This is by far one of the best cricket books we have read in a long time. The book chronicles the historic 2004 Indian tour of Pakistan. This book is as much about the test series as it is about discovering Pakistan through an Indian's eyes. The result is engrossing, funny, and poignant. Bhattacharya has done a brilliant job.
We loved this book because it ends up being more than a tour dairy. It is a story of the author's trip to Pakistan to cover the series. The book covers everything from the mundane task of getting a visa to Pakistan, the sights and sounds of Karachi, the affection of the people everywhere in Pakistan (especially to the visiting Indians), the sights and sounds of Lahore, and the cricket matches.
Anyone who is from the subcontinent and has followed this series may remember the many highlights from this series: The first ODI in Karachi under very heavy security, Inzamam's dulcet stroke play throughout the ODI series, Sehwag's bludgeoning of Saqlain on his way to 309 in the Multan Test, Tendulkar's controversial 194 not out, Dravid's patient 270 in the third Test, Balaji, and last but not least, Shoaib Akhtar.
Bhattacharya does a fantastic job in describing the matches. Inzi, Sehwag, VVS Laxman, and Balaji get special attention and we loved every minute of it. His descriptions are very lucid and were stylishly written. The author shows great felicity in conveying what he observes. The match reports are interspersed with great observations about Pakistan and interviews with Aaquib Javed and Abdul Qadir.
The interview with Aaquib Javed was interesting for the amount of bull shit Aaquib spouts. According to Aaquib, there are four reasons for the dearth of genuine pace bowlers in India: 1. Genetic [bullshit], 2. Diet leading to aggression (eating red meat makes people more aggressive) [bullshit], 3. Playing with taped tennis ball when young makes the tendons and ligaments stronger [hmmm], and 4. heroes to look up to [valid].
Reading about the author's meeting with Abdul Qadir is alone worth the price of the book. We found this part extremely entertaining. Brilliant.
About Saqlain:
"...For only a few days ago the man who added the word 'doosra' to cricket lexicon had announced a 'teesra'. Nobody knew how to play it. Nobody knew how to pick it. Nobody knew what to look for because nobody knew what the hell it was supposed to do....As the afternoon wore on, the answer emerged from a corner of the press box: 'Aur yeh teesra...aur yeh chauka!' (And that's the third...and that's a four)"About Sehwag:
"...Tendulkar was to smile later at the futility of his efforts. 'I talk to him. He always hears me, but I am not sure if he ever listens to me.'..."About Inzamam:
"...Asked about Pakistan's dire situation with extras, he replied: 'Improvement toh hai. Karachi mein 38, aaj 37' (But there is an improvement. 38 in Karachi, 37 here)..."About the history of umpiring in the subcontinent:
"...Karachi, 1955. Lala Amarnath, the Indian team manager, is seated in the room of Abdul Hafeez Kardar, the Pakistan captain. The two gents have, among other things, recently taken the unusual step of slapping each other in a hotel lobby. This is a reconciliatory tea meeting on the eve of the last Test of the series. Lala's back is to the door, and so the man who enters the room with words, 'Any instruction for tomorrow's game, skipper?', has his guard down. The man is umpire Idris Beg.In conclusion, this book is highly recommended. READ IT. Now.
Bombay, 1960. Pakistan's captain, Fazal Mahmood, clean bowls his counterpart, Nari Contractor, in the opening Test of the series at Brabourne. Contractor is at an unspecified location between the square and the pavilion when the umpire, S.K. Gangulli, sticks out his arm. It is no-ball. Why, inquires Fazal, has not the call come earlier? 'The chewing gum got stuck in my throat'...."
4 comments:
According to Aaquib, there are four reasons for the dearth of genuine pace bowlers in India: 1. Genetic [bullshit], 2. Diet leading to aggression (eating red meat makes people more aggressive) [bullshit]
Damn. That is some straight-up Jimmy The Greek bullshit.
The tape ball thing doesn't make that much sense to me, either, although it's pseudo-science is at least less bigoted. Aussies develop pace bowlers like Zimbabwe develops dissidents, but they aren't any more enamoured of tape balls than India.
Granted on the fourth point.
What ball do the Aussies use when they play in their backyard? We used to use a hard rubber ball for the most part because it was cheaper than a tennis ball.
We also used a cork ball. I hated that ball. Low bounce and very painful if it hit you on the shins (that used to happen all the time due to the low bounce).
Mostly tennis balls in my experience. Sometimes taped, to be sure -- but tape ball isn't the phenomenon that it is in Pakistan.
hmmm...maybe the fact that cricket in Australia (and SA) is a little bit more organized and kids start playing with a cricket ball younger than in the subcontinent might be the reason Australia has fast bowlers.
A lot of kids in the subcontinent never end up playing with a cricket ball.
Even then, I would doubt his theory is accurate. I wonder what kind of ball they use in Sri Lanka.
Any Sri Lankans out there?
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