A week with Dhoni and the boys

[hassan_113]

Just to clarify, I did not stay with the team nor did I see them everyday. However, I did meet with them at the Edgbaston ground and at the team hotel on several days. I watched their practising on Monday and Tuesday and was at the team hotel on both days to see them arrive, get autographs and have a chat with some of the players. I also saw them on Friday night at the team hotel, watched the 4th day with my Indian friend on Saturday and greeted them at the hotel on Saturday after the game. I found most of the players to be very nice and quite welcoming especially outside the hotel. Unfortunately, I did not have a camera: an English fan thankfully took some pics of me with the players at the ground. However, the Indian fan (not a friend) took the pictures with Raina, Kumar, Sreesanth and Kohli but has not sent me the pics. He has a common name and I can't find him on facebook although I have his mobile. If/when I get those pics, I will post them here! Memorable moments included the following:- - Telling Mukund to keep out the way of bouncers and keeping a striaght bat which was greeted by a smile - Telling Sreesanth about a billboard I saw of him in Cochin and that I loved the incident with Nel, to which he smiled and giggled - Mistaking Mishra for Mukund initially until I saw Mishra's autograph - Shaking the hands of several players including Ishant Sharma yesterday and VVS, Dravid, Munaf earlier in the week - Calling Munaf a 90mph speed demon as he left the nets - Asking Raina if he was tired after a net session after which he commented in Hindi that he was hungry - Telling Raina at the team hotel that I was a Pakistan fan and that I was gutted when he slapped Umar Gul's full-toss down the ground and his yorker through fine-leg in the semi-final. He responded "it was needed and this fan here has a picture of me which is from the straight drive that I played from Umar Gul and yes, I am a Kashmiri." - Kumar dressed with shades looking like a Bollywood villain - Inside the team hotel where my friend met Dravid and took a pic with him - Dhoni saying "I will only take a picture with the kid" with a smile before taking a pic with me at the ground - Indian media guy arguing with me and my friend (friendly) when he said Bhajji should've been dropped before the series- to which he responded "but he's got more than 400 wickets" and telling me to "grow up" when I said the IPL should be scrapped - Dhoni playing the slash over point when my friend said the days before that you know when he's in form when the shot goes just over point as it did on day 4! - Sehwag refusing to sign any autographs anywhere- to which I responded- "is it because of the king pair Veeru?" - Gambhir being lectured at by cab drivers who found him to be poor in giving autographs to Asian fans when he would sign for English fans. Gambhir swore at the cab drivers. - Me telling Ishant after several failures to get an autograph and a "I will do it later response"- telling him to look at my face, that he promised one, that he should remember me as I have seen him a fair few times this week. He then proceeded to come over and sign The downpoint was that I did not get Sachin's. He shook hands at the practice sessions. He signed for a few 2 days ago but just before my friend and I, he went into the hotel. Yesterday, he was snuck around the back whilst the rest of them team entered the hotel. I found Raina to be the nicest member of the team (and Sreesanth too!!) along with VVS, Dravid, Mukund, Saha and Dhoni. Gambhir was very arrogant as was Sehwag. I did not buy into the theory that Sachin was very humble. In India they treat him like God: I found that he generally behaved like that and he is above the coach and other team members. P.S. I have put on a lot of weight in the last year or so (I will look to lose it, now I am based back in Birmingham!), so I look quite different to older pics. Dhoni Mukund Mishra Munaf Dravid Laxman

[Ultimate_Game]

Good for you bud. Can't say about Gambhir but Sehwag is a nice bloke, or was when I met him a few years back. He may sound arrogant or rude as he's a Haryanvi and when he speaks it sounds as if he's swearing but he's a nice chap though :haha: As for Gambhir, the guy's extremely competitive and aggressive, plus this series must be hurting him quite a lot. Don't think he will be happily signing autographs in the near future

[Sir john]

:hmmmm: ours players are good.

[Fontaine]

