aditya kumar's weblog

Shoaib Malik’s comments, first words to the media in fact, after Pakistan lost to India in the T20 final, were on the lines of Islam. He said he wanted to thank the Muslims all over the world. Not everyone was amused. It could mean one of the following things:

1. He wanted to prove that he is as much a Muslim, than his colleagues in the team who have joined the Tableeghi Jamaat.

2. He indeed is on path treaded by the likes of Saeed Anwar, Inzamam-ul-haq and Shahid Afridi.

I do realize that Shoaib Malik does not have an enviable fluency of the English language (Apparently, the English tuitions that he had been taking, seems to be a failed attempt now. See here, under the heading “The language barrier. No more”). I wonder if fluency in the language would have helped matters though. I think he said what he wanted to say. Maybe he meant to thank all the Muslims in the world who wanted Pakistan to win. It was a bad attempt to do so. Like many in blogosphere and elsewhere, I too think that Pakistani Christians and Hindus are perfectly justified to feel offended. I feel for their coach who is an Australian and perhaps more importantly in the context of the discussion, not a Muslim. I even feel for the guy in their support staff who was praying with folded hands while Misbah was fighting it out in the middle, only a few yards away.

And if Shoaib indeed meant to thank All the Muslims in the world, he certainly got it all wrong. Why would, for example, the second and third generation Pakistani Muslims, who are slowly making their way to English county cricket and dream of playing for the England team, want Pakistan to win? Why would Indian Muslims, a population that clearly outnumbers their counterpart citizens in Pakistan, be assumed to be Pakistani supporters?

In more ways than one, this immature and irresponsible statement from the Pakistani skipper speaks volumes of the mentality that the Pakistan dressing room, if not Pakistan Cricket, must be soaked in.

The Bourne Ultimatum is, by far, one of the best movies that I have seen in a long, long time. Tell you what, I hope it remains that way.

The Bourne Trilogy has been one of the few critically acclaimed chain of movies. Apart from the fact that all the movies have been brilliantly directed, the stronghold that runs parallel to all these three movies is that they have a well-formed, captivating and ultimately a proven storyline.

There is one more ingredient to the movie that is as important as everything. Matt Damon. I saw Matt Damon’s movie, The Rainmaker, back in 1997 when I was 16. It was special for various reasons. It was my first multiplex experience and it introduced me to an author, one John Grisham, whose books I would go on to read for the rest of my time until I read them all. Matt Damon, of course, impressed me then — of whatever I could judge him. Now I realize, 10 years later, and I am sure of it — This man was born to do it. Rather, Bourne to do it. This trilogy is what Matrix is to Keanu Reeves.

Oh and by the way, the ending also features an exclusive remix of Moby’s Extreme Ways. This song, in one form or the other, has been used in all the Bourne movies to give the final kick to the ending. And some kick it does give.

In a self-service restaurant while I waited for my order, a 30 something man wearing a t-shirt which says:

“Wife is like fire. Girlfriend is like water.”

Whatever that means.

Not far away, another gentleman sporting a t-shirt with the message:

“I can give headache to aspirin.”

Hmm.

You notice the cricketers introducing themselves on TV before they come on to bat during a live match? It goes like, “[Name]. Age [X]. Right Hand Batsman. Left Hand Bowler.” One of them never fails to amuse me — The one of England captain Paul Collingwood. It goes like – “Paul Collingwood. Right hand bat. Right hand fast bowler.”

Notice anything peculiar?

Talking more about the England tour, our fielding standards (and mind you we didn’t have them much high) have gone down. Now that makes life a little tougher for Robin Singh, the fielding coach who is on his first assignment. I admire the man for the fielding standards he raised during his days as a player in the team and this despite the fact that he was one of the oldest guys around. So I wonder how he must be cursing in frustration in the pavilion while out there basic fielding practices are fast becoming a rarity. I just hope that its because of that slippery ball in those overcast conditions.

Got a text message the other day on the eve of the 4th ODI against England. While India was struggling to put runs on the board, the same morning media reported that Chak De India! had had a positive effect on the team. Only that it was nowhere to be seen now. Someone at cricinfo was quick to snap: “Chok de India!”.

The last time I met Mr.J.B. D’Souza, in fact the only time I met him, he told me that he was a World war II veteran. And then we talked about books. And Maharashtra politics.

He was one of those with whom a man like me can talk, for hours, without knowing a thing. I admit I didn’t know him that well but of whatever I knew of him, it warrants me to write this.

So Dear Sir, you will be missed. My thoughts and prayers are with Dilip and his family. May God give you the strength to walk on.