Doors Unlocked and Opened: October 2011

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Mumbai Shining!

A sparkling display by the Mumbai Indians this season.

While I was growing up in Mumbai, the term ‘die-hard cricket fan’ was associated with a middle-aged gentleman who was willing to bear the brunt of his boss, his wife and the hot afternoon sun in order to spend five tireless days at the iconic Wankhade or Brabourne stadia, perhaps watching a Ranji Trophy snoozer between Mumbai and Baroda. These days, the term applies to your neighbourhood children, housewives, aunties and uncles who adorn the shiny Mumbai Indians outfit and enjoy a noisy evening watching the latest Great Indian Tamasha – Twenty20 Cricket.

And why wouldn’t they? The Mumbai Indians have it all – star-appeal with the likes of Sachin, Pollard and Malinga, the deep pockets of the Ambani family, B-Town patronage in the VIP Boxes and now even a trophy to show for it all in the form of the Champions League Twenty20!

And what an achievement it was! They came into the tournament as underdogs, with their squad blighted by injuries to key performers like Rohit Sharma and Munaf Patel. As the tournament progressed, they seemed to grow in confidence and displayed incredible strength of character to win some nail-biting encounters. What surprised me most was the great depth in their squad – with young fringe-players like Abu Nechim Ahmed and Yuzvendra Chahal stepping up to the plate at crucial moments. “They were all inspired by Sachin Tendulkar’s words in the dressing room, if not on the pitch,” said one keen analyst adoringly. “The Little Master’s massive presence in the dugout was enough to galvanize the Mumbai Indians during the final!” After further thought, he added, “Don’t take anything away from Harbhajan Singh, though. He proved to be a highly accomplished leader in the Master’s absence.”

Cricket fans will barely have a week to digest Mumbai’s triumph as all eyes will turn to the national side’s rendezvous with England, as India look to avenge their dismal performance from the summer tour. The cricket season never ends.

Dear Reader,

I've always loved writing. You can say that I grew up with a pen in one hand and a notebook in the other. Over the years, the innumerable pens and notebooks were replaced by qwerty keypads and electronic screens but the affection for words remained unchanged. Through all my years at school, the English language was my favourite area of study and the days we were allowed to write essays in class were something quite special.

Like most kids growing up, I wanted to be something different every other day. Some days an architect, some days an international sportsman. But most days, I would settle for being a big businessman and an author. It was during one of these author phases that I wrote the first few pages of what was meant to be my debut novel. Eight neatly handwritten pages of The Adventures of Haroon and the Hairy Hypnotiser. Unfortunately, that novel didn't materialize but I'm okay with that, in retrospect, considering I was only eleven years old at the time.

Then one day, five years later, while clearing out an old drawer, I came across the notebook where I had begun my premier novella. It made me realise that for years, I had written in private, nurturing endless ideas. Of what use is an author, if he himself is his only reader, right?

And so, thanks to the wonders of modern technology, pieces I write from here on will be displayed on this blog. You will find fiction, reflection and even some journalistic writing here. Feel free to rate, comment and share my work.

Regards,

Shoaib Sumar.