JUNE 14: This is one tour where the cricketers have chosen not to bring their wives along. Is it the nature of the assignment or the political situation in the host country that has kept the better halves of the cricketers from accompanying them? It's difficult to say.
Sourav Ganguly's wife is expected to join him, but the skipper changes his mind. "What'll she do here?" he says. Well, she could be a big support considering the lean period he has been experiencing. Sachin Tendulkar also decides not to ask his family to join him. He would rather take them to Sri Lanka where he is likely to spend more time with them. It rains in Sri Lanka during the cricket season.
Mrs. Sulakshna Badani is the odd wife out here. She does visit the ground, watches her husband in action and ends up the lone cheerperson of the Indian team.
She is well informed on cricket matters. Knows the statistics of Hemang and also of most of the Indian cricketers. "I like watching cricket," she smiles as she catches up on the Australia-England match.
Hemang does not watch much cricket when he is not playing, but his wife does not miss even when India does not play. Around this time, Chetan Chauhan is joined by his wife but then it is time for Mrs. Badani to leave for home. But not before watching her husband make his Test debut. A pity she cannot stay for the entire match because of a ticketing mix-up.
June 15: The stands are empty as the Harare Sports Club prepares to host the second Test. It is shocking but then this is in keeping with the trend these days.
The Zimbabweans miss Trevor Madondo. Death snatches the young sportsman away and the cricket world mourns the loss.
The gritty batsman Madondo dies from malaria at the age of 23. "Unbelievable," says Heath Streak. For Andy Flower, too, Madondo's death is a blow.
Very thoughtfully, the teams and officials line up before the Test to pay homage. The kids in the stands rise, praying for the departed soul. Madondo's death casts a gloom on Zimbabwean cricket.
June 16: The West Indians are in town. A young squad with a mission. They come off as a friendly lot, their smiles a part of the training. This is pleasantly surprising, for mediamen have had tough times with the West Indians in the past.
Curtly Ambrose, Gordon Greenidge, Desmond Haynes, Viv Richards were some of the well-known cricketers who remained out of bounds for the media. In fact, they were known to be curt and very poor models. Brian Lara too has followed their example. Would Carl Hooper be any different?
Hooper is different in his new role as captain with a job to revive cricket in the Caribbean. When told that the Indian mediamen were wanting to talk to him, Hooper readily agrees for a meeting in the evening. Along with Hooper, the team coach Roger Harper is also avaliable to share his views on cricket in the Caribbean.
Where would the press conference be organised? "In one of the rooms. We'll let you know," informs the team manager. The scribes turn up ahead of time and are directed to one of the conference rooms. The West Indian team management has made excellent arrangements for the press conference. It is quite impressive, with the Caribbeans willing to share information. This is a big change from the past when the captain and the coach would have little time for the media.
June 17: Craig Ray from Reuters is glum, which is very uncharacteristic. "Good morning," his voice is feeble. There is a story behind it.
Craig has lost his lap-top in quite intriguing circumstances the previous evening. At the end of the day, Craig joins a local scribe, Joe Black, in the bar to watch the South Africa-France rugby match. Craig is a rugby reporter based in Cape Town and is understandably excited.
Just before the match kicks off, Craig looks for a safe spot to keep his lap-top, and what better place than Joe's car? He takes the key, finds the Toyota in the car park, opens the boot and deposits his valuable lap-top.
South Africa plays below par and loses. Craig is shattered. His team has lost. With Joe, he returns to the car park to collect the lap-top. Joe walks to his car and Craig is shattered for the second time. It is a different car.
He has left the lap-top in someone else's Toyota. It is strange that Joe's key has worked in another car.
Word spreads but the lap-top does not surface. Probably the owner has not discovered it yet. Announcements are made on the radio and television but nothing works.
By afternoon, Craig is relaxed. He has acquired a lap-top from a friend. By evening he is cheerful. His boss has a big laugh on hearing Craig's story. He prays her mood doesn't change when he returns to office at the end of the Test series.
June 18: Sadagopan Ramesh is among the internet freaks in the Indian team. Among those who must surf daily and check their mails are Rahul Dravid, Javagal Srinath, V. V. S. Laxman and of course Ramesh.
Srinath is the most well-versed of the lot and comes up with interesting news from the web world. Dravid is also adept and posseses a lap-top. He has not carried it on this tour though.
This new profile of an Indian cricketer is a pleasant change from the past. Reading newspapers and surfing the net are included in the daily routine now.
Ramesh visits a cricket site which has a question of the day on him. Does S. Ramesh have the technique to play Test cricket? With a smile, he clicks yes.
A few more Indian cricketers come in. Shiv Sundar Das and Harbhajan Singh too want to check their mail. It is good to know that almost every member in the team has an e-mail ID. The only exception is Sachin Tendulkar. He has little time for computers.
June 19: The Indian team gathers at breakfast. No one is smiling and understandably too. The Test match has been lost and there is no appetite. Some just grab a fruit.
The team is lined up for a photo session, with the sponsor having arrived with the clothing for the triangular series. The unprofessional attitude of the sponsor's representative leaves the players livid. The quality of the clothing is poor but nothing can be done now.
The players have a point. "Why don't they spare a thought for proper clothing? It's important that we wear clothing suited to the weather in which we play," one team member makes a point.
The photo session is organised at the Harare Sports Club and is over in quick time. The players are in no mood to put up smiles for the sake of the camera. But they manage it for the sake of the sponsor.
June 20: One has heard many tales depicting the toil of a man to survive, to feed his family. Listen to this one of a man who walks 30 kilometres daily so that he can buy milk for his daughter. Gift works in the business centre of the team hotel. A job he likes because it gives him the opportunity to meet different people everyday.
He leaves his home at four in the morning to report in time for his job. It is a long walk but he has no choice. He follows the same schedule after work. Walking in the dark, in the cold, reaching home close to midnight. The money he saves on transport can buy his daughter milk. It is a hard life and his swollen feet tell the story.
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