Tour Diary
Running from pillar to post
I was just imagining Rahul Dravid's life when one-dayers are on
Siddhartha Vaidyanathan
25-Feb-2013
I was just imagining Rahul Dravid's life when one-dayers are on. Maybe it reads something like - travel, practice, press conference, team-meeting, gym, warm-up, game, press conference, travel ...
In between all this, he has to entertain thousand requests from the media, tens of thousands of requests from fans. At some point, he will need to stop and formulate team strategies; sometime during this jet-setting routine he may need to think about where his team is heading.
Full postTime for reflection
Today was a ‘Poya Day’ in Sri Lanka - a Buddhist ritual which happens four times a month and equates to the four phases of the moon
Andrew McGlashan
25-Feb-2013
Today was a ‘Poya Day’ in Sri Lanka - a Buddhist ritual which happens four times a month and equates to the four phases of the moon. This was a full-moon day, the most important of the phases and a monthly national holiday in Buddhist tradition. Yesterday there were lavish parades around the streets of Colombo, involving herds of dressed-up elephants, as the city prepared itself for a day of worship.
This meant there was no cricket today, so as the World Cup reaches its half-way point let’s take stock and see where we have got to. At the ‘business end’ of the tournament – the Super League – two mouth-watering semi-final line-ups have appeared following a week of qualifying matches and the quarter-finals. England take on India, a preview to the contest about to start between the full sides, while Pakistan face the impressive Australians.
Two of the possible finals from those matches revive huge rivalries, which have been a major part of world cricket in the last 12 months – England v Australia and India v Pakistan. Whatever happens, the four biggest countries are fighting for the main prize and a tournament can’t ask for much more than that.
In the lower reaches of the Super League, Sri Lanka – chastened after their thrashing by Australia on home soil – will want to fight for the consolation of the play-off prize, while Bangladesh will aim to bounce back from their defeat against England.
Full postCertainly not nondescript
Nondescripts is an unassuming cricket ground, the only one of the five used for this tournament that hasn’t hosted a Test or ODI
Andrew McGlashan
25-Feb-2013
Nondescripts is an unassuming cricket ground, the only one of the five used for this tournament that hasn’t hosted a Test or ODI. But while it may not have held international matches, it certainly has an impressive production line of international players. Reading the honours board on the back wall of the pavilion is like a who’s who of Sri Lankan Cricket.
From recent times there are names such as Kumar Sangakkara, Malinga Bandara and Hashan Tillekeratne. Going further back you reach Rajan Madugalle, now a match referee, and Asoka de Silva, now an international umpire. Players from this club certainly don’t finish their international careers when they hang up their pads. It is fascinating to see one club that has brought through so many players – the saying in England used to ‘strong Yorkshire means strong England’, in Sri Lanka that could quite easily be ‘strong Nondescripts means strong Sri Lanka.’
I’m not the only one to have admired the list of names. I’ve heard players asking about the large mural that is painted above the bar, showing some of the club’s successful players. A cricketer’s development is not all about what happens on the field. It is also about taking an interest in the bigger picture, so hearing a player query the history of the club suggests these possible future stars understand more than just the bat and ball.
One of the greatest players in the club’s history is Aravinda de Silva, and the locals are very pleased to talk about him. With Sri Lanka have been trounced by Australia next door at the SSC, I went and watched the end of Zimbabwe against Pakistan. As I took a walk around the outfield, I was beckoned over by a group of people leaning over the wall – goodness knows why they don’t come in, it’s free after all. Anyway, they started with the usual questions – which country was I from, which team did I support, why was I here…you get the picture.
Full postThe only way to travel
You’ll have read the occasional passing reference to tuk-tuks in this diary already, but the three-wheeled vehicles have become such a part of my everyday life around Colombo that I felt they deserved an entry of their own
Andrew McGlashan
25-Feb-2013
You’ll have read the occasional passing reference to tuk-tuks in this diary already, but the three-wheeled vehicles have become such a part of my everyday life around Colombo that I felt they deserved an entry of their own. The question is really, where do I start? Is it the hair-raising cornering? The total disregard for the rules of the road? Or the confrontations with traffic many times bigger and stronger?
