Battling school-time traffic, and a birthday by the sea
Our correspondent experiences the moods of victory and defeat, courtesy the captains' press conferences
"School time." The tuk-tuk driver explains away the heavy early-afternoon traffic. Vans and mini-buses transporting children have choked the road leading to the Colts Cricket Club in Colombo, where Gary Kirsten, South Africa's coach, is going to hold a press conference ahead of his side's game against his former side, India. The Indian media still look upon Kirsten as one of their own, in a way. He makes them wait. Even the South Africa team bus has to wade through the same school-time traffic. Kirsten is asked about his opinion on MS Dhoni leaving Virender Sehwag out against Australia. "I am not going to comment on that," Kirsten says, even before the question is over.
Pakistan are through to the semi-finals. India have been knocked out. You can't make out anything from Dhoni's blank face at the press conference. The catch in his voice gives his hurt away, though. Call him defensive, call him whatever, but he is a proud and successful man as well, and tonight he is sorely disappointed. The calls for removing him as captain have already begun back home. Funnily they were not remotely as strident when India were thrashed in eight consecutive overseas Tests in 2011-12.
Have slept for two hours. Can't be late to record the Time Out show with Ian Chappell, Harsha Bhogle and our UK editor, David Hopps. Chappelli is not around. "You are the producer, you are young, though not necessarily fitter. Go find him," Hopps orders and sledges at the same time. Thankfully Chappelli is not hard to find. And, of course, an absolute riot as he rubbishes modern methods of training, such as playing football.
Farooq and his friend are sitting glumly, heads on hands, elbows on knees, on the grass near the pavement close to the Cinnamon Grand. Farooq has come all the way from Toronto to watch Pakistan play. "We could not even make 140," he says of Pakistan's defeat to Sri Lanka in the semi-final. We discuss the frailty of Pakistan's batting and India's bowling. "You had Praveen Kumar lead your bowling in England [in 2011]. How on earth did you expect to win?" Farooq admonishes me. He respects Virat Kohli immensely but says it is difficult to like the man. "I want to, but I am unable to," he says, and repeats Kohli's choicest Hindi abuse words. We spot Mitchell Starc walk past. Farooq and his friend momentarily forget their disappointment to have snaps clicked with the fast bowler.
Wait at the Cinnamon Grand again, well past midnight, for the teams to arrive after the second semi-final. Miss West Indies. Australia arrive close to 1am. A group of half-drunk Australian fans is waiting, Australia flags and bottles of beer in hand. They cheer every player loudly. Most of them walk past with nods of acknowledgment, some with disappointed faces. Brad Hogg, 41 years young, walks up and high-fives each of the fans. They go inside the hotel, speak to him, have photographs taken. Their night is made. Hogg is still grinning broadly. The man is full of life.
Final round of pre-match press conferences, before the finals. Jodie Fields, the Australia women's captain, has this endearing half-hopeful, half-worried expression most of the time. Charlotte Edwards, the England captain, is statesman-like in her demeanour. Jayawardene is inevitably asked about the three successive world-event finals Sri Lanka have lost. Darren Sammy talks about getting a motivational message from Clive Lloyd, the only West Indies captain to win a World Cup.
Even after winning the World Twenty20, Fields has the same half-hopeful, half-worried expression at the press conference. Edwards looks spent.
Abhishek Purohit is an editorial assistant at ESPNcricinfo