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The reading culture itself has drastically fallen in the country - and the worst hit is cricket literature, according to Theo Braganza of niche publisher Marine Sports. Marine Sports, started by Braganza’s father Bruno in 1956, claims to be the only exclusive cricket publisher in India and one of only three in the world. "Publishers who once sold up to 5,000 copies of any cricket-related book are now happy if they get beyond the 1,000 figure," rued Braganza. "When my father started this venture in 1956, reading habits were peaking. But the most drastic fall has come in the past 10 years," Braganza told IANS. Braganza has set up a stall for Marine Sports—a favourite of Indian cricketing greats including Sunil Gavaskar, Sachin Tendulkar and Sanjay Manjrekar—at the Vidarbha Cricket Association grounds here during the first India-England Test. "We do not look at ourselves as a business organisation. We want to contribute to the game. So our numbers are small and we are living with it," he said without revealing the sales figures of Marine Sports. The trend is changing even among cricketers, claimed Braganza. "Earlier, cricketers like Gavaskar used to eagerly seek literature and books about the country which he would be touring and its cricket. "Most important players have at some point of time or the other approached me for books and material. They used to study their opponents through books too," he pointed out. "But then came the trend of visuals. Players like Sachin and Sanjay wanted records of their opponent’s games. I had to make it available and that’s how I ventured into CDs." But now even that has faded out as the team management makes available all the required material. "Now my role with the team has gone down, but my love affair with the public continues." — IANS |
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