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Context: This is from Kevin Pietersen's Autobiography.

> During the Bangladesh series I'd worked hard to adapt my game to the increased threat to left-arm spinners. The IPL was a safe haven in that regard, as India has never adopted the DRS system. I think they see human error as part of the fabric of cricket.

> The guy I spoke to the most about the problems I was having was Rahul Dravid. Rahul was a great and heroic Indian batsman in his day. He is also a genius at dealing with spin bowlers. Our conversations and emails were a private masterclass from a genuine guru. Rahul improved my cricket and helped me develop the way I think about the game. His generosity will stay with me always.

> In that spirit, I'll share something and hope my friend doesn't mind: an email Rahul sent me some time ago as part of our conversation about playing different spinners.

> Can you treasure en email? I treasure this..

> <Email by Rahul follows>

> Help through encouragement and wisdom? He had me at Champ. If you love cricket you'll know why I often read that email and smile to myself.

To my neighbours, aadaab!

Here is Ali Sardar Jaffrey's nazm on the two of us:


tumhārā haath baḌhā hai jo dostī ke liye
mire liye hai vo ik yār-e-ġham-gusār kā haath
vo haath shāḳh-e-gul-e-gulshan-e-tamannā hai
mahak rahā hai mire haath meñ bahār kā haath

ḳhudā kare ki salāmat raheñ ye haath apne
atā hue haiñ jo zulfeñ sañvārne ke liye
zamīñ se naqsh miTāne ko zulm o nafrat kā
falak se chāñd sitāre utārne ke liye

zamīn-e-pāk hamāre jigar kā TukḌā hai
hameñ aziiz hai dehlī o lucknow kī tarah
tumhāre lahje meñ merī navā kā lahja hai
tumhārā dil hai hasīñ merī aarzū kī tarah

kareñ ye ahd ki auzār-e-jañg jitne haiñ
unheñ miTānā hai aur ḳhaak meñ milānā hai
kareñ ye ahd ki arbāb-e-jañg haiñ jitne
unheñ sharāfat o insāniyat sikhānā hai

ji.eñ tamām hasīnān-e-ḳhaibar-o-lahore
ji.eñ tamām javānān-e-jannat-e-kashmīr
ho lab pe naġhma-e-mahr-o-vafā kī tābānī
kitāb-e-dil pe faqat harf-e-ishq ho tahrīr

tum aao gulshan-e-lahore se chaman-bardosh
ham aa.eñ subh-e-banāras kī raushnī le kar
himāliya kī havāoñ kī tāzgī le kar
phir is ke ba.ad ye pūchheñ ki kaun dushman hai

***

I am excited for this book by Haroon Khalid. Lahore is a culturally sparkling and historically rich city, deserving of a history like this. Another good book exploring the intricately connected cultural fabric of our lands: In Search of Shiva by the same guy.

On the same note, to Pakistani readers looking for similar literature on one of India's great cities, I highly recommend Raza Rumi's Delhi By Heart. One of the best books I've read on the city.

I will also leave this here, as I'm currently hooked on to it: Gorak Dhanda. Nescafe Basement is otherworldly. Maybe I love it because it has a pure rock sound to it. The lyrics are immensely powerful, and the arrangement embellishes them and hardens the hit of their meaning even more.

On that note, let us also celebrate the demise of Coke Studio.

Any idea why there was no episode this week?

I would suggest you to buy a mid grade cricket bat and a hanging ball like this to start with.
hope you find a suitable place which allows you to practice freely without restrictions. Something like a football goal post ( but much taller) would be great. This will help you in meeting the ball regularly and not be a complete novice. But please note this is only for you get used to steering the ball in the direction you want.

One disadvantage is, this will not prepare you for steep bounce or spin.

But couple of tips I would suggest is, after you are better with this setup, wear a cap with the flap in such a way that it blocks out your field of view until the ball is very near to you. Also, can have some one throw the ball at you at close quarters. Will improve reaction times.

Adjusting height the ball hangs from the ground will give practice for different lengths.
Helped me greatly during my school years without bothering anyone.

Yep! Not ideal, but should be fine — just make sure to use an appropriate amount to begin with. Always easier to use a little and then fill it again rather than having to excessively sand the bat later. In my experience it’s easy to go overboard with the superglues that have a more thin/watery consistency, so I use Gorilla super glue (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MCZCP4X/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_IM5VCbA1892RC) it’s thicker, and harder to use in excess as a result.

What life as an England cricketer is really like
Ever wondered what it's like playing Test Cricket?

What really goes on tour and beyond the boundary rope?

Here, for the first time, the world of a pro-cricketer is revealed, and the man pulling back the dressing room curtains is one of England's greatest ever cricketers: James 'Jimmy' Anderson. 565 Test Wickets and counting.

Written with Felix White: musician, cricket enthusiast and Anderson's co-host on BBC Five Live's phenomenally popular podcast 'Tailenders', Jimmy invites us all into his world of cricket. Full of test-match sized stories and 20/20 anecdotes, this book contains everything you've dreamed of asking a top cricketer. And Jimmy provides the answers and insights into this world on and off the pitch.

We tackle the big questions. And, importantly, the small ones;

Do cricketers really watch Countdown instead of the Test whilst waiting to bat?

What are those conversations in the slip cordon?

And what does he eat as a tailender?

The link for anyone looking to preorder on Amazon

The link for anyone looking to preorder on Apple Books

Friday Night Lights (H.G "Buzz" Bissinger) is excellent. It follows the 1988 Permian Panthers - an Odessa, Texas high school american football team. It inspired a movie and TV series of the same name.

