The inmates of Boosa prison get to work © Cricinfo Ltd

They caught my attention during the first session, occupying a majority of the roofed section near midwicket at the Galle International Stadium which seats a few hundred spectators. From afar, in white t-shirts and khakhi shorts, they looked like a group of oversized school students cheering heartily as Virender Sehwag laced the ball across the turf their way. On closer inspection it was evident that they weren't students. For a second I thought they could be off-duty cadets. The dress-code was common to those seen around various cantonments on the subcontinent.

But when a brief but fierce shower lashed the stadium during the lunch interval, they all jumped up in unison and grabbed the covers. This surprised me, as I had seen the Galle ground staff (white UltraTech Ceylinco-branded white tees and black pants) in action the day before this Test. I then learned that they were inmates from the nearby high-security Boosa prison.

More than 125 prisoners running across the ground covering the square at a live cricket match? With spectators and players present? I was taken back and so sought out head curator Jayananda Warnaweera. "They have special security guards to monitor their every move, so it is nothing to worry about," he told me. "These are inmates guilty of petty crimes, nothing too serious. We see it as benefiting us and them."

Continue reading "Getting out of jail"

	Howzat: Kumar Dharmasena is now an umpire © Photosport

With a heavy shower having delayed the resumption of play after lunch at the Nondescripts Cricket Club, I took the opportunity to walk across the soggy grass outside the boundary line. Percy Abeysekera, the famous fanatical Sri Lankan supporter, has engaged a few India players and some local and visiting fans with his jokes and antics – he waves his hands exaggeratedly, slaps hands, and even breaks into a cooing sound as Sachin Tendulkar comes out on the players' balcony.

But I pass on and make my way towards a man sitting silently against a white wall in the shade 50 meters away, head bent forward, arms resting on knees, far away from the madness. It is Kumar Dharmasena, the former Sri Lankan offspinner, now an umpire. He cuts a calm picture, crisp white shirt and black pants and tennis shoes, and extends a firm handshake.

Continue reading "The familiar figure donning the white coat"

	Rashid Khan, the wrong-foot bowler, now teaches Chinese cricketers the right way to play the sport © ACC

The thing about Pakistan is that great cricketers can be found anywhere, you just have to have an eye. Their former players don't have any airs about them. So if you haven't seen them before, there is a chance you may not know that roaming amongst us, chatting, looking after things, are some of the interesting characters of the game. One such player is Rashid Khan - the original wrong-foot bowler from Asia. He actually bowled off the wrong foot, as opposed to Sohail Tanvir, who gives an optical illusion to that effect. Rashid got Viv Richards out for a duck in his debut ODI, and puts it down to being wrong-footed. That should be incentive enough for a host of youngsters to put their wrong foot out.

What was Rashid's incentive, though? "Nothing, I never realised for a long time. I used to think my action was very good.

"And in those days, around 1976, very few matches were shown on TV. When I went to watch a match between Pakistan and Australia, we saw Max Walker bowl. A friend of mine said, 'Your action is just like Walker's'. I said, 'No chance. My action can't be like his.'
"But when I went back and saw the highlights of the match in news, I realised for the first time I actually bowled off the wrong foot."

Continue reading "Wrong foot, right time"