Wasim Jaffer is hoping India stays in the game till Day Five on Sunday so that he can drive down to watch his former mates at Edgbaston
Wasim Jaffer is hoping India stays in the game till Day Five on Sunday so that he can drive down to watch his former mates at Edgbaston
Wasim Jaffer, who was part of two Indian Test squads to England (in 2002 and 2007), is hoping to watch his first Test match of this series on Sunday. That is if India are able to stretch this game till the end of the week.
Jaffer is parading his batting skills for Lashings Cricket Club, the high-profile side which includes stars like Graeme Hick, Richie Richardson, Saqlain Mushtaq etc.
Wasim Jaffer
He plays for Himley Cricket Club in Birmingham. Cricketing activities have kept Jaffer away from the Test venues, but his day out on Sunday depends on his former India mates. "It is disappointing," he says.
"The India vs England series was a much-anticipated affair. I certainly expected India to do well after all the good work done by captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and former coach Gary Kirsten. But India has found the going tough," says Jaffer, who gave the impression that he is often ribbed by his club mates over India's performance on tour. "Some of them tell me you should be playing for India," he says in a lighter vein.
Pic/Clayton Murzello
The Mumbai man insisted that while India are being criticised, credit must be given to England's prowess.
"They have played very well and won critical moments of the series. They are on the verge of becoming the World No 1 team and may achieve that goal in this Test match. They deserve it," he says.
England press
THE Indian media contingent have not spared the Indian team for their poor display on tour, but members of the print and electronic media expressed their ire when they discovered a critical piece in an English tabloid under the headline, SHEEPISH INDIA HAVE GONE TO THE DOGS. The piece, as revealed in the picture on the right, carried a photograph of a dog.Some extraordinary journalism that!
Touche!
ENGLAND can never stop boasting about their 2010-11 Ashes triumph. An example of gloating comes in the form of a 'Get Well Soon' card being sold at the souvenir shop at the Edgbaston ground. Here is what appears on the front of the card: "SORRY TO HEAR THAT YOU HAVE BEEN UNWELL. THIS CARD IS GUARANTEED TO MAKE YOU FEEL BETTER." When one opens it, there is a sketch of a sulking Ricky Ponting, Australia's captain when the Ashes were surrendered early this year.And don't miss another set of words inscribed besides the sketch: AT LEAST YOU HAVEN'T JUST LOST THE ASHES (AGAIN).
Blofeld's 'Tiny' problem
THE Test Match Special commentary team were discussing fast bowlers of previous generations and the name of Ramakant Desai cropped up. Desai, it can be recalled, came on the 1959 tour of England and was apparently over-bowled by his captain DK Gaekwad. Anyway, celebrated commentator Henry Blofeld (remember him for his obsession for earrings when he did commentary in tournaments at Sharjah?) just couldn't get Desai's first name. Hope you've got it now, Sir. Desai was India's finest fast bowler until Kapil Dev came on the scene in 1978. "Tiny" Desai was also chairman of selectors from 1996 to 1998. Sadly, he is no more.
Dada plays straight
SOURAV Ganguly accepted an invitation to visit the Test Match Special box yesterday and he was true to form. He expressed his disappointment over India not faring well in a country where they have always given a good account of themselves in recent years. By the way, India have not lost a Test series in England since the 0-1 defeat in 1996. Ganguly also stressed that tough times afflict every side. He reminded his hosts that even England received a thrashing from Australia (5-0) in 2006-07 after their Ashes 2005 triumph in England.
Well played, Dada.
India infectiousu00a0
A POWER failure struck the Edgbaston building yesterday afternoon which affected a lot of things. The lifts did not work, the floodlights stopped functioning and journalists were afraid they would run out of battery power in their laptops. A smart comment can never be ruled out with so many Smart Alecs around.
One of them caused some laughter with this one: "India's failure is getting infectious. It has got to the electrical supply as well."
Shastri's sixer
ON the topic of humour, Ravi Shastri, while enjoying his tea, came up with a cracker. A journalist was talking about how he has six dogs now. Shastri, a dog lover himself, said: "Each one can bowl a ball to make up an over."
ADVERTISEMENT
Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
