The Maradona Game (a.ka. Koun Banega Maradona)

Ever since Diego Maradona hung up his magical boots, Argentina has been waiting for an heir. And because players like Maradona don't just drop off trees or grow in football field there has been no apparent heir. So if we cannot get a next Maradona we will thrust the crown over someone, that is what they decided. So every other season some promising young starlet is crowned as the "Next Maradona". Sometimes it is Maradona himself doing the declaration which lends even more credibility to such an outrageous claim. Aimar, Saviola, D Allesandro, Messi and recently Kun Aguero. The list keeps on growing. Of course what keeps this game interesting is that most player who have been so named have failed to live up to promise and fall by the wayside, though it does seem that Messi is here to stay (and while these Maradonas continue to fail, a man completely different from Maradona has made Argentine national team his own). So the hunt continues.
And now in another country, this game has caught up and become a favorite pastime. French football reached its pinnacle in the reign of Zidane The First. When it became apparent in 2006 that world cup would be the final chapter of his career, French public immediately anointed Frank Ribery as the next midfield general. Since then Ribery has evolved nicely and has really become the fulcrum of this team. But to keep the game interesting and competitive suddenly two more names have been thrust into the ring those of Karim Benzema and Samir Nasri. What advances there case is the fact that they are both of the same ethnicity as Zidane, Algerian Khabyle. And now that French national team is playing in its first major tournament without Zidane, great things are expected of these three. Maybe by the time the tournament ends one of them would have taken the lead in the race to become next Zidane. But I am sure in couple of years, fickle public having gotten bored of these names would have elevated some other youngster, because the game of course is bigger than any individual.
And what about India. When the maestro puts his bat to rest, I am sure we will not be left behind and many a new Tendulkars will be launched in passionate discussions at coffee table, barber shops, panwalas etc. Anyone betting on Rohit Sharma!!