Well, there are no two tuk-tuks, or trishaws as they are also known, that are alike. Some are fairly bland, just there to do a job, while others are lavishly decorated with loving care and attention. Some drivers have family pictures in their cab and brightly coloured fabrics covering the seats. Some are kept in top-notch condition, others, you think, must be about to fall apart around you.
One thing I learnt early on is that negotiating the price for a ride is very much like buying a house, you never accept the first offer. Once you have done a journey a few times you have a bit of bargaining power and it is often possible to force the driver down a few notches. One thing they aren’t so good at is having change, so when you offer a 1000 rupee note it begins a drawn out process over who is going to sort out some smaller notes.
Full postRuins in fantasy land
Taxilla
Siddhartha Vaidyanathan
25-Feb-2013
Taxilla. It's a name that evoked memories of one's history books, of King Ambhi, of education. It's an ancient city that rose to prominence as one of the eminent seats of learning in the sub-continent, before being ravaged by invaders from Central Asia.
The ruins suggested a strong Buddhist influence and the place invoked a sense of awe. Imagining how people lived a few decades back is hard enough; trying to visualise lifestyles around 2nd century AD is quite mindboggling.
Museums help - one gets a feel of the weaponry, the utensils, the currency, the script, the architecture, the clothes and the jewellery. The sight of imposing Buddhist stupas and the repeated mention of Asoka makes one realise the religious influence in these parts. But it's the ruins that are tough to unravel.
You see rows and rows of stone colonies, planned drainage systems, water faucets, and innovative ventilation. You are shown enclosures and told about this being a marriage hall and that being a courtroom. But nothing is concrete, everything is left to the imagination. At a certain level, it's fantasy. It's wonderful.
Full postLego-land
Driving from Peshawar to Rawalpindi to Islamabad is like going from a rustic barber's shop to a run-of-the-mill hair-dresser to a posh hair-styling saloon
Siddhartha Vaidyanathan
25-Feb-2013
Driving from Peshawar to Rawalpindi to Islamabad is like going from a rustic barber's shop to a run-of-the-mill hair-dresser to a posh hair-styling saloon. The contrast is far too stark to miss. One a city that still retains an old-world charm, another a rather crowded hub and the third a manicured, organised capital.
Islamabad is like an enlarged lego set - similar sized houses lining the well-planned colonies; wide several-laned roads infested with trendy automobiles; picturesque set of trees overlooking avenues; recreation parks straight out of suburbs in England. In many ways it's an enlarged Chandigarh, another of those cities planned like clockwork and one that looks the same whichever way you look at it.
It's no doubt impressive but somehow it felt too good, too artificial, too chocolaty. It was a sudden shift coming from pastoral Peshawar, a land that opened up infinite possibilities, one where old blended beautifully with new, one that had a distinct soul. Someday I would love to go back and soak in a bit more of its character.
Now to the posh hair-stylist.
Full postAnyone seen the score?
After two matches at the SSC, Colombo’s second biggest ground following the Premadasa Stadium, it was time to take a look at another of the town’s multitude if venues
Andrew McGlashan
25-Feb-2013
After two matches at the SSC, Colombo’s second biggest ground following the Premadasa Stadium, it was time to take a look at another of the town’s multitude if venues. Like Antigua is said to have a beach for every day of the year, I’m sure this place can match that for cricket grounds. They are everywhere, of all shapes and sizes, and very conveniently three of them (and, as if by magic, three of four for this tournament) are within about 100 yards of each other.
So when I say I went to another ground, it certainly doesn’t mean I had to venture into the unknown – more like turn left instead of the right this morning. Colombo Cricket Club is typical of smaller grounds; one main pavilion building, a small open stand, the groundstaff's shed, the scoreboard and the press box. Now, I don't like to quibble about little issues that crop up during the day – and there haven’t been any so far this tournament – but the CCC threw up a tricky proposition.
