By Sreelata S. Yellamrazu
Cricketers do live the lives of celebrities. It is also perhaps why there are susceptible to the scandals that plague those that live by their name.
Mohammad Asif had more heat coming his way than imagined. As if the spot fixing scandal in England during the England Pakistan series was not enough, Asif’s ex-girlfriend and Pakistan actress, Veena Mallik, went public with what she termed was evidence of Asif’s indulgence in the dreaded deed of match fixing. While Asif claimed it was a jilted lover and no more, Veena chose to milk the limelight to dig up dirt on Asif while also touching upon the days when she helped financially pull him out of previous muck. Unfazed Asif is celebrated wedded bliss six months still with his bride, Sana Hilal. The pomp certainly does not suggest Asif fears anything, which is he were guilty indeed, would be a rather dangerous sign for the ICC and the custodians of the game.
On a lighter note (though not for the South Africa fast bowler), Andre Nel finds himself in a soup he did not think about while playing boyfriend to a girl who believed he was single, free and licensed to mingle. The bowler has had a bit of reputation of not always thinking things through on the cricket field when reacting in a fiery manner obviously did not think of the repercussions of a liaison that would come to not only haunt him but also, embarrass him publicly.
Unlike Tiger Woods who evoked a range of emotions, Nel has largely been made a mockery of since his girlfriend in England, Jelena Kultiasova, decided to take her anger at his ‘adultery’ ( if one can term it that ) straight into the mouth of the media. What followed thereafter has largely been a mockery of matters as Nel went from denying the affair to suggesting the cheesy ‘friends with benefits’ to finally confessing to the wrath of a pregnant wife.
Why Nel had to lie to Kultiasova on what seemed like an innocent stint in county cricket is something perhaps only him or the male mentality can describe. The idea is not to dwell on the psychology of it, but in the cricketers getting a hands-on learning experience of just how harsh the glaring light of the camera can be even as they confess to enjoying the limelight when it suits them to get lucrative contracts, overseas deals and plenty of talking points. How very celebrity like. But like everything in the celebrity world, the stories thrive on the juicy tidbits. Just ask Sania Mirza and Shoaib Mallik. Anyone remember what their last significant achievement was? Precisely.
©Sreelata S. Yellamrazu for ©www.mindspacecricket.com
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