Much more than just cricket

Journalist Chimanbhai Kutwalla, also known in Mumbai’s cricket circles as ‘CK’ (not after Col Nayudu but Cricket Kabutar for his unerring ability to home in on a cricket story) was in conference with an Old Monk and a dash of soda when I met him at his favourite watering hole – the Press Club.

“Did you watch the opening ceremony of the cricket World Cup in Dhaka?” he asked while chewing a mouthful of boiled chana and washing it down with a rather big gulp – all at the same time. I confessed I didn’t as the timing didn’t suit my travel schedule – an hour and a half from Colaba to Santacruz.

“Tch, tch. This is the problem with you serious cricket analysts. You watch only cricket while journalists like us have to watch and report about everything associated with the game,” said CK, the only journalist to have broken the story about Preity Zinta and Shilpa Shetty’s breakfast menu while covering the first IPL auction in Goa.

“Pawar saheb did the right thing by opening his speech in Bengali.” I shook my head and said that would have been the politically correct thing to do as the ceremony was in Bangladesh. “You are right and wrong,” said CK while ordering a plate of Single Omelette Without Salt. “He was politically correct, not for Bangladesh but for Kolkata who lost an important game versus England to Bengaluru. Now the bhadralok will be happy that Pawar Dada spoke in their language instead of that of the Queen and there will be no strike in Kolkata.” I agreed, admiring CK’s in-depth knowledge and acumen.

“Runaben Laila sang real saras, and our three Mumbai boys Shankar, Ehsaan and Loy made our city proud just like Amar, Akbar and Anthony had done in 1977,” he said showing me a copy of his paper ‘Cricket Ka Ghosla’ (Nest of Cricket). 

Firing the waiter for salt in his Omelette, CK praised the efforts of the International Cricket Council (ICC). “What a ceremony, I say. Kalmadi and company should learn from the ICC, who have truly upheld what they said about promoting harmony between continents and different nations through ceremonies  such as this,” continued CK as the waiter topped up his drink and replaced the Omelette with a salt-free version.

I couldn’t agree more with the intrepid reporter who did not seem to have missed a detail of the opening ceremony in his report. I mentioned that getting top-class singers from different countries – India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Canada – to perform under one umbrella and adding local flavor, like captains arriving in rickshaws, was a brilliant idea and a great way of promoting harmony between different cultures and nations.

“Wrong again,” he said, finishing his drink in one gulp and ordering a Patiala peg. “You cricket writers only look at that aspect about cricket uniting nations and all. I was referring to the way ICC utilised our Sonu Nigam to unite different nations and cultures.”

“He sang in English and it sounded like Hindi. Everyone is happy!” 

Note: First published in "Impact"