Author: Boria Majumdar

Boria Majumdar in Dubai It was 8 pm, and all of a sudden there was a flutter among the Pakistani media present at the ICC Academy. Mohsin Naqvi, the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) president, or may I say the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chair, had walked in with a few security people and was headed straight for the Pakistan practice arena. As PCB chief, he can surely make an appearance and inspire his team. It isn’t unnatural by any means and yet it is. Pakistan haven’t done their almost mandatory press conference for the last two games. They had almost…

This Asia Cup has been in the news for all the wrong reasons. With another India-Pakistan match coming up 30 hours later, the drama hasn’t yet ended. But in the middle of this, Dunith Wellalage has come as a symbol of hope and a kind of optimism as to what sport is all about. The young man lost his father, Suranga Wellalage, 54, to a heart attack when he was playing against Afghanistan. He was communicated the news by his coach Sanath Jayasuriya. He went back to Sri Lanka for a day to attend the last rites and is now…

Boria Majumdar in Dubai I am writing this copy with India on 100-3 at the end of 10 overs against Oman. Frankly, the entire press box while watching the match isn’t really focused on it. Yes, Sanju Samson is a draw and his innings was greeted with some applause in the press box. But the real topic of discussion is the game on Sunday and if Pakistan can be competitive. The fact that Suryakumar Yadav did not come out to bat even at No. 8 was evidence that India were doing all to give each of their batters some game…

Boria Majumdar in Dubai India play Oman on Friday night, but the focus is already on India v Pakistan for Sunday, September 21. Against the backdrop of all that has happened already, this will be another much-talked-about encounter. Firstly, a boycott is no longer in the narrative. Rather, how India drives home the larger message will yet again hog the limelight. It is also important that we focus a little on the game itself. After all, it is a game of bat and ball at the core of it. On field, the gulf just seems too much between…

Boria Majumdar 2,700 days. Yes, for 2,700 days Neeraj Chopra had not finished outside of the podium. It finally ended in Tokyo. It had to end. He is human and sport is real, not reel. He had to fail for that’s what sport teaches you. And this failure is a public one. Unlike us, when we fail, we fail in private. For Neeraj it is a public failure and you know what, he is entitled to fail. It is okay to not be okay. Okay not to win. Okay to not make the podium. Neeraj is India’s greatest-ever athlete.…

Boria Majumdar in Dubai And so, the Asia Cup continues, for now. Until Pakistan find the next reason to throw the toys out of the pram. Over the last three days, poor Andy Pycroft has garnered a thousand times as many column inches as he ever did during a modest nine-year international career with Zimbabwe. To make it even more perplexing, the furore over his behaviour is a complete non-issue. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) alleges that it was Pycroft that told Salman Agha not to shake hands with Suryakumar Yadav at the toss. They claim that by doing so,…

Boria Majumdar Neeraj Chopra is arguably India’s greatest ever athlete. Two Olympic medals, a gold and a silver, multiple World Championships medals, Diamond League triumphs, he has seen it all. And yet he hasn’t. As he takes centre stage in Tokyo, it will be yet another first for him. How does he deal with the Arshad Nadeem challenge? While he knows what to expect from Julian Weber, who is in the form of his life, Neeraj wouldn’t know what to expect from Arshad. Will that put any additional pressure on him or will he go about his business unfazed? How…

The question that is doing the rounds in Dubai as I write this piece is what will Pakistan do tonight? Will they give the UAE a walkover or will they play? What we hear is that the ICC has responded to the call of removing the match referee and the response is negative. Andy Pycroft wasn’t at fault, and if at all anyone was responsible, it was the ACC officials at the ground who had informed him. If the ICC does turn down Pakistan’s request, and we hear they have, what option does Pakistan then have? Will they stand by…

Boria Majumdar in Dubai Why does Pakistan want India to do the handshakes? What’s the significance? Is it only because of sportsmanship? The spirit of the game? Is there any other motive to the whole thing that we are actually missing? Like I have said many times before, the India-Pakistan game on Sunday wasn’t a normal one. It is being played against the backdrop of a dastardly terror act and was played more out of compulsion than anything else. India has its own geopolitical ambitions and playing Pakistan is a part of this larger ‘India’ story. It is to ensure…

Boria Majumdar in Dubai You have a bad team. You have a team which includes a player who spews venom on social media. You have players who don’t have the ability to stand up to your opponents. And you don’t have the courage to call out your own like Faheem Ashraf and yet you talk about spirit. Clearly feeling the pressure, what does Mohsin Naqvi do? Attack the match referee Andy Pycroft for wrongdoing. There are many questions here. Is he being targeted because he is from Zimbabwe? Because they don’t really have the clout in international cricket? Would it…