Why does all these talks of 'loyalty towards country' and 'the lure of money' arise only when it comes to cricketers joining franchisee-based scheme of things that pay them in dollars. Is it the jealousy of a few who couldn't rake in the moolah in their times, or the attack on the very belief that only country-versus-country cricket is to enjoy a supreme status? And with Champions League T20 here - that has always been dubbed as a by-product of IPL - the groan is only going to get louder.
The best way to stay the ‘in’ the game even while not playing it — is to be writing about it. And, so, the choice of profession was an obvious one. Bred on a liberal dose of cricket and football in the hallowed Maidans of Calcutta, still seeing sports as a ‘way of life’ than a ‘way to earn a living’ is but a natural habit.