Pakistan’s no press conference call hits many purses and Rajput-Suryakumar connect

By K.R. Nayar
From Dubai International Stadium

With the heat and the no-handshake incident looming large, India and Pakistan trained hard at the ICC Academy on Tuesday. The Indian players looked calm, unshaken by all the happening around as this reporter managed to take a few close photos of them walking in for training. A large number of fans cheered for Shubman Gill, who walked in with Tilak Varma, followed by strike bowlers Jasprit Bumrah and Axar Patel. Almost all batters ended their batting sessions with lofted shots. Every few minutes, screams of “watch out!” filled the air—not from the players, but from scribes trying to protect their laptops, cameras, and skulls.

 

Shubman Gill and Tilak Varma arrive for training at the ICC Cricket Academy. Photo by K.R. Nayar 

Cartons of water and fruits, especially bananas, were being taken to the dressing room as the players sweated it out in the heat. The UAE team practiced at the adjacent ICC Cricket Academy ground from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. until the Pakistan team arrived. In light of Pakistan’s protest over the handshake incident, it was uncertain whether they would turn up for practice until they finally arrived.

Strike bowlers Jaspirt Bumrah and Axar Patell arrive for training. Photo by K.R. Nayar 

UAE coach Rajput has coached the Indian skipper 

 UAE’s training session gave this reporter an opportunity to have a chat with UAE coach and former Indian Test star Lalchand Rajput. He said he was happy that his team plays with no pressure, as the pressure to beat them is on the opponents. “For us this is a great exposure, and we have nothing to lose and everything to gain.” 

Lalchand Rajput with Suryakumar Yadav when he was coach of the India A team. Courtesy: Mumbai Cricket Association

It is always a pleasure to talk to Rajput about tales from the past, as this reporter has covered most of his domestic and international matches as a player. Very few know that he was the coach of the India A team in 2011 when current Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav was making his mark.

 

With Lalchand Rajput at the ICC Academy. Photo by a UAE cricket fan 

Calling off press conference in a flash 

 

The Pakistan team called off the customary pre-match press conference on Tuesday prior to the UAE match as an extension of their protest against India refusing the customary post-match handshake. The cancellation was officially announced by the ACC only half an hour before the scheduled press conference. By then, both Pakistan and Indian journalists had already reached the stadium, spending money on taxis. The impact of the cancellation hit the purses only of the media personnel. Unaffected by these happenings, Team India happily practised at ICC Cricket Academy Ground No. 1. Pakistan too later trained at the ICC Academy but silently walked past the journalists. Some of them offered a smile to their familiar Pakistan journalists, which resembled more like fooling them.

 

Tight lipped Pakistan skipper Salman Agha walks in for practice. Photo by K.R. Nayar 

Pakistan media’s tough questions

 

The cancellation led to a debate on why Pakistan should have cancelled the press conference prior to the UAE match. Most scribes concluded that the Pakistan captain would have been questioned on his team’s protest over the handshake incident. Unlike former Pakistan captains like Shahid Afridi and Waqar Younis, the new captain Salman Agha is not experienced enough to handle tricky questions. Pakistan journalists, unlike Indians, are known for asking aggressive questions. There have been many instances where Afridi handled a question well, and the same that Younis did as coach.

 

Pakistan batter Fakhar Zaman (left) and allrounder Hasan Ali arrive for training, but with a smile. Photo by K.R. Nayar  

Once, when Afridi was asked why a particular batter, who was not among the runs, was asked to bat at No. 3, he retorted by asking whether he should now consider the journalist for the slot. In the 2011 World Cup in Pallekele, Pakistan wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal dropped a few catches, and a journalist asked then-coach Younis what was the difference between Michael Jackson and Akmal, given that both wore gloves. Younis, with a smile, replied that one was dead.

 

Captains who handle tricky questions

 

If captains and coaches know how to handle the media, instead of cancelling press conferences, they can make a strong statement to the world through intelligent answers. One of the captains who was very good in dealing with the media was Sri Lankan skipper Kumar Sangakkara. He was sharp, eloquent and always precise.  Indian skippers Mohammad Azharuddin and Sourav Ganguly, towards the end of their careers, were so aggressive that they often turned the tricky questions back on the journalists.

 

Incidentally, there are reports from Pakistan that their cricket board suspended Usman Wahla, Director of International Cricket, for the delay in drafting the protest letter to the ICC over the handshake incident. A scribe, on reading the news, remarked that Wahla should have asked ChatGPT, which would have given him the letter in seconds and saved his job!