Musharraf the fan bowls India a googly

Sundries keeps you abreast of all the extra bits, the quips, the little news shavings; in other words, the other stuff. It will run throughout Pakistan's tour of India:

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March 9

Musharraf the fan bowls India a googly

India's fabled bureaucracy is in a tangle over plans for Pakistan's president, General Pervez Musharraf, to visit the country to watch the cricket. Because of the security issues that surround such a high-profile trip, the question of who should issue the invitation - the Indian government or the BCCI - is being passed from party to party like a pinless grenade.

"I love watching sports and I also love cricket, but I would not go anywhere where I am not invited," Musharraf told the Al-Arabiya television network. There are rumours that, if they can decide which body should mail the invite, the General will be making a trip to Calcutta for the second Test. "We have just been asked to review and strengthen security at Eden Gardens," a senior police officer told AFP, "but we have not been told why."

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March 8

No Shoaib, no antics

Maninder Singh has a different take on Shoaib Akhtar¹s absence. He thinks it will be good for Pakistan. "Akhtar is very difficult to handle. And if he is not in the team, it is in the interest of Pakistan," Manider told The Press Trust of India. Pakistan had struggled to rein in Shoaib¹s antics in the past, Maninder said, and to control him in would have been quite difficult. Also, the Indian batsmen, he pointed out, had never had any problems tackling him. Recently, he should have added, didn't Shoaib turn a Test around with two wickets, Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendukar, in two balls in Kolkata in 1999?

Qadir v Kapil

Abdul Qadir never captained Pakistan in a Test, but he will get a chance to lead a team of former Pakistan players in a goodwill exhibition match to be played in Silchar, a hilly town in the north-eastern Indian state of Assam, on March 13. The Qadir XI, is likely to include Saeed Anwar, Aamir Sohail, Mansoor Elahi, Shoaib Mohammed, and they will take on Kapil Dev led XI including Javagal Srinath, Narendra Hirwani, Sadagoppan Ramesh, Vivek Razdan, Venkatapathy Raju, Samir Dighe and Pravin Amre.

"There may be one or two changes in the list as the visa formalities are not yet over," said Babul Hor, secretary of Silchar District Sports Association. "We are also trying to bring fast bowling legend Waqar Younis, but he has not given his consent so far."

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March 7

Sehwag prepares

In his column for Gameplan on the eve of the first Test, Virender Sehwag gives us an insight into his period of preparation. "I consider the two days ahead of a Test series serious preparation time. It's like getting ready for an examination, revision, planning and focus are of the utmost importance, " wrote Sehwag. "I always visualise my best knocks on the eve of the Test, and my 309 puts me in the right frame of mind." He added that the team missed Andrew Leipus's presence when they got together, but that his replacement, John Gloster, was good at his job and this made him comfortable.

Sehwag was taken aback at the Pakistan team manager's comment that his team lacked match-practice before the first Test. "I was surprised to hear the Pakistan manager say that his team will suffer for not getting enough practice in Mohali. Most professional teams know that this is part and parcel of cricket tours and cope. This often happens during tours and the Pakistanis will not have any problem as there is a whole day for them to practice before the game."

Inzy could do with some bowling advice - Imran

"Inzamam is a very good cricketer, give him time, possibly a bowling coach and he will become a good captain as well," writes Imran Khan in his column for Gameplan. Imran opined that Inzamam's handling of his bowlers lacked something because he was a batsman. He added that Sourav Ganguly had a better track record because he bowled part-time. "I think that the fact that he is a part-time bowler helps him when he is handling his bowling changes. He understands that bowlers tire after long spells, and handles all his pacemen judiciously." He cited an example where Inzamam erred in his decision-making: "In Perth last year, he erred by giving Mohammad Sami an 11-over spell which exhausted the bowler and made him inefective in the rest of the game.

"It is this shortcoming that made him ask for a bowling coach last year."

PCA invites former Pakistan captains

The Punjab Cricket Association, which is hosting the first Test, has invited nearly every Pakistani captain who has led his side against India. The list included Javed Miandad, Imran Khan, Wasim Akram, Rameez Raja, Fazal Mahmood and Mushtaq Mohammad. But two weren't invited: Salim Malik and Asif Iqbal.

A silent Test

Pakistan's cricketers have been barred from speaking to media for the duration of the first Test to ensure that they are not distracted. "[For] the moment we've decided that no player can speak to the mediamen without getting permission from us and until this first Test business is over we don't intend to entertain any interview requests from anyone," Saleem Altaf, the Pakistan manager, said to the News. "We'll allow players to speak but not now. Currently, we just want to concentrate on the first Test which is very crucial for us. It could decide the pattern of the entire series

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March 5

The omnipresent fan

When the first Test begins, Pakistan will have a familiar supporter in the stands. Sufi Ahmed Jalil, an aged bearded man almost always clad in green, has been sighted in Sharjah and numerous other continents amid crowds cheering on Pakistan. For this trip, however, he asked Shaharyar Khan and Tauqir Zia for help which was extended promptly. "I am very grateful for Shaharyar and Tauqir for their support," the Pakistan Times quoted him as saying. "I will be leaving for India by air in a due course."

