Rain, No Play

ICC CWC 2007 OFFICIAL SONG LYRICS by ICC Cricket World Cup 2007 press release

TITLE: THE GAME OF LOVE AND UNITY

Chorus (at the start)

Play, in this beautiful game Where the rules and aim Remain the same It's the game of love and unity

Play, in this beautiful game Where the rules and aim Will never change It's the game of love and unity

Verse 1

Sending out invitations All over the world Every race, every class, Every man, every girl Whether near, whether far Come and join in the fun (Oh na na na)

This is it, one big game that you cannot miss No matter who you are - everyone’s on the list This is the game of life and we all are one (So come along)


Chorus (repeated twice)

Dancehall breakaway (repeated twice)

We run the place We set the pace We lead the chase Everybody participate and…

No time to waste Lift up the pace and celebrate It’s our obligation

We fascinate, we captivate Your mind, your heart, soul and Rhythm of the nation

We play, we play We feel the game Come on, come on Let me see you gyrate

Verse 2

Bring along all your friends And tell them join in Cause this game never ends Once it begins We will spread peace and love For eternity

All your worries and stress Let them all go We won't settle for less Cause we're all MELLO Bring your heart and your soul and set your mind free

Chorus (repeated twice)

Bridge

We will rejoice And sound our voice Cause we are one together L.O.V.E. and unity, Forever

Chorus (repeated to the end)


The above lyrics are from the official song of the Cricket World Cup, "The Game of Love and Unity". Cricket is indeed a beautiful game, but is it really a game of "love and unity"? One need not look very far to see that, as with most sports, cricket does not exist separate and apart from political strife and has a long history of struggle and exploitation beyond the boundary.

Take this World Cup for example. When hurricane Ivan devastated Grenada in 2004, the People's Republic of China was quick to step in and fund many rebuilding efforts including the island's cricket stadium which was destroyed. China also funded and built a $60 million stadium in Antigua to host World Cup matches. Given that China is a nation that does not play cricket, the perceptive question must get at why China has taken such an expensive interest in the Caribbean.

The evident response is that China's splurge on Caribbean cricket is an attempt to isolate Taiwan from the region. According to www.bloomberg.com, the Caribbean possessed 4 of the 24 states that still recognized Taiwan, but due to the recent financial investment, China's efforts have persuaded two nations to cease diplomatic relations with Taiwan.

A game of love and unity.

Pakistanis and Indians can attest to the political influence in cricket, as the two opposing nations have had tenuous relations that have led to two wars in the last 60 years. At the centre of the bad blood is the territory of Kashmir with both countries claiming a right to it. India's tour of Pakistan in 2004 marked the first time in 15 years that an Indian cricket team played on its neighbour's home soil.

A game of love and unity.

Then there is the question of why these 16 teams have congregated in the Caribbean to contest a tournament to determine the best ODI cricket nation in the world. Colonialism. England, in expanding its empire centuries ago, brought the game of cricket to its colonies. Without this endeavour, there would be no World Cup. Furthermore, the twentieth century has a rich history of blossoming cricketing nations on the international stage eager to defeat its former English oppressors. This tradition continues today, in particular, whenever the West Indies and Australia take on the former mother country.

A game of love and unity.

And so, with rumours swirling around the death of Pakistan's coach Bob Woolmer, everyone should take a step back and reflect each time the official song is played on the radio or the video shown on television, and realize that a "game of love and unity" is farcical. Cricket, and sport by extension, is more often than not, played as a means of political resistance.

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