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By K.R. Nayar  While reporting domestic cricket in the UAE, a smiling face always greeted me at different venues and almost at all tournaments. Cricketers lovingly called him “Uncle.” To some, he was Uncle Thomson; to others, Bulla Mama. But to everyone in general, Thomson John D'Silva was warmth wrapped in a smile. As the manager of many domestic teams in the UAE, most of his teams have won numerous laurels. He was an inspiring presence, and he passed away on July 2, 2026, at the age of 75. The ever-smiling Uncle Thomson   Not everyone is blessed with innate man-management skills. Uncle Thomson had that unique ability not just to manage but to mentor and be like a guardian. During the glorious period of domestic cricket in the UAE, when tournaments were enthusiastically organised by passionate lovers of the game and councils, Uncle Thomson was in great demand as a team manager. As a reporter, he was my best point of contact since he would willingly share details about eve...

By K.R. Nayar  Ireland’s 2-0 clean sweep over India in Belfast is shocking. As the reigning T20 world champions, one wonders whether it was the Irish luck that beat India. Also, since the victory happened in Belfast, it may well be that the Ireland team was influenced by Boney M’s famous song Belfast and may have walked out humming the lyrics of the song: “Belfast, Belfast, Belfast. Got to have a belief in, got to have a belief in, got to have a belief in all the people.” It is indeed the belief in their ability to beat the world champions that gave Ireland their 34-run win in the first T20 match and the nerve-shredding one-run win in the second match. This is not just a historic series sweep for Ireland, but for world cricket itself. To beat India, which hasn’t been beaten in 16 series over three years, is truly remarkable.   Had it been a one-off win, it could have been attributed to Irish luck, a term associated more with dumb luck rather than actual skill, intelligence...

By K.R. Nayar  At a time when the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup is building towards its crescendo, a book that captures the soul of women’s cricket found its perfect stage. "Her Story, Her Glory: The Making of Women's Cricket in India" was launched at the iconic Cricket Club of India (CCI) in Mumbai on Thursday, June 25, 2026. It was another initiative by Dubai-based businessman and cricket enthusiast Shyam Bhatia, who backed author Aditya Bhushan as the presenter. The book launch (from left) Ayaz Memon, Shyam Bhatia, Diana Edulji, Aditya  Bhushan  Bhatia’s book launches are not just events—they are occasions where history breathes, speaks, and relives itself. This is Bhatia’s fifth book. His earlier works include Portrait of the Game (three editions) with the late Kishore Bhimani, and Sunny G with Debasish Dutta. But what sets Bhatia apart is not just the books—it is his instinct for moments. He chooses dates that echo with history and venues that carry memory. Launching...

By K.R. Nayar Almost everyone called him Q, but for me he was Qamar bhai. Pakistan’s veteran cricket writer and commentator, Qamar Ahmed, who passed away on June 18, 2026, was someone with whom I’ve travelled a lot. To be precise, we travelled together whenever he came to Dubai, listening to his many stories. The first message I received after the passing away of 88 year old Qamar was from another Pakistan journalist and close friend, Shahid Hashmi. He wrote: “The front seat in your car (where Qamar always sat) will remain vacant. Our journey mate during matches in the UAE is no more.” With Qamar Ahmed after he received a memento from the Pakistan Cricket Board after he reported his 423rd Test match in Dubai in 2016. The energy with which Qamar came to report matches always defied his age. Not once did I get the impression that the man seated next to me was in his 80s. It was the tales he narrated about his first-class debut in 1956 for Sind against Karachi Whites, and how he h...

By K.R. Nayar  Following the Indian women’s team’s 64-run victory over Pakistan in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup on June 14, 2026, it will be nearly four years since Pakistan’s men’s and women’s teams have beaten India. The last time Pakistan’s men’s team beat India was on September 4, 2022, in a Super 4 match at the 2022 Asia Cup in Dubai, winning by 5 wickets. The last time the women's team beat India was on October 7, 2022, during the Women's T20 Asia Cup in Bangladesh, securing a 13-run victory.  A rivalry once defined by edge-of-the-seat uncertainty now seems to walk a predictable script. Pakistan-India matches have in the past produced many exciting moments; but it now seems like Pakistan is not playing against India but against themselves. Against India, scoreboards aren’t chased — they are feared. In some matches, Pakistan have looked like world- beaters, but often, in matches against India, they play like strangers to the game.  Debates on why Pakistan...

By K.R. Nayar  Until yesterday, my cricket-crazy friend had no issues. He would often use cricket terms to convey messages, and that became his way of talking. When he was broke at the end of the month, he would say he was clean bowled for money. And when it was time to pay at a restaurant, he would claim he got yorked for money that month. When I had asked him to repay me the money he had borrowed, he said pitch conditions were not favourable. I knew his wallet always had a lot of swing and seam movement.  Now all of a sudden, he has switched to using soccer terms following the start of the World Cup soccer. When I repeated the request for my money, his response was that his finances were a Messi. The other day when and I was waiting to pick him up, he messaged me that he was only kicking in and I would have to wait for some time. His reason for being late was that the final whistle for sleep did not happen. By then I was hungry and decided to take him along for br...