Fearsome statement of the day

"I have worked on a few special deliveries. I will try them out on this tour."
Danish Kaneria sends out a warning.

Money, money, money

Revenue the BCCI has lost over TV rights: US$34.4million Revenue LG Electronics expects during the series: US$274.9million

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March 4

The "winning formula", according to Saeed Anwar

Saeed Anwar has requested the Pakistan team to avoid reading newspapers and talking to their family back home on their tour of India, as he felt that it would add to the pressure. Anwar, who has preached Islam since the death of his daughter in 2001, told The News: "My advice to all the players is to avoid reading newspapers, especially the negative stuff, and don't call home frequently, to avoid pressure. Just relax and take it as another match, it won't be easy when you play against India but it can produce good results. When someone from the family asks why are you not scoring runs and why are you so much under pressure, it adds to your woes, so avoid that as much as you can."

Special trains for Pakistan fans

In anticipation of large crowds flocking to the grounds, India and Pakistan have agreed to run special trains from Lahore to Chandigarh, the venue for the first Test on March 4. Amarinder Singh, the chief minister of Punjab, told the Press Trust of India, "We will go all-out to give the best hospitality to the Pakistanis."

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March 3

Mixing cricket and politics

The Himachal Pradesh legislative assembly took two days off to watch the three-day game at Dharamsala. Rain then interrupted play.

Write a book, Gavaskar tells Tendulkar

Everybody knows Sachin Tendulkar, but how many know him? Sunil Gavaskar put forward the question at the launch of a book about Tendulkar. He urged Tendulkar to write an autobiography with little-known facts of his life. What language he speaks to his wife in, for example. "We all know that Tendulkar uses a heavy bat, but would like to be informed about the number of grains his bat has or the number of handle grips he prefers to bat with," Rediff.com quoted Gavaskar. "One day, hopefully, Sachin Tendulkar would himself sit down and write his story so that we will know exactly what made him tick."

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March 2

Sachin Tendulkar has urged India's schoolchildren not to shirk on their studies, despite the on-field distractions that are to be served up in the coming weeks. Pakistan's tour coincides with the annual examinations, and some parents are worried about how this will affect their children's performance.

"I feel sorry for the students, but as the cricket calendar is drawn up by the International Cricket Council, there is little that can be done," Tendulkar, a father of two, told reporters in Delhi. He encountered a similar dilemma during his schooldays in 1987. "The World Cup was on in India and Pakistan at that time and it became difficult to concentrate. But I focused hard on my studies and cleared my exams."

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March 1

Plane trouble

Pakistan are concerned about their travel arrangements ahead of the first Test. The squad have had to take turns to fly to Dharamsala, the location for their only practice match, because the landing strip is too short for a larger plane. Team manager Salim Altaf told Reuters, "We realise the problem is one of logistics. There is some concern if we have to go back the same way we came, in two flights, then we may not be able to practice on Sunday. We will get only one day's nets in Mohali."

Meet my deputy, watsisname

Inzamam-ul-Haq, not quite pleased with the change in deputy, has said that maintaining continuity from the Australian tour would have been a good idea, the Indian Express reported. Yousuf Youhana was unexpectedly replaced by Younis Khan, who Inzamam said would have to prove himself as vice-captain. And then, in front of 22 television cameras and a room full of writers with pens poised, he referred to Younis as Yousuf.

Free advice

Rashid Latif has advice for Pakistan's team management: follow up your words with action. "I am a little bit surprised at the sort of statements you read everyday from Inzamam and Woolmer claiming they will beat India," Mid Day reported him as saying. "They made the same noises when the team was going to Australia and fell short of their words. At times you tend to end up looking silly when your performances don't match your statements."

Meanwhile, in a pep talk with the team before they left for India, Imran Khan urged Pakistan to play with passion and pride, for this would ensure success. "My team won in '86 because we were not scared of losing. I am sure if you play with the same zeal, success will be [at] your feet."

Elsewhere Sourav Ganguly had a chat with football players from Mohun Bagan, a Kolkata-based team, according to the Indian Express. Currently suffering a bad run, they were told by the Indian captain that they could overcome their setbacks with character and determination.

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February 28

Lama drama

Plans for the Dalai Lama to inaugurate the opening match of Pakistan's tour have been shelved, because Pakistani officials did not wish to jeopardise their "very good" relations with China. "We've conveyed the sensitivities involved in our relations with China," said a PCB spokesman, "and that we will not be attending any social function in Dharamshala including those involving the Dalai Lama."

