These were articles that first appeared in Wisden Asia magazine where the editor Sambit Bal (now editor of ESPN cricinfo) generously offered me the last page. I volunteered to write on the different people I had met in the years I spent playing cricket and watching it. Most of them were unknown to the wider world but were part of our game in a sense. I enjoyed writing this series very much and still thank Sambit for giving me the opportunity.
The first of the characters is Suri, our opening batsman. I can still see him walking out to bat. Or even standing at the bus-stop while playing out an innings in his mind. I liked his company.