Harold ‘Dickie’ Bird passed away on September 22nd, widely mourned, at the ripe young age of 92 in his home town in Barnsley, Yorkshire. Peacefully in his sleep. Which is nothing less than the great man deserved. Now I can hear many youngsters, who follow cricket, reading this column, assuming youngsters read the newspapers (digitally …
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The Prime Minister strikes Platinum
Caveat: Some of what you are about to read happened. Some of it did not, though it could so easily have. Either way, a pinch of salt would help garnish the offering. India’s Prime Minister, Narendra Modi is celebrating his 75th birthday, his platinum jubilee, which came about on September 17. The present continuous tense …
The Two Musketeers of Tennis
Whoever said, ‘It’s not whether you win or lose that counts,’ probably lost. Martina Navratilova. We had the Big Three. We now have the Big Two and a half. I am, of course, talking tennis. Federer and Nadal hung up their rackets recently, at different times, amidst much emotional, tear-jerking fanfare. The third of that …
In my own write
There is a growing trend amongst several prominent personages in our country and around the world to shoot off letters, usually in high dudgeon, to various heads of state. Errors of omission and commission, on the part of Presidents and Prime Ministers are pointed out in pitiless detail, and advice is freely offered on how …
Plane Talk
Turn this crazy bird around / I shouldn’t have got on this flight tonight. Joni Mitchell. ‘Are you veg or non-veg?’ As an opening gambit for a conversation with a perfect stranger, I found this a rather unconventional question. Why would someone you did not know from Adam be asking you about your dietary habits, …
When I struggled to find a billet
I was a poor student. Let me unburden myself of that albatross. Now that I have long since retired and not looking for a job, that admission comes quite easily. Whether it was during my school days and later on in university, I was one of those who just about scraped through his exams, year …
The Dogs of War
I’m suspicious of people who don’t like dogs, but I trust a dog when it doesn’t like a person. Bill Murray. In case you are wondering if I woke up rather late and decided to pen my impressions on the late Frederick Forsyth’s 50-year-old novel The Dogs of War, his hugely successful effort after his …
Colour my world
I have no idea why, but my stray thoughts turned to colours this week. This is what happens when you commit yourself to writing at least one blog a week. You post your piece on a Sunday and put your feet up, telling yourself like Little Jack Horner, ‘What a good boy am I!’ Feeling …
No Bumrah, no matter. Siraj is here.
It is Day 5 of the 5th and final Test between England and India being played at the Oval in London, and I am writing this piece a few hours prior to the start of play. By the time I have finished tapping the last keys on my desktop, the game will be over. To …
Fortune’s Fool
I recall my very first job interview in Calcutta with a well-known British company. For reasons not entirely clear at the time, it was called a managing agency house. Some of these companies had peculiarly English names like Bird & Co., Williamson Magor, MacNeill & Magor (the Magors spread themselves about), J. Thomas, Octavius …
Suresh's Corner 