It’s just like a Bollywood movie, says Shoaib Malik

You get the feeling the Indians are playing lead roles in their home production when a noisy roller stops whirring...

You get the feeling the Indians are playing lead roles in their home production when a noisy roller stops whirring, as Sehwag — in the middle of an interview to a TV channel — yells out a friendly request to a groundsman to halt the ruckus and facilitate the recording of his televised conversation.

You figure out that the Australians are calling the shots technically — when Greg Shipperd and Glenn McGrath huddle seriously after every change in a net bowler.

And the Pakistanis will be revelling in their supporting-parts, after their national captain Shoaib Malik informed that back home they were comparing the 45-day road-show to staple primetime Bollywood flicks — absolute entertainment, popcorn completing the set up.

Story continues below this ad

“Even when we were playing Bangladesh, our TV sets were tuned in to the IPL inauguration and games,” Malik says of a series they couldn’t wait to finish and hop across to India to be cast in the season’s most colourful blockbuster. “If we were so excited in the dressing room, I’m sure people back home in Pakistan are enjoying more. Twenty20 hai hi aisa,” he continues.

Visibly pleased at being part of a team that has made a flying start to their campaign, Malik gets suitably extravagant in describing his outfit. “Zabardast team combination. Domestic players bhi maar-dhaad mein sabse aage (Domestic players too are in the lead when it comes to slam-bang),” he purrs.

Competition will hot up within the team too, with just four foreigners permitted, and the Daredevils flush with pick-at-will overseas players. While Malik brings with him the cheekiness of his promised pet scoop-shot, it is fellow Pakistani Mohammad Asif’s new-ball partnership with McGrath that has Delhi excited about the imports from across the border. “We have a smooth attack, which is reliable, good at containing. They can also put the brakes early by attacking with wickets,” Denis Lillee says, adding that shorter boundaries and a batsman-friendly format were obstacles bowlers needed to work around.

On the other Shoaib — Akhtar — whose absence is said to rob the tournament off promised entertainment, Lillee asked for a content-colour balance in cricket’s T20 version. “He is one person everyone loves to see. But let’s not think one-sided about showmanship. One player doesn’t make a tournament. Entertaining will happen along the way; if you see the dressing room atmosphere, it is very serious,” the Aussie stressed.

Story continues below this ad

A cue for the Pakistani captain to snap illusions of a Bollywood-feature.

SP leader Azam Khan walks out of jail after 23 months, hundreds of supporters welcome him

Cities18 min ago

Senior Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan, who is facing multiple cases, walked out of the Sitapur jail today after 23 months. He was scheduled to be released early Tuesday morning, but it was delayed due to impending court proceedings. Hundreds of supporters gathered outside the Sitapur jail, waiting for the SP leader to walk out of prison.

View all shorts

Live Blog