Ganguly's cup of tea, and the wicketkeeping menace

Security issues have dominated the build-up to this series, and now the Khaleej Times reports on the plight of the players on tour. The report says, "Ganguly came to [a] coffee bar for a round of tea last evening but nobody was willing to serve him. An astonished Ganguly kept requesting the waiters but no one was obliging. The waiters were not rude - they were only acting under the instructions not to serve anything to any Indian player till somebody has tasted it first and declared it safe. Ganguly was bemused and requested a journalist to help him get the tea. After a bit of cajoling, and [the] voice of reason, the journalist himself was allowed to first go to the kitchenette of hotel Pearl Continent in Lahore, taste the tea, and then declare it safe for the Indian captain."

There is also a vivid description of what was going on around Ganguly as he drank his tea. "It was an amusing sight to see Ganguly have his cup of tea with security men - and their sniffer dogs - gawking at him as if he was a UFO."

And this tight scrutiny was not limited to just food and drink. "So tight is the security that even envelopes dropped in the names of players at the hotel are first checked by top bomb-disposal experts to ensure none of it is a paper-bomb. Rahul Dravid immediately sought out the business centre of the hotel, and spent the next two hours on the Internet."

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In a column in Rediff.com, Javagal Srinath looks at the psychological aspect of the series. "I am afraid that verbal abuse will be rampant from the Pakistan camp, as their coach Javed Miandad has already initiated the psychological warfare ... A little exchange of words is always good to give a boost to the challenging spirit of the game. But indecent personal remarks and vulgar gestures will not augur well for the so-called friendship series."

Srinath singled out a few players in the Pakistan team and remarked on their mental make-up. "Barring the incident in Toronto, where current Pakistani skipper Inzamam-ul-Haq strode into the crowd, taking the law (read bat) in his own hands, his behaviour as a cricketer has always remained exemplary. A great timer of the ball, Inzy has always been a cool customer - be it in victory or defeat."

However, Srinath's views differ when it comes to a few other players. "The rest of the Pakistani players cannot be put on the same pedestal. Behind the stumps, Moin Khan could be the real culprit. Wicketkeepers can be a menace to the game if they don't conduct themselves properly. The stumper's proximity to the batsmen makes it is easier to exchange words."

He added, "There is Shoaib Akhtar, [who] has learnt his lessons from the World Cup encounter. His arrogant remarks only made our batsmen more determined to treat him disdainfully. Although Shoaib is careful with his words this time, the truth remains that he can't really promise his own good conduct. The game is such a leveller that nobody can get away with a show of arrogance. Even the real exponents of the game dread making such conceited statements for fear of the curse of the game, which could be severe."

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In a syndicated column in Mid Day, Rashid Latif has branded Inzamam-ul-Haq as a captain without any dynamism. "He is a routine leader, who makes changes by rota. It is Moin Khan behind the stumps who has brains and actually effects changes. Inzamam, also, is in very poor form, he has scored only 100 runs or thereabout in his last five innings. He just cannot afford a slip-up."

Latif insisted that there was a huge chunk of pressure on Sourav Ganguly as well. "He [Ganguly] has scored only eight runs in his last four innings. If he does not do well in Pakistan, he could lose his captaincy. This series is being held after 15 years -- both captains can't afford a flop show."

There is also a mention of the batting abilities of both players and a specific citing of Inzamam's running between the wickets. "When on song, though, both are world-class batsmen. Ganguly will be helped by the lack of bounce on our pitches. Inzamam, if he gets past the first 10-15 minutes, will be difficult to stop. In the initial moments, he is not sure of his movements. Steve Waugh always used to have a short cover for him for those spooned drives. His running between the wickets is diabolical but once he is set he does not rely on it, he hits fours and sixes only."

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Shoaib Akhtar has said that he is looking forward to enjoying the pressure put upon him by the millions of fans. In a column which appeared in The Times of India, he said, "Playing our neighbors in front of a home crowd is going to be an interesting and challenging experience. Right now I am keeping calm so that I can enjoy the pressure on Saturday."

Shoaib hopes that this historic series wont be trivialised into a battle between himself and Sachin Tendulkar. "I am sure Sachin would agree that such an approach would be trivialising a game between two good sides."