New Zealand Diary: Casino, royal mess-up

Mr Akbar was in more mess soon after, this time at a press conference at Eden Park in Auckland. He was manning a presser from Waqar Younis and everything was going smoothly when a television journalist from Pakistan got a chance to ask a question. “Coach saab, why weren’t you giving chances to Sarfraz Ahmed until this game? They say that you have some personal problem with him. Even your manager has been heard telling people how it’s so unfair that you have not been picking Sarfraz?!” Akbar’s startled expression was something to see. Waqar just leaned forward and said, “I don’t have time to answer your stupid questions; it’s time to end this press conference”. And walked out along with Akbar.

Meeting the namesake

Quite a few Indians might remember former New Zealand bowler Dion Nash, who took Sachin Tendulkar’s wicket six times. Nash, though, certainly remembers India with great fondness. So much so that he has named his daughter ‘India Lily”. “I couldn’t think of a better name for her. India has meant so much to my career.” He wants to take her one day to India. It could be soon, as he is in talks with some Indian business contacts to see if there is any market for his cosmetics business. By the way, his cat is named ‘Jim Morrison’ after the rock star.

To-may-to, to-mah-to

Pakistan’s Sohaib Maqsood finally lost his patience with Wasim Akram, who was always calling him as ‘Shoaib” during TV commentary. Akram narrated his interaction with a laugh during lunch at media box last week. “He came to me and said Wasim bhai, my name is Sohaib, not Shoaib.”

The butterfly effect

I’ve heard the story before from former colleagues but ask Dion Nash about the hilarious anecdote involving Rahul Dravid, Adam Parore and a butterfly. Nash obliges. “It was a hot Indian summer in 1999 and Indian batsmen were running us ragged. In one of the Tests, on a bloody hot afternoon, Daniel Vettori was bowling when Dravid pulled out from facing the ball. A butterfly had landed mid pitch. Suddenly, Parore stormed across and kicked it. It didn’t die but was injured. And Dravid went (and Nash does an Indian accent!) ‘Oh no Parore, oh no! he has kicked the butterfly! That’s very bad luck for you guys! Adam had just enough with that tour and wanted to go home!” And of course it was bad luck. New Zealand lost that Test by an innings. Incidentally, Parore works in the same building as Nash who says, “You know I got Sachin 6 times and the only time Parore dropped a catch off my bowling was two times, and both were Sachin’s wickets. I only remind him once a week!”