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Beyond the boundary

Gautam Bhimani's "Reverse Sweep" takes a look at the lighter side of cricket

PURPLE PATCH Gautam Bhimani

He has reported live from treetop and helicopter, has faced Akram and Muralitharan in the nets, and now Gautam Bhimani has penned "Reverse Sweep". Admittedly a travelogue, the Rupa publication encapsulates incidents from the working days of a man responsible for bringing the lighter side of cricket into our living rooms. "Cricket is the most analysed thing in India apart from Bollywood and politics. So I wanted to share some lighter moments of the game with the public. I always wanted to write my experiences but thought it would be more like a memoir. When Rupa came up with the offer, I was game," says Bhimani.

"However," he says, "lighter doesn't mean trivialising. I have always captured moments that make cricket coverage complete. People do watch cricket from treetops in the Caribbean. Then if you have to show the 365-odd islands that constitute Antigua, the best way is to use a helicopter."

The dangerous side

But funny could easily translate into dangerous as well. "If you have an idea like reporting live from a helicopter, hardly anybody supports you. When I reached the helipad, I saw a dark chap removing the doors. I complained. He replied in a heavy Caribbean accent. That's the way. It was very risky, particularly for the cameraperson who had to lean out to capture me."

Similarly, Gautam recalls his one-on-one with Wasim Akram. "I came up with this idea to end an episode of Super Selector where Wasim would bowl to me in the nets. He agreed. He said he would bowl outside the off stump. During the shoot, I hit one of his deliveries through the covers. He apparently got angry and the next delivery was short on the leg stump. It hit me in the rib cage. It left a purple patch. I could not breathe properly for the next few days and could not sleep on that side for three months. It was in good humour but he kept repeating, `How could you hit me through the covers?"

He agrees that these days cricket is being primarily played for TV audiences. "TV has essentially become an entertainment medium. This reflects even in the news. However, there should be the right balance. I don't agree with the contention that cricket is going the WWF way as matches are not staged here."

Son of a sports journalist, Gautam also started his career as a sports journalist with Pratidin, a Kolkata daily. He maintains his covering of the lighter side of the game hasn't ruined his image as a serious sports commentator. "Long after I started doing offbeat stories, in 2003 I was asked to do commentary alongside Sunil Gavaskar and Geoffrey Boycott in a Test match at the Adelaide Oval."

ANUJ KUMAR

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