Karim spins a web

A day before the Kenya-India at Cape Town, an Indian photographer approached a balding, tall man sporting Kenya8217;s watermelon kit. Point...

A day before the Kenya-India at Cape Town, an Indian photographer approached a balding, tall man sporting Kenya8217;s watermelon kit. Pointing to his laptop screen, which had scores of pictures, he said: 8216;8216;Sir, can you please identify the players for me?8217;8217;

The Kenyan did as requested, then added: 8216;8216;Bhai, there wasn8217;t a single photograph which had me in the frame.8217;8217; As the photographer trotted out a lame excuse, the cricketer just smiled and went back to the nets.

Asif Karim must have had his fill of photograph requests 8212; not to mention autograph books, bats to sign, the works 8212; at Kingsmead last night after producing a spell of bowling even the best would die for.

Up against rampant Aussie batsmen chasing a sub-200 total, 39-year-old Karim finished with 8.2-6-7-3. It would have been meaner but for the four off the last ball which eventually gave Australia victory.

As the unassuming left-arm spinner went up to collect his man of the match award 8212; his first in 20 years of playing one-day internationals 8212; the crowd began chanting his name. It was, he said, 8216;8216;the best day of my life8217;8217;.

To make it more special, even umpire Steve Bucknor shed his white coat and shook Karim8217;s hand. It8217;s an old association between two veterans on the beat, Karim says. 8216;8216;Bucknor has seen me bowl for all these years; he was quite pleased with the way I bowled.

Perseverence pays, he told me, and asked to me to keep bowling the same way.8217;8217; Two hours later, the adulation hadn8217;t changed him. Chants still ringing in his ears, Karim spared time for this reporter. 8216;8216;I want to dedicate this award to the Almighty and to my father Yusuf Karim, who will soon be undergoing a knee replacement surgery at Bombay Hospital.8217;8217;

Story continues below this ad

He insists on only one thing: 8216;8216;Please mention that my dad is a former Kenyan international and my coach in my intial days.8217;8217; So did Karim expect this? 8216;8216;No8217;8217;, he says, without blinking. 8216;8216;My son Irfan had called up the other day and said he wanted the gold watch that8217;s presented to the man of the match. I didn8217;t expect to fulfill his wish but it8217;s happened,8217;8217; he said.

Karim 8212; who quit cricket just after the 8217;99 World Cup and returned after Kenyan authorities asked him to 8212; said the best thing about the match was 8216;8216;we didn8217;t give up but were ready for a fight. After the second-over hat-trick we scored about 170 and after Australia8217;s flying start we pushed them back and made things difficult for them.8217;8217;

Watching Karim in action last night would have thrilled aficionados of a dying art; there are few left-arm spinners in operation today. With his three-step run, bowling close to the stumps and varying his line and length, he used classic tricks 8212; bowling from behind the stumps and releasing the ball early 8212; to baffle the Aussies.

8216;8216;Yes, the art is dying and it makes me sad. With so many one-dayers, such things are bound to happen.8217;8217; Then points out what makes him really sad: 8216;8216;We don8217;t play tests, so I get only 10 overs a match to bowl.8217;8217; He shouldn8217;t expect much sympathy from batsmen, though.

Story continues below this ad

Up next are his friends from the mother country. He is on very good terms with many of them but his deep pride at playing for Kenya 8212; as he emphasised while accepting the award last night 8212; precludes any sentiment. 8216;8216;The Indians are great players of spin but I8217;d definitely like to have a photocopy of tonight8217;s performance on Thursday.8217;8217; Shouldn8217;t be too tough for someone who works for a photocopying firm called Copycats.

Sandeep Dwivedi

Sandeep Dwivedi is the Sports Editor at The Indian Express. He is one of India's most prominent sports journalists, known for his deep analytical insights and storytelling that often goes beyond scores and statistics to explore the human and cultural side of sports. Professional Profile Role: As the Sports Editor, he leads the sports coverage for the newspaper and the website. Weekly Column: He writes "The Sports Column," a weekly feature where he provides sharp, narrative-driven perspectives on the biggest sporting news of the week. Podcast: He is a frequent contributor to the "Express Sports" podcast (Game Time), where he discusses evolving trends in cricket and other international sports. Areas of Expertise While Dwivedi covers the entire sporting spectrum, his work is particularly noted in the following areas: Cricket: He provides extensive coverage of the Indian National Team and the IPL. He frequently analyzes the leadership styles of figures like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Gautam Gambhir. He is known for tracking the transition phases of Indian cricket and the evolution of specific players like Kuldeep Yadav and Rishabh Pant. Athletics & Olympic Sports: He has written extensively on Neeraj Chopra’s rise in javelin, the nuances of Indian shooting, and tennis legends like Sania Mirza and Leander Paes. Human Interest Stories: A hallmark of his writing is his focus on the struggles and backgrounds of athletes, such as the sacrifices made by Shafali Verma’s father or the "silent battles" of veteran players like Cheteshwar Pujara. Notable Recent Work & Themes Leadership and Dynamics: Recently, he has written about the dynamic between Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli, and Rohit Sharma, arguing that personal friendship is not a prerequisite for team success. Sports & Culture: His articles often intersect with global culture, such as his deep dive into the 100-year legacy of the Harlem Globetrotters and their role as American soft power during the Cold War. The "Grey Areas" of Sport: He often addresses sensitive topics like the mental health of cricketers post-retirement, the "outrage industry" in sports broadcasting, and the impact of fan-wars on the game. Tenure and Experience Dwivedi has been with The Indian Express for over three decades. This experience allows him to provide historical context to modern sporting events, often comparing current crises or triumphs to those of previous generations. You can follow his latest work and columns on his official Indian Express Author Profile. ... Read More