The Surfer

True, the final over that Pakistan bowled at Australia the other day yielded a five-wicket maiden, and you don’t often see one of those, outside of a beach game featuring children under 8 and an ultra-competitive dad. In the main, though, the rhythm and the tone feel rather becoming. In fact (whisper it), they feel quite a lot like cricket.

Jadeja is a handy bat, a wonderful fielder and a useful left-arm spinner but Chawla has the attributes of a match-winner. There were indications during India's match against South Africa that Chawla might be a success in the tournament.

There are two ways of looking at the problem. Either shut all the coaching courses at the NCA or ban T20 for teenagers. A teenager participating in T20 shouldn't be considered for the State if at all the BCCI is serious about the problem.

Raina has had his share of problems against short-pitched deliveries. Under the circumstances, it was surprising why the mercurial Dale Steyn, despite the nature of the surface, did not quite go for the jugular against the left-hander on Sunday. An Australian team, in contrast, would have been ruthless.

It took three years for the cracks to begin appearing, for people to begin seeing through the spectacle and to the foundations. Say what you like about Modi, he certainly did a hell of a job marketing the hell out of the IPL. He also did an even better job marketing the hell out of himself.

For the sport to remain uncorrupted in these circumstances, it is imperative that the top is clean. Which is why this time around, I hope there is a way to actually bring criminal prosecutions. A national sport is a precious thing. It is one of the ways a community sees itself and understands itself. The reflection at the moment is not very pretty, and India’s genius is to change nothing but the mirror.

At one end of the hall lies a private zone, ringed by low tables and protected by 12 bouncers; you can go in only by invitation. There’s also a temporary ramp. Suddenly, there’s an announcement, and a fashion show is under way. People rush towards the ramp, raise their mobiles to make recordings. It lasts some 15 minutes—but the clothes aren’t the cynosure of eyes, the lounging cricketers are. Then there’s some jiving. David Warner of Delhi, just knocked out of the IPL, is escorting three white women. Gradually, the forbidden zone fills up with pretty girls: good looks seem to have opened the doors for them.

Many locals cannot watch their own team compete in a global tournament they are hosting, because the local broadcaster chosen to show live matches is barely available to residents.

IPL is a brand which is here to stay and is still threatening the two other formats of cricket, especially Tests. The corporate takeover of cricket as a property may have got delayed by this scandal but the threat still remains. It is here that messrs Gavaskar/Shastri/Pataudi can act as visionaries in trying to find a middle ground which would safeguard the interests of the sport, its various stake-holders and even the new fan base created by this glitzy new event.

Once again, men with new names come onto cricket’s biggest stage - Stanikzai, Ahmadzai, Shenwari, Zadran. Pathan names, names of tribes and geographies. Some of this team were born in the sprawling refugee camps in Pakistan, others in places whose datelines usually carry grim news.