The sun is finally out it seems. After waiting in the hut for 10 continuous months, the players have finally been given a chance to display some of their skills in this inaugural Dubai Sixes tournament. The outfield in lush, there's hardly any dew on the surface, and any trace of green on the pitch have been taken care of. It's a batsman's paradise. We're expecting some early movement as usual, but I think the batsmen in the competition are well equipped to negotaite that. Once set, this is the kind of pitch that batsmen dream of batting on.
The credit must go to the curator, who is yours truly. My name is Ishant Sharma, and yes, you got that right. I was, once upon a time, a terrorising fast bowler for India, but excess fat and poor form led to my exclusion from the team. My love for the game ensured that I didn't move out of it entirely, so I kinda picked up the garbage and put the pieces back together. Today, I am the curator, best known for preparing the best batting tracks here in Dubai.
A quick look then at the players who've gathered here for this meet. On first impressions, I must admit that this is the most diverse group of players that I've ever seen playing in one tournament.
Simon Katich - The middle order Aussie seems to be in the hitting form of his life. Word is that he will be used as a pinch hitting opening batsman. He was last seen oggling at the batting surface few days back, and vowed to make an impression very early on in the series.
Abhay Kuruvilla - The lanky fast bowler from South India seems to be making a comeback of sorts. Its been a (h)airy fairy comeback for him. He has been noticed lately with a new hairdo, which should assist him in distracting the batsmen's attention in long stretches of inactivity.
Harbhajan Singh - We've all seen his tremendous hattrick against the Aussies. But a recent injury has led him to take some time off and spend time with his family in India. Despite not playing an active role in this competition, he threatens to make the headlines with his influence on some of the key players in this series.
Nikhil Chopra - He's truly unhappy about the conditions here in Dubai. The ball will surely not turn so much, but then, he's never been a turner anyway, has he? We expect him to make some minor contributions with the bat lower down the order. The pitch might assist him do so. Somehow down on self belief ever since he landed here, and is looking for others to put the blame of that on.
Venkatapati Raju - He seems to be the one empathising with Chopra entirely. The coach's comments have suggested that he may be out of the playing 11, and asked to eventually go back home and watch the action on television. If anything, we're expecting some vocal outbursts from him.
Vijay Bharadwaj - Playing as a pure batsman in this series, he seems to be in fine nick. His family will be here supporting him through and through, so that should be a plus for him. However, the only worry is in the form of the Tabloid report that came out the other day saying that he gets subjected to wife beating in times of poor performance.
Mrs Bharadwaj - Though not a sporting member of the squad, this lady wears the vanity of Sophia Lauren. If you have a penis, then you gotta be hitting on her. Or so she claims. Word is that she might be involved in some of the training programmes for these players. I'm not even getting started here.
Mr. Captain, Paul - He seems to have mellowed down in the last few months, but his reputation for big sixes remains. The highest run getter of last season, anything can be expected from this great man. In his own words, the number of women he has scored on, er, I mean, the number of runs he has scored is quite sensational.
Special mentions also to the consultant who has flown down all the way from his EPL committments, Mr. Badree. He has already made an impact on the mindset of some of the players, with some useful chats he had under a tree the other day.
The only player with good potential who will be missing out it seems is Feroz. The upcoming talent from Aligarh is so particular about his requirements, that it puts even Amir Khan to shame. He seems to have asked for a tailor made customised pitch to suit his requirements, and it goes without saying that he has handed that contract to me too. That is a project that I have undertaken presently. In the last 6 months, he got a great opportunity to make a switch to FIFA, but strangely, the project didn't quite take off for him.
More on this on the other side of this break...
