Cricketers too bitten by the publicity bug
Cricketers have been taking a leaf out of the book of Bollywood celebrities, and sharing far more details of their personal lives with fans now. Is this the lockdown effect or the beginning of a new normal?
Unlike Bollywood fans, who have always been well-informed about almost every move the stars made, cricket fans hadn’t much going for them as regards the personal side of their icons.
However, one transformation the COVID-19 situation seems to have brought about is how their favourite Men in Blue are not coy anymore to spill some beans on their personal lives. The social media is brimming with stories almost daily, which either they or their spouse/partner wants to share with the world. The scene prior to Covid19 was different. Fans of these sportstars would would not be able to get anywhere close to them — the cricketers too simply walked away. But now, with no tournaments within the near future, celebs are missing the fan adulation. Like they say the worst thing for a celeb is to be out of the news! Which is why they are bombarding social media with their stories! We spoke to Kolkata-based sports psychologist Anusheela Brahmachary to share her thoughts on this phenomenon.
“While regular couples also post plenty of pictures on their social media pages, those are not expected to set a ‘couple’s goal’ for the entire nation, as it does for the stars,” points out Anusheela, who adds that some sportsmen have been enjoying a celebrity status for a while already. But she also says, such attention-seeking attitude during the lockdown, whether regarding their stay-home looks or cooking skills, could go beyond just killing time, probably even having other psychological implications.
“Much has already been discussed about the addictive impact of the spotlight on the sports stars,” she explains. “For a long time, that was achieved through a combination of their winning performances and media appearances. However, right now, it is only the display of their personal exploits on social media. But yes, for now, it may be a delight to both the celebs and their fans — while the fans get a sneak peek of the star’s life, for the sportsmen, it reaffirms their ‘desirability quotient’ in their minds.”
STAYING RELEVANT OR DISTRACTED?
But there have been several cases of the erratic fan behaviour, given fan mentality has always been emotionally driven, sometimes tipping to the unreasonable, too. One day they can shower their icons with praises and on the very next day, deride them with harsh criticisms.
So, as per Anusheela, while after everything opens up post the world-wide lockdown, like everyone else, these sportsmen will also take a while to regain focus and get back to their best forms.
“But it may happen that some of them may take a little longer or not perform at all in some matches,” she points out. “Then, the unforgiving criticisms of these very fans who are going gaga over the cricketers’ lockdown posts may inflict a shock upon them, which can further give rise to depression and other mental issues. Suddenly, all the applause may become troll comments, causing emotional trauma to the sportsmen.”
But as we close our interaction, she goes on to point out that while it is perfectly okay for stars to enjoy their fans’ attention, it is recommended that they do not solely rely on them for their selfesteem and self-efficacy.
All said and done, when the lockdown ends, it would be interesting to see whether these very cricketers now so visible on their fans’ timelines would have time or energy on their hands.
Nanaki J. Chadha, whose innate passion for sports made her pursue a master’s in the field of sport psychology from Loughborough University, believes that sportspersons’ interactions on social media also keep their fans engaged.
“They have always been on social media. Right now, a lot of them are also spreading awareness with regards to COVID-19 given their huge following. Also, they keep their fans busy,” she points out.