The Wright humour, curious Americans and Pathan selfies

"They are all playing for their IPL contracts," an official from a certain cricket association said as cricketers plied their trade in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, India's domestic T20 tournament. The event hides behind all the showbiz of Indian Premier League, the grand cricket extravaganza. But away from the field, and out of the spotlight, various interesting encounters took place. Here is a brief bit from my Cuttack, Baroda and Mumbai (Three of the five venues where the matches were hosted) diary.

1) Taxi Ride:There was a bit of calm as I travelled from Bhubaneswar Airport to Cuttack. The roads were wide, clean, well-lit and clear. As I looked around, observing the city and making mental notes of it, the driver interrupted my thought and asked, "Aap yaha kis liye aaye ho?" (What's the purpose of your visit?). I told him about my job and the Syed Mushtaq Ali Tournament, Group D of which was going to be played in the city. I followed it up with a counter-question - "Do you watch cricket?"

Here is what he had to say - "I used to follow cricket passionately before the match-fixing scandal broke out (in the year 2000). I even used to play. But after that I realised there was no point. I had to sell my ambassador car to educate my son and two daughters. I drove the airport bus and now I'm driving someone else's car to earn my bread. For us, every penny counts to educate our children, every hour on the road matters. Yet, whenever India played, we left our work and watched matches. We would throw the remote control and break our TV sets when India would lose. But when we realised that these players got paid to lose, it infuriated us. Since then, I lost interest in the sport."

2) The Wright way:There isn't much spoken about John Wright, the former Indian coach's sense of humour. As part of the Mumbai Indians set-up, he was in Cuttack to take a note of the performances in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, with the Indian Premier League (IPL) auction coming up. He spent his time in the press box, observing every ball and making timely notes of it. In between, he would also find time to pass on his insights, predictions and witty one-liners.

On arriving a little late on the second day of the tournament, he greeted the three-member press team with, "Morning boys. Sorry, I'm a little late."

He wasn't answerable to anyone sitting there and we didn't know how to respond to an unexpected apology. But, he continued. "My driver arrived late. I gave him a sound firing. He said that there was traffic. I told him, 'Yeah, son. On a Sunday morning!"

We laughed and thought the story was over.

Next day, I arrived five minutes after the match had started. He was sitting on the chair that I was sitting on, the previous day. He looked at me and said, "Sorry, I'm sitting on your chair."

"That's alright. No big deal."

The gesture seemed warm and I wasn't, anyway, too possessive about the chair. But little did I know that he was having a dig at me.

"No, please take it. Not my fault that you turned up late," he continued. "By the way, what did you have dinner last night?"

"Mutton biriyani," I replied.

"Goat biriyani, is it? That surely must have made your alarm clock sound unpleasant."

The little crowd around did have a good laugh at my expense and Wright's straight-faced humour.

3) GatecrashersThere are things about the management in Cuttack which helps the crowd connect better with the game. In an age where cricket is so structured and secured, the game seems to have drifted far away from the fans who wish to reach out to their heroes and get autographs or photos clicked. While the matches in Cuttack went about without any security hassles, a few people managed to make their way to the 'restricted zones'.

Two sets of NRIs (Non Resident Indians) had come to watch day three of the tournament at the DRIEMS Stadium. One of them was accompanied by two Americans who wanted to watch a cricket match (for the first time in their lives). They were staying in the same hotel as that of the Karnataka players. So a wave of 'Hi' from outside the fences made the security guards think that were probably a part of the support staff. They entered the stadium, went to Karnataka team's dug-out, made their way to the match referee's room and eventually entered the press box.

Fortunately, they were genuine fans who were simply curious. Their headless chicken run around the 'restricted area' did make for a funny watch, but they didn't disturb the decorum at any point of time. Nice, curious fans!

4) The Bad ManagerThere are all sorts of media managers - good, interfering, non-interfering, strict, friendly - handling the affairs of the state teams in domestic cricket. But some, like the Mumbai manager, are downright disrespectful.

