MCA Diaries: Finding my way into Mumbai's cricketing culture

It has been quite some time when I last wrote a blog post. It is going to be two months now that I had written the last post and I, sincerely, don’t have any excuse for not writing. I have come across so many people, who even in their busy, and mind you, damn busy schedule manage to keep writing, not one or two posts but almost 350+ posts a year. And they aren’t paid for that! It is the passion that drives them. Not that my desire of writing is any less, just am a bit too comfortable in my lazy zone.

Having said all that, I have been real busy and a lot of things have been keeping me busy. No matter how much I work, I always find 24 hours too short for a day. Again it is the mind. However, there has been are few interesting things that has been keeping me busy – My job, my dreams, desire, and life in my favourite city.

So when I made a visit to this particular place, where I have visited more than five times in this month by now, I decided to type down my MCA diaries. Now take my blog to be my diary and this post to be one of those pages!

MCA Diary – September 26, 2012

 

By now I have gulped the Expressway route to Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) and literally I found it tiring to visit that place. Yes it is true, the area always gave me an elevated feeling of – “look I am in an up-market area,” but more than that I still believe BKC should had been a place for Formula One rather than some NCR area. And Hamilton’s visit just proved my point.

Anyways, I hadn’t decided to visit BKC today. More particularly MCA aka Mumbai Cricket Association. Being a cricket journalist is no fun, if you don’t make these frequent visits to MCA (be it BKA or Wankhede) and CCI (grandeur). So after starting my day’s work, around 9:30 AM when my colleague called that I should come as there was someone to handle my work at office, I was like – “okay let’s do this.”

 

I got ready and as I was getting ready, the idea of travelling in a train bugged me. I had a good-night’s sleep and I didn’t want to destroy my rested body to get tired of the journey. And the idea of travelling via Dharavi and crossing all that stupid traffic irritated me. I had only one option, travel via Kurla and this was a route that I was yet to perceive.

Anyways, I prepared myself and left for the interview that me and my colleague had long planned for (as we wanted to get done with it).

I left and was lucky enough to find a kind rickshaw that at the first approach didn’t refuse to travel. And finally I was on my way, via a new route, to MCA.

As I was approaching MCA, I realized, am yet to know many parts of my city well. And this I realized so late as I found myself to reach within fifteen minutes, which previously used to take at least half an hour. Yes, very funny.

As I entered, this time, the welcome was far different than the first time. When I had gone for the first time, like a lost kid, I found myself being blocked by three security guards – “Tumi Sir ko phone karo, wohi ake apko leke jayenge.” And my reaction used to be – “Kya re? Mera interview lega kya woh?”

Anyways, a lot changed in one month. The guards know me well and as soon as I approached, not three, but five of them saluted. Being a humble human being, I saluted back in my own style. (Yes I am humble :->)

I didn’t had to mention who I came to meet and funny part I didn’t even realize the guards already knew whom I went to meet. Before I could sit at the lobby and have a glass of water, I found myself being escorted to the practice ground, facing few of the famous Mumbai cricketers. They clearly seem to had finished with their practice session, however, I have no idea, whether out of boredom or “I am just chilling”, they were roaming near the nets.

 

Slowly they wrapped up and the person-of-honour had appeared, however, he had other plans of keeping us waiting. I didn’t mind as long as I could admire the field, the empty gallery, antique structure and some occasional hi-hellos.

The interview got over in no time, without we realizing that none of the replies worth it. He kept us waiting, finally he came, he saw, he fooled and left. (Not literally).

 

While leaving we found some television commercial being shot. My eyes even found an Albie Morkel look-alike. But sadly it wasn’t the real.

However, this visit has been a totally different from the first and even the last time I visited. I always used to take out sometime to check the picture on the wall, pictures of Ranjitsinhji, early days of Mumbai cricket, etc. And moreover, the recognition that I have acquired in such a short time. The salutes make me feel good but more than that it’s cricket and the fun of visiting one of the finest cricketing academies.

 P.S. My favourite is still Brabourne!