Lokendra Pratap Sahi

Matthew Hayden during the Interview MATTHEW Lawrence Hayden… Does he need an introduction? The Australian legend, a double World Cup winner, took a host of questions on the eve of the 2023 edition’s final. Excerpts… Q: Arguably, the one team India would have least preferred to face in the final is Australia. Yet, after 20 years, it’s India-Australia once more… A: India didn’t drop a point, Australia lost two matches. However, they’ve got stronger and, whatever the metric, scored in the semi-final against South Africa. Going by numbers in this World Cup, though, India are ahead. Q: To deflect pressure, some players want you to believe a final is like any other match. Can’t be, surely…   A: Horseshit! A World Cup final is massive. You embrace pressure, find a way to focus and get the job done. You may become nervous, that’s when bonding as brothers helps.       Q: Interesting your comment about getting the job done… What is it about Australia that they come out ...

Kapil Dev with his pets. KAPIL Dev Nikhanj, or ‘Kaps’, knows more than a thing or two about cricket. Inspirational captain, World Cup winner, legendary all-rounder, more than a proficient golfer, soft corner for strays… Clearly, a man of many parts. Excerpts from an exhaustive interview…   Q: Nine wins out of nine… Have India been brilliant or the opponents poor? A: It’s a performance to admire and respect. Any team can have a bad day, but it takes some effort coming to the semi-final of a World Cup undefeated. Consistency has been the key and it’s 10 on 10 on that score. Q: Watching India’s graph over the past five weeks it would seem the World Cup is an easy tournament… A: When the going is good, everything looks good… No tournament is easy, least of all a World Cup. Q: The India win you enjoyed the most? A: Very first match, against Australia, when we were three down for two on the board (chasing 200). Gems from KL Rahul (97 not out) and Virat Kohli (85) got us full points. Ma...

  Interviewer with Mickey Arthur WITH more lows than highs in the past month, the World Cup hasn’t gone the way Mickey Arthur, Pakistan team’s director of cricket would have liked, but he’s far from crushed. Technically, Pakistan are still in contention for a semi-finals berth. Realistically, even a miracle no less may not be enough.  Be it teams or players, only the controllables can be controlled. Once other equations come into play, might as well board the first flight home.  Naturally, Mickey still has fingers crossed, hopeful that Babar Azam and his men can raise the bar exponentially against England, at Eden Gardens, on Saturday. In a way, perhaps, Glenn Maxwell is an inspiration. Powered by his 201 not out against Afghanistan, Australia managed what appeared impossible. But then… The world, as Virat Kohli says in a classic promotional on TV, does live on hope.   As Pakistan cricket’s off-the-field face, Mickey is aware he must not come across as deflated ...

  Jimmy Cook STEPHEN James Cook, or Jimmy Cook, can never be dislodged from a unique position in South Africa’s ODI history: Thirtytwo years ago, at Eden Gardens, Cook was awarded ODI cap No.1. He also faced the very first delivery, from Kapil Dev! India, it may be recalled, won that ODI and the series. South Africa’s captain then, Clive Rice, is sadly no more. Mohammed Azharuddin helmed India.  Cook, who turned 70 in July, is a full-time coach and has just finished working with Oman’s juniors. Besides his own Academy in Johannesburg, Cook is associated with Gary Kirsten’s one in Cape Town. While younger son Ryan is coach of The Netherlands, elder son Stephen is SA20’s head of cricket operations. Cricket and the Cooks, well, truly inseparable.  Owing to Cook’s travel across continents, different time zones and his coaching commitments, my interactions with him had to be spread over a couple of days.  Excerpts… Q: You have the distinction of owning South Africa’s ODI ...