Teen perspective on cricket

You’ve written your first book at the age of 19. Was it easy to get published?
I’ve been blogging on sports for about five years now. I started writing this book last year. It took me a couple of months to finish. I took time out between college and other activities. This book covers cricket over the past ten years. It wasn’t easy to get published.

You’ve written about a ‘decade of hits and misses’. When did you start following the game?
From when I was 9. The book has everything I can recollect about the sport since I started following the game.

Has your perspective changed since you started following the game?
I’m sure it has. The game itself has changed so much in the last 10 years. Take T20 for instance. It came up only in 2003. But my views have remained the same.

Do you play cricket?
I used to play professionally. After a serious head injury, doctors advised me not to play. I still play, but not professionally.

In your book, you’ve said Dhoni, Zaheer Khan and Gambhir have been the most influential players for India over the past decade. What was your rationale for choosing these players, and not somebody like Virender Sehwag?
Sehwag was ruled out because he made his debut in 1998. The period I’ve taken into consideration was 1999 to 2009. For each team I’ve chosen three players — two of whom are already good at the game and one who I think has the potential to take the country to greater heights. Gautam Gambhir falls in this category. He is still developing his game, but I believe he’s going to be one of the stars of Indian cricket.

You don’t disapprove of the Australian team’s sledging. Why?
A little sledging does no harm. A stare here and there makes the game more interesting. As long as it’s within limits and players don’t attack each other personally,  sledging makes the game more competitive.

Do you see a difference in perspective between young fans and the older lot?
The older lot are more aware of the nuances of the game. They prefer Test matches to T20 games. Younger fans like T20 more, maybe because of the cheerleaders and the music. They are more impressed by players who can clear boundaries. For them, it’s more about results. I personally prefer the Test form of the game, because you get to see technique. T20 is more entertainment than cricket.