Leave or smack?

Watching a cricketer at a press conference has its own charm. It's interesting watching how one man sitting in the public gaze, with television cameras hovering around, and with press corps likely to throw up anything ranging from the intelligent to the bizarre, responds.

One remembers Adam Gilchrist’s press conferences on his last trip to India – chirpy and full of cheer. One was tempted to liken it to his batting, considering the carefree and straightforward approach. Inzamam often indulges in matter-of-fact humour and those who saw him on India’s last visit to Pakistan, when he was on the losing side, recall it as one of the memorable highlights.

Anything may get misinterpreted, even passing mentions could turn into a headline. If he is honest and indulges in criticism, he may be doomed. If he doesn't, and decides to play it absolutely safe, he still may be. It's often a lose-lose situation to be in, especially if things aren’t going too well.

Rahul Dravid is often at his diplomatic best, mostly preferring to err on the side of caution. When he wins, he will stress on the importance of not getting carried away; when he loses, on the positives gained; when in doubt, he will leave the question outside off stump; when put in a spot, he will prefer to offer a dead bat.

Shahid Afridi and Virender Sehwag are different. When you walk out to the centre thinking 'see ball, hit ball', it's tough not to do the same while entering a press conference. Answers usually emerge immediately, sometimes brutal, sometimes funny. They bring a certain party-like mood, revelling in the attention and not scared of crossing the limit. They will rarely fumble for replies and one can safely assume that they aren't too concerned about the headlines that appear the next day. When there's a simple route to approach a situation, why even consider anything else?