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Photo: Kamal Narang

Back now Navjot Singh Sidhu

Because life has become too materialistic…people take themselves too seriously. They believe in all the medicines except laughter, which is the best.

First love is always remembered. Where is the Kaun Banega Crorepati? That we are into the third season despite bitter battles for TRPs is creditable in itself.

The channel is responsible. They edit my laughter and paste it at the end of every joke, good or bad.

I have learnt some audience enjoy my laughter. If somebody feels happy at my cost why should I complain?

At that time my bat used to do the talking, and it talked a lot (laughs). After retirement I got into meditation and rediscovered myself.

My father liked to use one-liners in the courtroom. I was inspired by him. As I was heavily into meditation and used to read a lot of self-help books, when I started doing the commentary, they started to come out effortlessly. They are original. Look I am like a bee. It has a small body but it has the sting as well as the honey.

I can’t tour because I am busy with my constituency. It’s a full time job. I have to attend Parliament. In the evenings I am free so I go to channels.

Absolutely! 240 was considered to be a decent score in One Day Internationals. Now it has been achieved in 20 overs. In my days the record of sixes in a match was 6-7. Now McCullum has his 13 in just 20 overs. It will have an impact on ODIs and Tests. We will see much bigger scores in these formats.

They are in minority. The game has brought in kids and female audience to the grounds. Players like Dravid and Laxman are finding it difficult because in this format you have to start from the fifth gear. There is no time to settle down. I believe in future we would see different players specialising in different formats of the game.

Yes, because it has and could do a lot for domestic cricket. Once it was English county today it is destination India. The presence of so many foreign players will boost the confidence of state level player. Players like Dinda and Abhishek Nayar, who were hardly known at the national level, are sharing the bench with the likes of Ricky Ponting and Shaun Pollock. Pollock told me that his life changed when in a South African League match he took four wickets while Malcolm Marshall could manage only one. He realised that he is ready for the big stage.

They are soft targets. If you are so much concerned about morality why not ban what goes on air on MTV or what is shown in Indian cinema.

How do you see the slapping controversy involving Harbhajan Singh and Sreesanth?

It is the violation of the spirit of the game and should not be tolerated. The game is driven by Gandhigiri and not dadagiri.

Could be. Big names should play for their home cities. Can you imagine Michael Jordan not playing for Chicago?

The format will evolve with time.

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