In Team India, sound of silence

When news broke this morning that the tour was on, The Sunday Express sports team got down to the business of calling players for their reactions. The responses were mixed; some refused to come on the line; others did, but refused to say anything. One young fast bowler said he’d be happy to talk in the evening — by which time he’d left instructions that he wasn’t at home.

Here, as a sample, are two quotes we managed:

Ashish Nehra: That is none of my business. About playing in Pakistan, I think you should ask the captain, coach and the BCCI president.

Murali Kartik: I am not the right person to talk on this. This was for the Government and cricket board to decide.

Only Virender Sehwag, typically carefree, said playing in Pakistan ‘‘will be a challenge’’.

There was no public statement from any player that he is looking forward to what is, effectively, the biggest thing in Indian cricket after the World Cup. Not one batsman saying he’s relishing the prospect of taming Shoaib in his den, not one fast bowler speculating on the exciting, though raw, talent that is Pakistan’s opening pair.

Only old pros who’ve been there, done that and lived to tell the tale — Kapil Dev, Madan Lal leading the way — were bullish on the tour.

Adding to the sense of uncertainty was Jagmohan Dalmiya’s rider to the news that the tour was on: No player will be forced to go. The subtext for all to see was that, as suspected, several in the team are under pressure from family, friends and other parties to pull out of the team.

It should not come as a surprise if members of the Indian team develop injuries or other problems that force them to miss the tour. Stranger things have happened in Indian cricket.