THE Hansie Cronje-led South Africans, in preparation for the Cup, are already playing English counties. Even Bangladesh is already in Ol’ Blighty, though their arrival went unnoticed. But cricket lovers in India are unanimous that the Indian squad isn’t lagging behind at all. The activities of some of our cricketing stars in Mumbai showed how serious they were in their ‘warming up’ programme — provided mainly by Bollywood female stars and MTV singers.
The best-prepared Indian, of course, was Ajay Jadeja. A fitness freak, his gyrations at the MTV concert and Pepsi-sponsored press meet took one’s breath away, he’ll certainly set new standards in fielding. Answering tricky questions at the ‘Indian Express net show’ helped Jadeja sharpen his wits and plan strategy— in case he’s ever required to lead the team. Strategy was discussed in detail in the company of Rani Mukherjee, Govinda, Manisha Koirala, Usha Uthup and others. So focused was Jadeja on the Cup that when asked to sing the famous Aati Kya Khandala song with Rani Mukherjee, he warbled: Aati kya Lord's maidan and continued with bowling ko maarenge, catch pakdenge, ek over mein teen wicket leng. He was in an ideal frame of mind— having been described as ‘so cute’ by Sharon Prabhakar, who’d danced before the finalists at the Sharjah tournament. Whether this had anything to do with our team’s debacle in the final is yet to be studied.
Skipper Azhar benefited greatly from the special preparations. Being appointed ‘special ambassador for Tissot wristwatches’ must’ve boosted his confidence a lot. He could now ‘time’ his shots better and lead the team with ‘Swiss clockwork precision’. The ‘soul stirring’ press meet at Hotel Orchid found Azza in full form, he spoke three long sentences without fumbling. It was clear he was ready with the ‘victory speech’ for the Cup. As Ganguly drove around in his new Fiat Siena, his timing and footwork were admirable. The fingers nimble and alert — ready to take on bowling responsibilities. All this benefited every single player. After all, the team was showered with good-luck charms, gold cricket bats and bracelets. Poor Kapil’s Devils! They didn’t go through such thorough preparations in ’83. The players were able to exercise eve ry part of their body. Fingers ached after signing so many ad contracts, arms became stronger by lifting crates of Coke and Pepsi. The players told coach Anshuman Gaekwad that dancing to the tune of Yeh dil maange more was better than anything the team physio had recommended and Anshuman had to agree. Thus, the fittest-ever Indian team will land at London, and continue ‘preparations’. If all this does not help our heroes win the World Cup, what else will?