Open season

Everybody's targeting somebody this series. Danish Kaneria has Rahul Dravid in his sights. Zaheer Khan wants Yousuf Youhana and Inzamam-ul-Haq. Naved-ul-Hasan is after Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar. Anil Kumble has no one, but wants to target someone. Irfan Pathan has no target in particular. And Shoaib Akhtar is targeting April 2 for a return.

The all-terrain Mahendra

Ranbir Singh Mahendra, the president of the BCCI, won a seat in the Haryana Assembly elections by over 11,000 votes and promptly declared that he could handle running Indian cricket as well as his constituency. Mahendra had earlier said that he would quit the presidency if his political career was affected by it.

And what if cricket is affected by Mahendra's political career?

It's all in the stars

"We lost the home series last year, now it could be India's turn to lose a home series."
And with that, Inzamam-ul-Haq winds up conspiracy theorists everywhere.

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February 27

An Indian Sami

"If India can somehow get hold of a bowler similar to Mohammad Sami, nothing like it."
Allan Border muses in his column.

Sehwag concerned about novices

Virender Sehwag has expressed a certain anxiety over Pakistan's new players, saying that their lack of exposure could be a boon for Pakistan. "We don't know anything about the new bowlers, their line and length," the Times of India quoted him as saying. "We are not going to take them lightly. They were successful in getting them [Australia] out with a score of below 250 in both the finals. This shows their ability."

PCB conveys reservations over Dalai Lama

The Pakistan Cricket Board has expressed its reservations to the BCCI over the decision to include the Dalai Lama in the opening game in Dharamsala. The board sought to avoid politically awkward moments, given the country's close relations with China. However, the News reported, the board "has said it has no problems with the Dalai Lama opening the match or witnessing it from the confines of the pavilion."

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February 26

Dial 1-800-WASIM

The answer to Pakistan's bowling problems could be only a phone call away. On being asked why he doesn't assist Pakistan's bowlers, Wasim Akram thundered to the Nation, "I'm really sick of this question. Now I cannot go to the PCB and beg them to give me a job. I'm available, they have to call me. And nobody has called me yet." Wasim was adamant that the first move come from the board. "If they want me to work for them, they only have to ask me. I'll never call Shoaib Akhtar and Sami." And with that, he hung up.

Highlighted in the contract

Not long ago, Doordarshan, India's state-run broadcaster, had declared that it was open to broadcasting the India-Pakistan series with whoever won the television rights. This worked both ways. If Doordarshan won the four-year rights, they'd have to share it with the others as well. But what if the contract was not a four-year one, but merely a single series? That's the legal bender Doordarshan's officials have been pointing out to ESPN-Star since they clinched the rights for the most lucrative series in India's cricketing calender for the next four years. ESPN-Star's request to broadcast a highlights package was turned down on this technicality. What comes next? In the event of no further progress, sigh, more legal action.

Flowers, not vermillion

When Pakistan's cricketers set foot in India, they will face a more organised reception than their predecessors, according to a report in the Khaleej Times. The BCCI, seeking to acquire a more professional reputation, will take religious considerations into account and receive the cricketers with garlands rather than the traditional vermillion greeting. And unlike last time, they won't be packed into a bus hurriedly and driven away before the series-opening media reception.

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February 25

The vice-captain who never was

Pakistan, take a bow. Close on the heels of Australia's radical idea of ambidextrous players comes the Pakistani proposal to have a vice-captain who doesn't play. Responding to criticism about Younis Khan's new position as Inzamam-ul-Haq's deputy, Shaharyar Khan, the chairman of the Pakistan Board, told the News that he preferred his captains and vice-captains to be permanent fixtures in the squad. "But," he said of Younis, "even if he doesn't play in a match because of poor form he is still there in the team to contribute as a senior player and vice-captain."

Diplomacy by gag

Pakistan's players have been prohibited from making statements before gaining the team manager's approval, according to the Nation. This move will no doubt infuriate the general media - especially television channels. But there is consolation in the familiar form of Shoaib Akhtar, who will not be in India. Therefore, he's under no obligation to follow this rule. Or any rule.

Inzi backs Waqar

Following the promising development involving Waqar Younis and its subsequent crash, Inzamam-ul-Haq has lent his support to Waqar, saying that the demand for a long-term contract was reasonable. Press Trust of India quoted Inzamam as saying, "He is not a magician who can correct things in a week. When we had Wasim and Waqar in the team, new bowlers could learn a lot by playing with them...They taught the whole world about reverse swing and that was our main weapon. Now I would like this to be passed on to the juniors."

The international amateurs

"I am sorry to say that this Pakistan team looks like a club team to me."
Mushtaq Mohammad takes a hard look at his men.