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...
3 comments:
i am guessin katich might give away his wicket for free...(the curator also feels so)
Other players might start attackin aggressivly by seeing the current players' form... my bet is mr badree the consultant from epl wud start playin after a while and wud be a batsman to watch out for... nikhil chopra is still feelin pressure bowlin on the dry pitch and is agruing with the curator... last heard he and the curator had a big tiff about the bad luck he gets playin on the pitches laid down by the curator ;)
Abhay kurruvilla is in top form and knockin over all the wickets in dubai and the leagues outside as well .. word is venkatpathi raju doesnt think highly of kuruvilla s bowling skills and plans to make a come back to cricket and knock out abhay from the squad... as far is paul is concerned he is nowdays more interested in watchin the matches rather than playin em .. thats my take
cheers...
After Katich's sensational comeback in the last match, I feel he is unstoppable. Only the curator can help bolwers like Nikhil and Raju by preparing a spin friendly pitch. But lately it has been heard that Kurruvilla has been working on a deadly body line bowling and is goonna use it in the upcoming match at his home ground along the sea coast( the cool sea breeze and the smell of prawns will benefit him).
As far as for the curator... I have my doubts that some elements of match fixing that mite be involved.
But I also think that the curator got the true potential of Feroz wrong. he is a talented player, but more than that he is one of the best Umpires in the business. he is some one like simon toffel, who has not played cricket but knows all bout it.
He watched every action so closely that nthn can miss his eyes. So all batsmen beware!! he ll c the slitest of nicks!!
some of my onbservations:
katich: the batsman who once spoke so quietly over the phone that people sitting right next to him didnt even noe he was on a call has decided to make his bat do all the talking...recent whirlwind innings have enhanced his reputation as a batsman who can turn the match around single handedly!!!!
Kuruvilla: The fast bowler is now putting all his Theories to test in the dry turning tracks of India and seems to have found the right formula of getting wickets!! Even being folically challenged hasnt dented his concentration and focus
Mr and Mrs Bharadwaj: Well all I can say about this is that all the hard work of Mr Bharadwaj has finally borne fruit. Although still shrouded in mystery, this relatipnship once again proves the old adage that if at once u dont succeed, try and try again...and then try some more!!!!!
Harbhajan Singh: The overseas player of the season. He has got into verbal spat with fellow players but his performance on the dry dusty track has impressed one and all!!!!
Mr Raju: Aye Raju... Hatt Baaju..seems to be the Kaul of the season as everyone tries their best to keep him out of the team through their performances!!!
Captain: Like Kaif, he is the quintessential captain. Although going through a lean patch, he still contributes whenever the team needs him to!!! His recent maturity is a refreshing change
Nikhil Chopra: The fast bowler who is now making his living as a off spinner. Not happy with the recent pitch conditions, he is making his best efforts to influence the curator. However his worries on the money he will spend playing in dubai, make his chances of selection a reallly slim possibility.
Badree: The consultant is actually a match fixer trying to become a player... Waiting to see which pitch he shall decide to play on!!!
Feroz: The fringe player who cant seem to find the perfect pitch to play on. Concern is that he is fast approaching the retirement age as past experiences tell us he has always chosen booked pitches to try and bat on!!!
Curator: The man that makes it all happen!!! the do gooder...the care taker... however little known fact is that in reality he is a out of form player who is looking for the right playing condition to return to action. Also currently tied up with some overseas pitches, he still need time to decide when to go back and water the Calcutta pitch.
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