During a pre-match press conference, Abhishek Nayar was addressing the media and answering some straightforward cricketing questions, when this question was posed to him: "Abhishek, you are the most experienced player in the side where most players are young and in their first or second year of domestic cricket. What role do you play in the team?"

Just when it seemed that Nayar was about to reply, Mumbai's manager interrupted and said, "You can't ask personal questions."

The question was repeated in the exact same words, but the manager refused to budge from his stand.

I asked, "How is this a personal question?"

His reply, like so many times it happens in arguments with people in power, was, "In my view, it is a personal question." Matter ends there.

It left me baffled and fellow journalists dumbstruck. This was simply one of the many instances of his condescending behaviour towards the media. Unfortunately, such an attitude reflects poorly on a team that plays outstanding cricket and the players who conduct themselves with dignity.

5) DRIEMSYes, it is spelt like that. The DRIEMS Stadium is located inside a college campus. Apart from the cricket ground, the college also has Tennis and Basketball courts, swimming pools and infrastructure for various other sporting and vocational training. Inaugurated by Suresh Raina in 2011, the ground is one of the most picturesque stadiums you can find in the country. Grassy slopes for the crowd to sit and trees surrounding the ground, gives a feel that you are in one of the New Zealand stadiums. With matches happening simultaneously at Barabati and DRIEMS, I posed the question to John Wright, "Where will you be watching the match tomorrow?" His reply summed up the beauty of the stadium, "Jeez, this ground is too beautiful to not come back again."

6) Bastab ParidaHe is a 20-year-old student of Zoology. But, in the Orissa Cricket Association (OCA), he is a nobody. He does not hold any official position, and his greatest claim to be in the press box at the Barabati Stadium is the fact that he is an admin of a Facebook Page - Odisha Cricnewzz. But if you are in Cuttack and need something in OCA or want to know anything about Odisha cricketers - First-Class players, women's cricket team, age-group cricketers, blind cricketers or any random kid on the street playing the game, Bastab is your go-to man.

The OCA, like most cricket bodies in small towns of the country don't have the best facilities to offer - be it for the media or the players. But, Bastab is one of those well-wishers who will go out of his way to ensure that all the requirements are met. He doesn't get paid a single penny, he doesn't demand any. All he cares is to watch Odisha become a cricketing powerhouse. A genuine well-wisher of the game, the kind of which we need many more.

7) Getting the angles rightMumbai hosted the Super League of this year's Syed Mushtaq Ali trophy. While Group A was played at the iconic Wankhede Stadium, the Bandra-Kurla Complex Ground hosted Group B matches. The Bandra stadium is prettier and has some high-end facilities for the players. It may not be an international stadium, but placing the press box at the right angle always helps.

With the ground having a slight slope and the press box placed in the cover/square leg region, it became quite difficult to understand the lines the bowlers were bowling, or the swing they were generating. At one point, two journalists were left debating whether the fielder was stationed at long off or deep extra cover.

Dear Mumbai Cricket Association, getting better angles helps in giving a better account of the match.

8) Defeat, smiles and selfiesBaroda may have been outplayed in the final of the tournament, but that didn't stop Irfan Pathan, the losing captain, from entertaining the crowd at the end of the match. Despite the match between Uttar Pradesh and Baroda being played mid-week, a sizeable crowd had gathered at the Wankhede Stadium. There was a lot of noise, and naturally, international players like Suresh raina, Irfan, Yusuf Pathan, Praveen Kumar and Piyush Chawla were among the star attractions in the match.

Uttar Pradesh registered a comprehensive win to lift their maiden domestic T20 title. Soon after the match got over, while Raina was busy addressing the media, Irfan Pathan went towards the crowd and started clicking selfies with them from different spots. He was all smiles, despite nearly missing out from winning the trophy. It was a commendable gesture by the all-rounder, who gave his fans their time's worth with his tiny bit of engagement.