The Hindu Business Line : World Cup rakes up office betting, Gully cricket

Taking late night trains offer some consolation after dreary hours at work. At this time of the hour, locals from Churchgate to Borivili offer comfortable, standing space to observe the Mumbaikar and if one is particularly lucky a seat when the train touches Borivili station.

Young kids do brisk business selling for Rs 2 a foldable card (the size of one's purse) setting down the playing schedule of the Cricket World Cup starting in March in the Caribbean. Every night they do brisk business as the Mumbaikar starts thinking and talking of the Cup before taking positions. Most of the travellers study the card and the sequence of matches before getting into a talk on who will make it.

For the Mumbaikar watching the matches live through the night is going to be tough as he has to be at the office next day. No corporate will graciously offer time outs to its staff to relish the once in every four year splendour. The top and bottom lines are more critical for the corporates. "It is not like World Cup football where the matches did not last beyond two hours. Most of us will not be able to see the start of the matches at 8 in the evening; and then to sit before the TV through the night for a whole month will not be liked by our bosses," remarked one fellow. "Sir, what will you do," he asked this writer and one had no answer. Yet, one cannot but watch the matches.

At home one has bought a set top box and prays that it works as products in India made by Indian or foreign corporates do not. "Dekho bhai, Australia haar ne waali hai; sab injured hai (Bhai, Australia is going to lose this time; all their players are injured)," remarked one traveller to his friend who replied, "Abhi waqt hai; wo log theek ho jayenge (There is still time; they will get well)."

One got into a short discussion with the young fellow manning a newspaper kiosk when he brought out a piece of paper with details of the cricket teams set to play in the Carribean.

He knows all about the Indian players but is unsure of others. One passed on one's little know-how of the game when he asked me, "Saab, kaun jitega (Saab, who will win)." Setting out for the office in the afternoon, one bumped into podgy Kiran Patil, a merry, cricket fan if there is one. He reads every cricket report in every newspaper apart from clicking on to Cricinfo.com and one has to be sure of the facts to discuss cricket with him.

"If Ganguly, Viru, Dhoni, Uthappa, and Yuvraj click we are sure to win the Cup. They will set up the totals for us to win and we need not worry about our below par bowling and fielding. Ye bar jeetna hi padega (This time we must win)," Kiran said.

To avoid a reply one lighted a cigarette and Kiran got the message. "So, you think we won't win?" he asked when young Sameer joined us. He agreed with Kiran and felt sad that off spinner, Romesh Powar was not going to the West Indies. On morning walks, old men and women whisper cricket softly and with a cadence like some prayer.

There is an old man who has watched most if not all the World Cup matches starting with the Australia-West Indies final in England. Over tea, the gentleman describes (with action thrown in) some of the best moments like the diving run out by Jonty Rhodes in Australia. "That day fielding became critical in one dayers," he avers and one could not disagree.

Lithe and fit Jonty made fielding a script to watch and applaud. None else and till today none has fared as well. The dive was perfect, the pick up and throw with minimal effort took less than a second, the swift run and slide on the field had grace and agility. Jonty was verily born to field, concluded the old fellow.

To get every eye and ear focused on the Caribbean with its Jamaican rum and swinging women lacing the dance of the coloured men on the cricket pitches, Gillette India Ltd has come up with a Gully cricket competition. The initiative named, "Gully Gully Mein Cricket Ka Jashn" is an exclusive cricket tournament for the masses organised in association with Radio Mirchi, says a press release from the company. To be played over three weeks in six cities — Mumbai, Pune, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Hyderabad and Indore — the tournament starts on Februrary 25. As usual the company press release does not offer details though there will be many keen on the Gillette Vector Plus Gully Cricket trophy along with a cash prize of Rs 1 lakh.

In the office, Tariq is working on starting a cricket betting pool with Rs 100 per head as seed money and to help him will be Adith Charlie from Kerala backing Sreesanth. We had put down our Indian team for the World Cup much ahead of Dilip Vengsarkar and were more or less on dot, which is nothing much as there are not many class players in Indian cricket.

One cannot drop Tendulkar even if he continues to get out for ducks for the next 10 years. In Indian cricket, there is one law for Tendulkar, one for the other seniors and yet another for the rest because "Tendulkar is great" going by Vengsarkar.

Tariq and Adith have not made up their minds on the team, which will kiss the World Cup.

For this writer, India will not reach the semi-finals. When the pool starts, one is going to bet on South Africa and probably lose.

P. Devarajan

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World Cup rakes up office betting, Gully cricket

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