Bent by 15 degrees!

Ass I was ‘travelling’ into my intended “Corridors of uncertainty” I was forced to take a detour by “15 degrees” and it opened corridors of uncertainty, wide and conspicuous!

Did I say ass? ….well forget the typo and just let me continue…

“Law is an ass” goes the first law!   By this statement of Charles Dickens, (which is improvised from its original usage by George Chapman dating back to 1600’s), what is actually meant is the reputation that law gained over centuries for its purported stupidity, which Mr.Donkey is ‘known’ for! 

But if you actually observe man, especially when ‘it’ is alone and the donkey when ‘he’ is alone, I have little doubt that you will detest the analogy.  Donkey is very consistent, unmoved and silent; whilst I don’t have to tell you about man who is known to you better in first person singular!  By man I include both genders – I don’t discriminate!

So, please don’t ever call donkey an Ass or even Donkey!

Well, who am I to question & correct the validity of Charles Dickens statement; in any case it has survived centuries and even the “law” cannot “stay it”!

This aphorism has been flashing over my mind's screen; not by observing an ass – casually referred to as, donkey; but man – occasionally referred to as, an ass! After all "what is in the name" as the great bard expressed!

Coming to 15 degrees, which for a change refers to a ‘rule’ in the game of cricket which remains in cold storage with occasional heating up, suiting convenience.

Briefly, a bowler is considered as chucking the ball, when he does not swing his arm full, while bowling a ball – with a maximum tolerable limit of 15 degrees arch in his elbow.

And we need to enter into the second law for further deliberations on this subject

The second law: Law is not only an ass but also has lot of holes in it!

Now, by the two separate words “ass” and “hole”, am I making any sense!? If yes, it is unintentional!  What I essentially mean here is, that, how do you measure this 15 degrees aberration and what do you do with it?  Till the advent of television, it was only our vision which detected or failed to detect and the umpire is the one who initiates it.  He has to see whether the bowler oversteps the popping crease, then observe the pitching of the ball, and the impact position on the pads (if it hits) and assess the height and adjudge whether a ball is “no ball” or a batsman is out “LBW” and all this in less than half a second!

With the advent of television and technology, the actions are analysed and the degrees determined – but by then a bowler like Saeed Ajmal, who is the latest in this infamy list, has already done sufficient ‘damage’ by taking hundreds of wickets.  In any case, he will appeal and if it fails, will go and ‘correct’ his action and come back and continue chucking….sorry bowling!  

And the point is the best bowlers in the world (with the bare exception of great Muralidharan who had a malformed elbow) proved effective only by their ‘clean action’!  So where is the advantage of ‘chucking’ and disadvantage of bowling ‘clean’!?

Why have a rule which has holes and contentions?  

So, 'rule' (the law) becomes an ass, because it is still & quiet and raises its head and voice only occasionally. 

By observing this donkey standing, can we be sure whether it is sleeping, meditating or procrastinating!?  

This reminds me of the statement by Churchill, which goes, “the era of procrastination, of half measures, of soothing and baffling expedients, of delays is coming to its close”!  Not sure what he really meant by this audacious assertion!?

Rather it was just beginning!!  Can anyone vouch that 'law' and 'ass' acted fast proactively!?  Forget half measures in these times when the department concerned with road laying lays the road and immediately the corporation people come and digs for pipe laying, returning the road to its original state!  Cricket associations can consider utilising the services of corporation personnel for laying the pitch - they can rest assured that it will be a square turner!

Coming to 15 degrees; just make the rule simple that the arm should raise over the shoulder and head before delivering the ball.

'Cricket is a game of glorious uncertainties' goes the oft repeated trite statement and we take pride in repeating this and make no effort to ward off unwarranted uncertainties.

Look at this rule of cricket: "if the ball pitches outside the line of leg stump and then hits the pad, then a batsman cannot be ruled out even if the ball is hitting the middle stump!"  When Shane Warne can bowl Gatting out by pitching the ball well outside the leg stump and turning it squarely to hit the stump, why not Gatting be rule out if his pad happens to be in-between the ball and the stump?  It defies logic, despite its rationale. On top of it, the line which is mentioned in the rule is an imaginary one!!

Generally, the law makers lurk stealthily and allow the law breaker to break the law and catch – if needed!  In India, you can see the traffic policemen waiting on the wrong end of a “no entry” road and catch someone who drives through and reaches the other end.  He is not worried about the repercussions of the crime of driving down the prohibited way – not intending to prevent but prosecute.

Rules and laws are meant to be learnt before and abide by it. Likewise, the governing bodies are constituted to prevent that which is unruly or illegal and not lurk and catch in the aftermath! 

Why don’t the governing body of sports test all the players before the race instead of catching them after the race – after winning 7 tours or winning two Olympic medals!

Why allow production of cigarettes and then ban smoking in common place and put a statutory warning and keep allowing people to suffer – I mean the non-smokers!

Why sell liquor through authorized bars when someone comes driving in for a drink and then catch him for drunken driving?

Why allow poachers to get into the forest and kill the elephant and rhinos and catch them when they smuggle the tusk and tuft?

Will anybody learn the rules of the game to circumvent it?  Primarily a sportsperson learns a game to excel in his chosen arena and showcase his talent. So does a policeman who primarily wanted to adhere strictly to law and make the erring citizen law abiding!  No criminal is a born criminal - only the holes in the law provides and shows him the avenues.

But as the cat turns wild with the first taste of blood, the first inadvertent step outside the boundary loosens the resolve and if it goes unchecked, becomes a habit!  And you know, “habits die hard” (there is no dearth for such aphorisms in this world!). 

The law is not meant to be bent, and for this, it needs to be made out of steel to enforce its objective, after deep contemplation and prudence.  Law is for prevention of untoward in the hands of the enforcing authorities and only then it assumes a punitive function in the judicature.

If you ask me, Law should be made like an “ass” – rigid and obstinate and man should not get tempted to go through its “hole” and make himself an….!