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Once upon a time

by Gaurav Sethi

He will often brag about his self goal, but his cricketing highs far outweigh anything football in the mouth. These were the heady 90s, Tubs in aviators, stubble, the drinks’ boy, bag and pre-mixes in hand and always a good sledge away from you – Birdy on strike, Tubs keeping, but before that, a brief background – Birdy was unemployed, a corporate hippy. Tubs behind the stumps, enquiring about Birdy’s pay-package, how many figures? Do they even pay you? Weak grin from stoned Birdy. Pink slip, salary slip, more slips of the mouth – how does it feel to be unemployed?

Birdy was stoic enough, he never spoke much, more grins. And drinks happen, swigs, Pussy partakes, Freddie, Keith, Bhaskar, Sajith, Kartik did you? One thing’s for certain, Roop did not partake. Those was rummy cricketing days, daze, yeah.

Through Delhi, Bombay, Hyderabad, we talked cricket, dirty, filthy, abusive cricket – Maninder-Saba Karim imitations…kehna parega, Saba; I even mailed Saba Karim, (the only cricketer I’ve ever mailed); years later when I ran into Saba at a bookshop, we finally got closure on that episode, or did we?

Tubs spent most of his adult life imitating Imran Khan, you can hear him Immu away here. It’s in print, but if you listen close enough, you’ll hear him alright. Maybe you can put your ear to the screen.

Phone call, looks like I lost the thread. But we did talk some cricket, which beats writing cricket – Happy Bored Day Tubs.

4 comments:

Bhaskar Khaund said...

Phase it was , was a phase , what a phase ! As i commented on phasebook - Happy birthday and many happy returns , King Khan - hope you're still bringing the rum into the game !

Unknown said...

We had our own IPL .. Imran Peeke Lele .. pity it never went beyond IPL 1 .. and pity we had no cheerleaders .. although with the booze there we had plenty of cheersleaders!!

Keith said...

Happy Birthday Tubby - if Dylan knew you he'd say 'you were just too stubborn to be ever be governed by enforced insanity'
And if Wakaaar and Waaasim knew you they'd say 'Our Bwayz in Paaqstaan team don't listen to Dhillon....'
Lovely post Gaurav.Having travelled a full night to Shimla with Imran, Wasim, Waqar, Tubby and Bhaskar, this brought back some gay memories.

Unknown said...

Happy Birthday Tubs. I of course will never forget that splendid outswinger that Tubs delivered to BK, which BK promptly edged to me at slips, which I managed to swallow, at which point Tubs and I celebrated like crazy, at which point BK strode off muttering and looking for his gumcha! Vintage days, an incredible ball and a great outcome. Happy Birthday Tubs!

Lovely post Gauru - it's time we reconvened for a spot of 20-20 cricket that we invented as far back as 1991.