After the 9th match of this less than rapturously received tournament, here's how the star players stack up on the fantasy points table. (I've added in Raina because from the numbers he has returned until now, he promises to do in the Asia Cup what Shane Watson did in the IPL.)

Player/Cost/Points:
MS Dhoni (105000) (TTP)* 318
Mhd. Yousuf (105000) 97
DPMD Jayawerdene (100000) 116
ST Jayasuriiya (105000) 192
Shahid Afridi (95000) 93
IK Pathan (95000) 0
KC Sangakkara (105000) 462
Muralitharan (105000) 140
Sohail Tanvir (95000) 468
Raina (80000) 635

All this to say it's best not to judge a player by his price tag. The fantasy gurus are the ones that manage to get more bang for their buck by identifying the Watsons and the Rainas of the tournament before the rest have. It's this ability to scratch the surface and go beyond the obvious that separates the experts from the dabblers.

*My experiment with MS Dhoni as my 'Tournament Trump Player' to demonstrate how much better players will perform when they don't let encumbrances like patriotism and emotions guide them in their decision-making and, instead, strive to be nimble, merciless and dynamic in their Trump Player choices.

I have a confession to make: I love fantasy, but I suck at it. And so, I’m counting on you guys to help me get better at it.

People say it’s easy to pick a fantasy team. They say, "Why not let the random team picker that has just been introduced by the helpful folks at Cricinfo.com do it for you." I say, why would I want to do something as silly as that. What does a bot know about team selection? (Not much, if you've ever tried it.) Instead, I’m going to depend on you the good Samaritans to send in your fantasy teams for the just-launched Asia Cup game to me … so I can get it right by copying you.

Welcome to Fantasy Post, a blog devoted to fantasy cricket. Fantasy Post promises to be a space in which more than one voice will be heard and a room that belongs to all of us. It will be an easygoing many-on-one with the enthusiastic if horrendous fantasy player who has always wondered why he never ends anywhere near the top of any fantasy league standings.

The less I agonise over my probable team the better. The more instinctive my choices are the smarter they’re likely to be. Pick on current form. Don’t go by reputations; even if they come with glamourous price tags attached to their big names. Remember how so-so and let you down in the IPL? Click. Select. Unselect. Select. Tcha! Try again. Obviously, this business of team selection is great fun. And not easy to master. Not even if you happen to be a cricket expert. (The last few fantasy game leagues in Cricinfo were won by ordinary people our resident ‘cricket experts’ wouldn’t deign to talk cricket with.)

So what does it take to be a good fantasy player? A risk-taker? An impulsive daredevil? A considered analyst? A cricket expert? No, certainly not a cricket expert. (Which, anyway, all cricket lovers are.) It takes is a dangerous obsession to be part of the action always and a willingness to put one’s money where one’s mouse is.

There, I've finally got my teams in place for the Asia Cup edition of Cricinfo fantasy cricket that’s live, up and running. They're called ‘Fantasia’ and ‘The Cuppuccinos’. It’s your turn now.