We're not Barmy, we're just Bharat

DURBAN, South Africa, Feb 27 AFP - Move over Barmy Army, the Bharat Army is here.

They're a group of British Asians who are following the Indian cricket team around South Africa during the World Cup and who certainly made their presence felt when Sourav Ganguly's team beat England by 82 runs here on Wednesday.

"We are British Asians and we support England - except when they are playing India," founder-member Shailen Tank, from Southampton in southern England, told the BBC.

"I am passionate about India and supporting cricket like an Indian."

Where the Barmy Army survives on beer, the Bharat Army thrives on tea and little sympathy.

"Nasser is an Indian, Nasser is an Indian," they chanted from the Kingsmead boundary as they reminded the England skipper of his Madras roots.

The four founder members of the Bharat Army - the word means Indian in Hindi - were at the ground on Wednesday and were hard to miss with their hair dyed orange, white and green with cake dye, and paraded the boundary with Indian flags, whistles and chants.

Shailen founded the movement with Rakesh Patel, Harvinder Mann and Sukhwinder Nijjar during the 1999 World Cup.

They then travelled to the West Indies where they unveiled a 25ft flag emblazoned with Bharat Barmy Army.

The same flag was used in the NatWest one-day series between England, India and Sri Lanka last summer - and the name stuck.

"Soon we had a website and 4,000 registered members," Shailen said. "There are eight separate groups here - including ones from Dubai, Northern Ireland, Norway, Canada, Australia and India.

"Our guiding principles are to have a passion and commitment that will inspire India's cricketers to perform well."

Shailen even admitted they have exchanged ideas with the Barmies.

"They gave us some good advice on what has worked for them and where they have gone wrong in the past.

"There is banter between us but there are also some fundamental differences. Although we are all passionate cricket supporters, you will never find us nipping away from the game to get drinks.

"We have very strict family values. We bring our sisters, wives and mothers to watch the cricket.

"There were some Bharat Army supporters swearing so I went over and reminded them of our values."