mohinder Amarnath, where he drew intriguing parallels between cricket and Indian foreign policy.
Speaking at the release of former Indian cricketer Mohinder Amarnath’s memoir ‘Fearless’, EAM S Jaishankar while commenting upon India’s victory in the 1983 Cricket World Cup, said, “I think nobody has any doubt that 1983 was the inflection point. It was not just the inflection point, but the man of the match of the inflection point. Pakistan won it at one point and Sri Lanka won it at one point. But nowhere else was it as big an inflection point as it was in the history of cricket. Because, if you look at India’s role in world cricket after 1983, it fundamentally changed.”
Drawing an interesting analogy between cricket and foreign policy, the Mr Jaishankar remarked, “I like to constantly compare the evolution of cricket in India with the evolution of Indian foreign policy, and with India itself”.
He noted various takeaways from the book which draw parallels with India’s foreign policy. “The first takeaway is that the world is intensely competitive, but respect is earned. So the same Clive Lloyd in 1976, who did not spare any of you from body line bowling, was also the fielding captain who was generous enough to declare that pitch unfit in 1983. And that, in many ways, was respect earned”.
He said that another takeaway was the difference which one person can make.
Mr Jaishankar said that when they think of foreign policy, they often compare it with chess, but it is not like chess at all.
“It’s far more like cricket. And it is like cricket because first, there are many players. Two, the playing conditions keep varying. Playing at home and playing abroad are very different. You are at the umpire’s whims at times. There are many formats. And at the end of the day, a lot of it is about psychology, trying to outthink the other team, trying to get into their heads. That every time you go out there to do your business, it is actually that competitive spirit that you tell yourself, I have to win this”, Mr Jaishankar said.
He remarked, “So cricketers are great analogies to explain to people in very complex situations what they should be like in their behaviour. So in my own system, if I have to tell someone, hang in there. Take it on the chip. Whatever happens, stand your ground. You are the analogy I use