Just to clarify, I did not stay with the team nor did I see them everyday. However, I did meet with them at the Edgbaston ground and at the team hotel on several days. I watched their practising on Monday and Tuesday and was at the team hotel on both days to see them arrive, get autographs and have a chat with some of the players. I also saw them on Friday night at the team hotel, watched the 4th day with my Indian friend on Saturday and greeted them at the hotel on Saturday after the game. I found most of the players to be very nice and quite welcoming especially outside the hotel. Unfortunately, I did not have a camera: an English fan thankfully took some pics of me with the players at the ground. However, the Indian fan (not a friend) took the pictures with Raina, Kumar, Sreesanth and Kohli but has not sent me the pics. He has a common name and I can't find him on facebook although I have his mobile. If/when I get those pics, I will post them here! Memorable moments included the following:- - Telling Mukund to keep out the way of bouncers and keeping a striaght bat which was greeted by a smile - Telling Sreesanth about a billboard I saw of him in Cochin and that I loved the incident with Nel, to which he smiled and giggled - Mistaking Mishra for Mukund initially until I saw Mishra's autograph - Shaking the hands of several players including Ishant Sharma yesterday and VVS, Dravid, Munaf earlier in the week - Calling Munaf a 90mph speed demon as he left the nets - Asking Raina if he was tired after a net session after which he commented in Hindi that he was hungry - Telling Raina at the team hotel that I was a Pakistan fan and that I was gutted when he slapped Umar Gul's full-toss down the ground and his yorker through fine-leg in the semi-final. He responded "it was needed and this fan here has a picture of me which is from the straight drive that I played from Umar Gul and yes, I am a Kashmiri." - Kumar dressed with shades looking like a Bollywood villain - Inside the team hotel where my friend met Dravid and took a pic with him - Dhoni saying "I will only take a picture with the kid" with a smile before taking a pic with me at the ground - Indian media guy arguing with me and my friend (friendly) when he said Bhajji should've been dropped before the series- to which he responded "but he's got more than 400 wickets" and telling me to "grow up" when I said the IPL should be scrapped - Dhoni playing the slash over point when my friend said the days before that you know when he's in form when the shot goes just over point as it did on day 4! - Sehwag refusing to sign any autographs anywhere- to which I responded- "is it because of the king pair Veeru?"- Gambhir being lectured at by cab drivers who found him to be poor in giving autographs to Asian fans when he would sign for English fans. Gambhir swore at the cab drivers. - Me telling Ishant after several failures to get an autograph and a "I will do it later response"- telling him to look at my face, that he promised one, that he should remember me as I have seen him a fair few times this week. He then proceeded to come over and sign The downpoint was that I did not get Sachin's. He shook hands at the practice sessions. He signed for a few 2 days ago but just before my friend and I, he went into the hotel. Yesterday, he was snuck around the back whilst the rest of them team entered the hotel. I found Raina to be the nicest member of the team (and Sreesanth too!!) along with VVS, Dravid, Mukund, Saha and Dhoni. Gambhir was very arrogant as was Sehwag. I did not buy into the theory that Sachin was very humble. In India they treat him like God: I found that he generally behaved like that and he is above the coach and other team members. P.S. I have put on a lot of weight in the last year or so (I will look to lose it, now I am based back in Birmingham!), so I look quite different to older pics. Dhoni Mukund Mishra Munaf Dravid Laxman

That is pretty low class behaviour. Feeling entitled to something that's essentially a gift, an autograph, and then hounding the players when it's not given.

[Texy]

awesome stuff Hassan!!! Thanks a lot for sharing the inside tidbits and the pics

[Rahul Dravid]

you met RAHUL DRAVID and shook his hand??? oh how much i ENVY you. =[ good for you tho mate !!... great stuff ! :)

[Utalk]

Thanks for sharing the experience mate. Players behave differently in different situations. I have met Pakistani players on number of times and apart for one or two superstars rest are fine. Umar Gul and Saeed ajmal were always friendly along with new guys but our biggest so called superstar was always arrogant giving fans cold shoulder. My friends met Indian players in 04 in Pakistan and found most of them to be friendly and you have confirmed this now. Some players will ignore fans when they are not doing well because they are not comfortable with themselves. Aus are known to be arrogant but I always found them the friendliest lot. Clarke and Hussey are class. English too are well behaved in their dealings with fans.

[Rahul Dravid]

Thanks for sharing the experience mate. Players behave differently in different situations. I have met Pakistani players on number of times and apart for one or two superstars rest are fine. Umar Gul and Saeed ajmal were always friendly along with new guys but our biggest so called superstar was always arrogant giving fans cold shoulder. My friends met Indian players in 04 in Pakistan and found most of them to be friendly and you have confirmed this now. Some players will ignore fans when they are not doing well because they are not comfortable with themselves. Aus are known to be arrogant but I always found them the friendliest lot. Clarke and Hussey are class. English too are well behaved in their dealings with fans.

who are the paki superstars of this generation? just asking.

[suraj]

Hassan- r u the same Pakistani dude who studied in India??

[Utalk]

who are the paki superstars of this generation? just asking.

Should've added so called. The obvious one with a big heart.

[Trichromatic]

Should've added so called. The obvious one with a big heart.

:haha:

[Sidhoni]

:good:

[Temujin Khaghan]

Pakistanis never like gambhir and overlike dravid... knew that before i read your piece anyways good going :)

[Sarkar]

Pakistanis never like gambhir and overlike dravid... knew that before i read your piece anyways good going :)

Gambhir wont give a damn about Pakistan i wish we had more players like Gambhir in our team and no he wasnt arrogant and he gave me autograph . There is nothing wrong in being Patriotic

[mishra]

Thanks Bro for sharing it. :two_thumbs_up:

[hassan_113]

Gambhir did not know I was Pakistani. Only told Raina. There were a few Indian fans there: nothing patriotic about signing for the English people and refusing to sign for your own fans. Sehwag refused to sign ANY autograph for ANYBODY at the hotel or the ground: I saw this 6 times. This was also before the match when he hadn't scored a double duck. suraj: yep, I spent 2 months in India working in a hospital in 2008. Good times. Me and my friend enjoyed the cricketing adventure. In a time of riots here where Indians and Pakistanis protected each other, the feeling of brotherhood was felt in no place more than Birmingham.

[Aaku]

Aweeeeeeeeesome :two_thumbs_up::two_thumbs_up: Thanks for sharing!! :icflove: Mahi

[Karan114]

Gambhir did not know I was Pakistani. Only told Raina. There were a few Indian fans there: nothing patriotic about signing for the English people and refusing to sign for your own fans. Sehwag refused to sign ANY autograph for ANYBODY at the hotel or the ground: I saw this 6 times. This was also before the match when he hadn't scored a double duck.

I've heard this about Sehwag from quite a few people - he treats his fans like ****. Surprised about Gambhir, though.

[nballa]

let me get this straight, you gave batting advice to a indian test batsman? it was generous of him to smile it off. i would have taken a bat straight to your face.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for sharing mate. I am guessing you might well be the fan who was mentioned in the Tour Diary report on Indian fans on Cricinfo.