This was an evening when two southpaws hogged the limelight. One of them, an eight year old spin bowler from Mumbai, Musheer Khan whose father and coach Naushad, had changed their return plans in the last minute to get a date with the other more sought after left-hander, Yuvraj Singh, whom everyone was raring to see on the field post his high-altitude fitness and endurance training in France.
The occasion was the launch of his 4th Centre of Excellence, this time in collaboration with the Jaypee Group and based at the Jaypee Atlantis, the integrated sports complex based in Greater Noida.
On the field, Musheer’s innocence and obliviousness of the sense of occasion was a pleasing sight, though he had made up his mind much in advance to reserve his best for the talented International cricketer. Making his way into the team of Journos XI who were playing a match against Yuvraj XI, Musheer made an impact initially with his tight bowling and later by scalping the prized wicket that he wanted to go back with.
Yuvraj on the other hand was seen in a cheerful mood through the evening – in the press conference launching the cricket centre prior to the match, in the photo sessions leading up to the match prodding his team-mates to give a thrashing to the ‘media’ team and on the field during what was a short 12 overs-a-side match.
If Yuvraj’s hit over the rope followed by another boundary played spoil-sport with Musheer’s bowling figures, the young boy’s comeback in the same over deceiving the reputed batsman with a quicker, flatter one to get him stumped made sure his spirits weren’t left dampened.
As the team-mates and the small gathering cheered the not so tall bowler on capturing the big fish, Yuvraj made it young Musheer’s day by stopping to congratulate the bowler on his walk back. A sporting gesture that.
The ‘Player of the Tournament’ of the World Cup 2011 then decided to sweeten the evening for the young lad when he signed a ‘That was an awesome ball Musheer’ message later on the match ball and posed with him patiently for photographs.
The entire weight of the message could not find its way through the young boy’s playful mind, but Naushad, a noted coach from Mumbai, knew what it meant and had decided to reward Musheer with a flight trip on the way back, a promise he had made earlier if an impressive performance came through from the youngest bowler that played the match.
Calm, innocent and youthful, the boy had enjoyed his day out and had performed to his coach’s expectations. It was now time to look forward to a game of marbles back in his hometown.
With a win margin of 4 runs, the more established star too had his wishes fulfilled thought not the drubbing he had hoped to send the media team away with!