Man in black
There was a gentleman in a black shirt and trousers, making his way through the crowd at Old Trafford. He had a somewhat worried look on his face, presumably because he was afraid of being recognised. Those near that entrance didn’t realise at once, but the moment they did, the phones were out and requests for selfies started flying in. Mohammad Azharuddin had a couple of security guards around, who whisked him in. Former India stars continue to be sought after in England. Those doing TV commentary here are almost always hounded for selfies.
The flagship number
While all other teams participating in the World Cup have national anthems and flags, the West Indies don’t have any. That’s because they are not one country. The nations that constitute the cricket team have their own national anthems and flags. The flag West Indies play under was designed by their cricket board. For their anthem, they have been using Calypso singer David Rudder’s Rally Round the West Indies since the 2007 T20 World Cup held in South Africa. This was penned much earlier, in the late eighties.
Pakistani & Tricolour
Asif Baksh is a Pakistani who resides in Hexhamshire. He teaches at a mosque. But the World Cup sees him don a very different role. At every India match venue, he is seen outside the ground selling flags, headgear and jerseys. Sporting a Tricolour umbrella hat and sometimes draped in the India flag, he goes from gate to gate. “I do this for Pakistan matches also, although India games mean better business for me. But then, touring and having fun while doing so is the major part,” he says, before getting busy bargaining whether two India blue shirts should go for £30 instead of £40.