Bharath Ramaraj in Dubai
‘When did it start? And how did it end so quickly?’ On the last day of this trip to the UAE, this line keeps flashing in the mind. It seemed like just a few days ago that yours truly landed in the UAE to cover the tournament. Simply put, time files. On the eve of the Asia Cup final between India and Pakistan, you’re left with a trail of evocative memories to take back home.
Here are some of them:
‘Are you Arabic?’
On September 8, when I landed in Dubai, one small conversation left me surprised for a few minutes. Before checking my passport and other documents, the customs officer at the desk ended up asking: ‘Are you Arabic?’ All I could mumble was: ‘No, no.’ I wasn’t wearing the accoutrements of a quintessential Arab, and I am not sure I look like one either.
Some days later, while part of a live show before the India-Sri Lanka game, one of the readers said: ‘Doesn’t Bharath look like Raghu, the throwdown specialist?’ Not very sure I resemble him either. So, my new mantra is: Always be ready to get shocked.
Meeting up with some legends/fine cricketers
As a part of the media, there is always a chance of bumping into a few former cricketers. At the ICC Academy, it was a case of having brief chats with Morne Morkel and Ryan ten Doeschate, India’s coaches. With Morkel, the discussion was about his debut Test against India in Durban.
With Ten Doeschate, the chat surrounded his iconic 58-ball 109, for Essex against Derbyshire, in September 2009. This whirlwind century helped Essex hunt down a target of 359, in a mere 60 overs, in a County Championship game. All that Ten Doeschate could say was: “Wow! It happened 16 years ago.”
A few might wonder why I didn’t chat about his exemplary ton versus England in the 2011 World Cup. But I was working as a manager in a recruitment firm back then. So, I could only watch a glimpse of England’s innings after returning to my PG. At the Abu Dhabi stadium, the great Waqar Younis was standing next to me in the lift. As he was having a conversation with one of the broadcasters, I thought of keeping it to just exchanging pleasantries.
Taxi Drivers and waiting for the Pakistan team bus
The taxi drivers of Dubai are worth a mention too. Most of them are of Pakistani origin, and there is always a chance of a friendly banter while conversing with them. One of them turned out to be a huge fan of Virat Kohli. The confab went on the following lines in Hindi/Urdu. ‘Are you from India, sir?’ I said, ‘Yes, sir.’ ‘Have you come over to cover cricket?’ Once more, I replied in the affirmative. He said, ‘Although I am from Pakistan, I am a huge fan of Kohli, sir. There is no excitement without Kohli, Sharma.’
Yours truly quipped, ‘One more Sharma is playing exciting cricket.’ The driver then lamented about Pakistan’s batting and ended up saying, ‘India are 80-20 favourites, sir.’ As it happened, the very next day, India once again beat Pakistan in the Super 4 game. One week later, you wonder whether a Pakistan side that has gained some momentum can usurp the favourites, India.
A few days earlier, it was a case of waiting for the Pakistan cricket team’s bus to arrive. With tensions brewing over handshake-gate and Andy Pycroft continuing as the match referee, it felt as if the Pakistan team would boycott the game against the UAE. Over a couple of hours, in the scorching heat of Dubai, there was countless speculation over whether Pakistan would take part in the game or not.
Finally, just like that, the team bus entered the stadium. And it was time for the journalists to put their skating shoes on in order to take visuals of the bus!
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