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Jadeja, still popular among expatriates
Dashing opener Ajay Jadeja may be out of the Indian team, but he seems to be the most sought after cricketer in Abu Dhabi.
Dashing opener Ajay Jadeja may be out of the Indian team, but he seems to be the most sought after cricketer here - signing hundreds of autographs and blowing flying kisses.
Besides Jadeja, handsome pacer Zaheer Khan and Virender Sehwag, who made guest appearances for the Indian Masters XI in the Zayed Cup here, were also lustily cheered.
Zaheer especially was also a big hit among young women although the left-arm bowler looked a bit embarrassed at all the adulation.
But the effervescent Jadeja, a man with an opinion on every aspect of the game, has been the biggest hit among the hundreds of spectators who thronged the swanky Zayed Stadium.
Unlike the serene scene at the teams' hotel lobby, students could be seen shouting and yelling to seek Jadeja's attention - and his autograph, and in some cases, a photograph with him.
When the shouting and yelling reached a crescendo, the 34-year-old Jadeja, positioned near the boundary line, would come to the fence for a few minutes to sign autograph books. And for those who were far away in the stands, the former India captain would simply blow a few flying kisses.
Jadeja played 15 Tests and 196 one-day internationals between 1992 and 2000 before the Indian cricket board slapped a five-year ban from for his alleged involvement in the match-fixing scandal. A Delhi court, however, has allowed him to play first-class cricket, pending a final verdict.
Sehwag makes special appearance
Sehwag, accompanied by wife Arti, made a guest appearance at the stadium - and discovered he was as popular among the expatriate Indians here as he is in his hometown Delhi.
Although Sehwag is not playing in the three-nation Zayed Cup, being organised for the tsunami victims and also to inaugurate the Zayed Stadium - because of a restriction by the Indian board - he was loudly cheered when he came out to the ground.
Dressed in a check shirt and jeans, Sehwag introduced the Indian and Sri Lankan teams to the Abu Dhabi Cricket Control Board president B.R. Shetty before leaving for India via Dubai.
Sehwag and his other Indian team mates are enjoying a rare - and welcome - break from international cricket. Besides him, Yuvraj Singh, Ashish Nehra and Zaheer Khan are also here as guests.
The evergreen Puri
Ajay Jadeda's former Haryana team mate Rajesh Puri, an excellent fielder who once came close to being selected for India, still looks fit as a fiddle and continues with his springy gait, as was evident during the Zayed Cup here.
Puri, who played under Kapil Dev for Haryana and North Zone, was his captain's favourite for being one of the best fielders in the country during the 1990s. The Faridabad-based Puri used to stand like a wall in the point region and a ball would hardly go past him - and even if it managed to sneak through, the slightly built Puri would prevent it from crossing the boundary line.
A proof of his fielding ability can be had from the fact that he plucked 77 catches in 89 first-class matches between 1988-89 and 2002-2003.
Puri has maintained the same fitness level even after playing his last first-class game about two years ago. "I still workout every day," said the amiable 36-year-old.
