Of Shoaib and Sania,

Yo
The Pak team is in India minus superstar Shoaib. Apparently, his teammates arent too mindful of the fact nor are they too crazy about having him on their bus.No doubt, they are fed up with his antics and would rather sort out the business of playing and winning games themselves.
But I am sure everyone except those 15 wish he had been on the squad, and that includes me as well, for there is no sight in cricket more thrilling than to watch a pace bowler in full flow charge in and test the batsmen with bouncers and swingers, with cutters and simply pacy ones.Except for that one test when he got Sachin and Dravid in successive deliveries, the Rawalpindi Express really hasnt been too much of a wory for us. But the thrill of watching a great showman is a spectators delight and it would have been quite a sight to see him bowl on INdias fastest pitch at Mohali.Shoiab, inspite of all the makings of a great bowler is still miles away from that echeleon. Most of the reasons why lie away from the 22 yards. Shoaib hopefully realises that. Time away from the game should *hopefully* keep him away from the spotlight and the medias incessant glare. A bit of introspection and I am sure the Rawalpindi Express will be back on tracks in full steam.

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Speaking of full steam Sania Mirza certainly seems to be at it. Her victory last nite over Kuznetsova, her ATP tour win at Hyderabad and the US open game against Serena all seem to point to the makings of a superstar. The game is there along with the confidence to take on the best. But what will really decide her future more than anything else is her support system. A full fledged trainer, a full time travelling coach, dietician and other issues like sponsorship, managing finances and learning to deal with media are the least of these. The ATP tour is one lonely place and travelling around the globe takes a big toll mentally and physically. One just hopes that Sania keeps her head on her shoulders and both her feet on the ground and achieves her stated task of cracking into the Top 50 by the year end.
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PS : Saw a sexy yellow Lamborghni Daiblo last nite at Chilis. Wonder if I will ever drive even 1/4th as expensive a pair of wheels. Cut to reality : gotto go to school tomorrow. Gotto pump my tyres and oil the chain. Gundyas cycle after 2.5 years of service is still going strong but lately its been too squeaky.