As I wandered into the ground, trying to avoid the two team buses that were attempting, what seemed to be, logistically impossible reversing into incredibly tight spaces, I asked for directions to the media area. Sent across to the other side of the ground I meandered over the outfield, dodging the occasional stray practice ball, and admired the large traditional scoreboard. I think manual scoreboards add to the character of a ground; The Oval had the fastest operators in the west, Adelaide’s is stunning, while Sydney’s is heritage listed.
Full postNepal aim to climb their Everest
In many ways, the World Cup is bigger news in the lesser-known cricketing nations
Andrew McGlashan
25-Feb-2013
In many ways, the World Cup is bigger news in the lesser-known cricketing nations. This was well demonstrated today with two journalists from Nepal covering the clash against England, while there are also journalists from Uganda, Ireland and Scotland covering their countries. And they are only the ones I know about.
My knowledge of the Nepalese players was somewhat lacking at the start of the match – and it wasn’t helped by first names appearing on the backs of some shirts, compared to surnames on the scoreboard. So I bent the ear of the reporter from the Kathmandu Post, and enjoyed an enlightening conversation about the rise of their cricket.
It has now become the No. 2 sport in the country, still trailing football by some distance but rapidly gaining ground. During the Afro-Asia Cup qualifying tournament, which Nepal won to earn themselves a place in this World Cup, between 15,000 and 20,000 fans turned up for the final. This was at a ground with no seating and little crowd control. Apparently the awards ceremony at the end was held up by a crowd invasion as the coach was lifted into the air in triumph.
The recent rapid rise of cricket in Nepal is emphasised by the story of their opening bowling Amrit Bhattarai. He is just 15-years-old, so has the chance of emulating Kanishka Chaugai, his captain, by playing in three World Cups. But the more amazing fact is that he has only been playing cricket for 18 months – now he is opening the bowling for his country. Talk about fast-tracking. A number of the U-19 squad have also already represented the full Nepal side, and their problem is creating a large enough pool of players to pick from.
Full postA law unto itself
It’s been exactly a month since I landed in Pakistan and only now do I get the feeling of being in a foreign country
Siddhartha Vaidyanathan
25-Feb-2013
It’s been exactly a month since I landed in Pakistan and only now do I get the feeling of being in a foreign country. For once, I am clueless about the language and for once, I look and dress totally differently from the locals.
We experienced some overwhelming hospitality when we landed in Lahore but the Peshawari warmth is cut from a different cloth. At Lahore, most people transformed their outlook from acting normal to being numbingly hospitable. At Peshawar, the initial reaction was more dead-faced but the final action just as stunning. One taxi driver didn’t want any money; another, Naeyk Alam Khan, insisted that he paid for all the items we bought and finally refused to charge us for the whole trip.
Khan took it up as a mission to show us around the city. After a failed visit to the museum (closed on Sunday), he offered to take us to Karkhana Market, a place he termed unique. Cruising through the smooth roads, with digital clocks at every traffic signal, we enjoyed the sun sinking under the imposing mountain range, a refreshing breeze blowing, and a quaint sight of donkeys pulling carts and zooming past.
Karkhana Market is known for several things, least of all for a place where one can buy, hold your breath, guns. It’s a truly astonishing sight with rows of pistols, rifles, air guns, machine guns, Kaleshnikovs and zillion varieties of firearms lining the walls.
Full postYounger team, bigger win
In their current form there are not many sides that could outdo the full Australian side when it comes to a crushing one-day win
Andrew McGlashan
25-Feb-2013
In their current form there are not many sides that could outdo the full Australian side when it comes to a crushing one-day win. So, it comes as no surprise, that when it does happen it is another Australian team that manages it. While South Africa suffered a 57-run drubbing at Sydney, the Under-19 version were crushed by 175 runs in Colombo.
Not bad for a team that had lost its two warm-up matches. But Matthew Mott, the assistant coach, said to me before the match that “they had learned some lessons,” and South Africa felt the result.
The star of the Colombo show was Tom Cooper, a tall and correct opening batsman from New South Wales, who watched two partners fall in the space of three balls before guiding his side towards their massive total. Today was not one of Colombo’s warmest, but batting for nearly 40 overs was still hard work, so there is certainly one person who will have enjoyed the Supersub rule, as Cooper was given the second innings off and could put his feet up in the dressing room.
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