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These Indian cricket players don't travel light
The total weight of bags carried by Indian team: more than 1,800 kg. These guys don't travel light, writes Avirook Sen.
If you went purely by the weight of their luggage, you could say that the Indian cricket team is carting a baby elephant around from venue to venue in South Africa. The total weight of their bags: more than 1,800 kg. These guys don't travel light.
Given the scale of operations, there's a man in charge of ensuring that every piece gets to where it's supposed to. And Achmat Galant, who also bowls nippy medium pace at practice to the boys in the nets, says he wouldn't swap his job for anything.
In the “coffins”, as Galant calls them (kit cases do look like coffins, actually), are bats, practice balls, nets, baseball mitts and clothing. In fact, practically everything you need to play cricket — except perhaps a pitch.
Some guys carry more equipment than others. Skipper Sourav Ganguly reportedly carries about 18 bats on tour along with all his other stuff. And Galant says: “His coffin is easily the heaviest.”
Contrary to popular perception, the team travels economy class. But the weight restrictions imposed on other passengers have been waived for the teams by tournament sponsors South African Airways.
Nevertheless, getting all the stuff on to planes is no small task.
“The boys bring their stuff down to the team room (a common room for players at each of the hotels they stay in where they hold meetings or simply hang out together) the night before a departure. It's my job to see everything's there and the next morning the airline guys come to the hotel and check it all in,” says Galant.
On this tour, the number of pieces is growing. The team started with 81 pieces, but now, with additional equipment coming in and Sanjay Bangar and Ajit Agarkar's wives joining the party, it’s up to 100.
The team would like to add at least one piece to this tally, though. It won't be very large — a 60 cm, gilt and silver affair weighing just above 11 kg. They will first have to get past the semis and then see how the final goes to find out whether they'll be carrying it home. Galant says: “I think we can manage the extra weight.”