The Jordan Rules (Sam Smith) follows the 1990/91 Chicago Bulls and highlights Michael Jordan's competitive nature and often dick-ish behaviour towards team mates - e.g. punching Will Purdue and deliberately throwing hard/difficult passes to Bill Cartwright to highlight his weaknesses

Serious (John McEnro) a great read that looks at all aspects of McEnroe's life. You get some great insights into his mindset during his career.

Depends on what you mean by that question. I dont think that test fans have reduced over the years, its just that Limited overs cricket has boomed massively. Limited overs cricket was exactly how cricket became so massive in the country, pre-1983 world cup cricket fanaticism was restricted to certain regions of the country and that too mostly with the middle/upper classes. Only in the late 80s and 90s did cricket become the pre-eminent sport throughout the country and a lot of it was due to the prominence of ODI cricket (and Tendulkar). Boria Majumdar made this point quite well in the Illustrated History of Indian Cricket.

And like you said in the OP, only 2 out of my 10 close friends watch test cricket but everyone watches IPL. But the thing is before the IPL it was the same 2 who watched any form of cricket the others couldnt be bothered, other than Ind-Pak and maybe the world cup they really didnt care. That is also why the IPL is such a juggernaut.

Test Cricket is not losing popularity to limited overs cricket it has retained the same growth rate while limited overs has grown by leaps and bounds. Test Cricket still attracts a massive number of fans of the sport and will continue to, its just that limited overs cricket is far far better at attracting casual fans.

You could buy him Imran Khan's, All Round View. Or anyone of his other books really...

But I like the jersey idea better. First off cause its an awesome shirt and secondly cause he can wear it in the stands and bring us good karma!

Has anyone else read this book: http://www.amazon.com/Right-Off-Bat-Baseball-Literature/dp/1589880692

"Are baseball and cricket two sports divided by a common language? Both employ bats, balls, and innings. Fans of both love statistics, revel in nostalgia, and use baffling jargon. In Right Off the Bat, baseball nut Evander Lomke and cricket buff Martin Rowe explain "their" sport to the other sport's fans--through anecdotes, diagrams, photographs, and a curve (or dipper) or two.

Cricket and baseball share a parallel and occasionally intertwined history (the first international cricket match was played in the United States). Indeed, they have mirrored their countries' struggles with identity and race, and have expanded beyond the shores of their founding countries to become multinational sports commanding global followings that are, even now, challenging the future of both sports. Right off the Bat is the perfect present for fans of either sport, as well as a handy introduction to those who want to divine the deeper rhythms of play.

The book is illustrated with forty pictures covering the history of both games, not only in England and the United States, but from around the world, and includes two glossaries: one for baseball and one for cricket."

Buy a Cricket Bat from your local Indian store or Amazon, don’t spend a ton, but make sure you buy a wooden bat.
Bat: Zeepk Sports Cricket Bat Net Practice Tennis Ball Tape Ball Handcrafted Kashmir Willow Wood Full Adult Size Model RED BABERSHAIR https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07C5V9N32/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_WUojDb0MKAP8B


Instead of tennis ball if you get these, they’re awesome Pro Impact Cricket Balls (Blue Windball (6 Balls)) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01H2QDJRK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_PPojDbPG6GX87

Additionally
Stumps (when you want to advance from chair)
Fortress Spring Back Cricket Stumps - Standard Size - Cricket Training Equipment https://www.amazon.com/dp/B074SVSQJD/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_wRojDb45GNE6P

Fire In Babylon (the book based on the documentary) by Simon Lister is excellent. It uses the interviews done for the documentary, as well as additional interviews done by the author. Great read.

It also contains my favourite ever Chappelli quote:

> You're either a good bloke or a prick, and colour's got bugger all to do with it.

I find these are perfect for backyard play with my kids. It's made of plastic'y material, hollow inside and perfect for playing on a firm surface. You can hit it fairly hard with a bat without sending it out of the ground every time (like the "cricket tennis balls").

http://www.amazon.com/Pro-Impact-Practice-Cricket-Rubber/dp/B01BDYMG3K

I got this book as a gift from colleagues not long ago, All in a Day's Cricket, which is a really nice collection of essays and articles from across different eras.

Aside from that, there are some current writer whose prose I really enjoy reading; Kamran Abbasi, Saad Shafqat, Osman Samiuddin (someone posted this article just the other day, as just one example of his excellent writing) & Rob Steen.

Here's a favourite of mine: Wings of Gold, Feet of Clay, posted not too long ago here

Soft ball. Not too soft / not too heavy. Very ideal for cricket play, can produce real good swing/spin too.

Free trial of audible gets you free audio version haha https://www.amazon.com/The-Final-Test/dp/B006IWU2ES

Shockingly I'm not even a cricket person... sorry!

if you feel if the ball is too light, try wrapping another layer of electric tape, that's what we used to do.

edit: but if you want a better tennis ball to play cricket with go for these http://www.amazon.com/Mani-Tennis-Cricket-Ball-brand/dp/B00A64CQMK/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1397147102&sr=8-6&keywords=ca+cricket+balls.

Yea would really love to visit Joburg and SA proper one day. Read a fantastic book mostly about SAs early history a few years ago (ie pre World War I), called Diamonds, Gold and War and been fascinated about the place ever since.

UK. Like £3. Think it's the right thing?

​

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/offer-listing/1845132580/ref=dp_olp_used_mbc?ie=UTF8&condition=used