Three cheers to the… cheerleaders

Whenever a player hits a boundary or a six or a wicket falls, the cheerleaders step on to the podium, flex and shake their bodies and step down before the next ball is bowled, writes Amol Karhadkar.

They say that Twenty20 cricket is very hectic for a cricketer and is likely to take its toll on him. However, more than the players, it's the cheerleaders who are being worked out the most.

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Whenever a player hits a boundary or a six or a wicket falls, the cheerleaders — almost three dozen on a ground for the duration — step on to the podium, flex and shake their bodies and step down before the next ball is bowled.

During Thursday's England-Zimbabwe match, the cheerleaders, positioned four each at different parts of the ground, stepped on to the podium 52 times!

Gateway of South Africa

The Indian squad had their first formal dinner here on Wednesday night, spending three hours at the Gateway complex, where the dinner was arranged. There was more to it than food. The Indian High Commission looked at it as a cultural exchange opportunity. There was a traditional Indian dance performance, followed by a similar one from South Africa.

Not many sportspersons have the knack of making media conferences lively. Shahid Afridi is surely a rarity. The Pakistan all-rounder not only speaks well - he prefers Hindi and Urdu to English - but also provides saleable quotes. When a Pakistani hack asked him whether he planned to do a Chris Gayle and make a ton, Afridi, who had earlier termed himself "primarily a bowler", responded: "Banduk ne chalna hai to chalegi (If the gun has to fire, it will)!"