THE WEEK NOVEMBER 12, 2017^71Packer thing. Was that the flashpoint
between them? Was there a Delhi-
Mumbai rivalry that underpinned it?
I thought it was interesting to under-
stand from both people’s perspec-
tives and I haven’t judged them.
How tough was it to broach the
subject of match fi xing with Azhar?
Here I was writing a book, so it
was sort of easier to bring up. Had I
put a camera he might get defensive.
Plus how can you not reflect on Azhar
without discussing match fixing? It
was not easy, but easier if you are not
doing breaking news.
With so much written on Tendulkar,
did you fi nd it diffi cult to get
something new about him?
Of course I did. But I have known
him for long and I have played cricket
with his brother. I tried to focus on his
early days. I was stunned, for exam-
ple, when Tendulkar told me at the
age of 11 that he would play for India. I
wanted to understand the psychology
of Tendulkar and try and contrast it
with Vinod Kambli.
What made you conclude that Dhoni
had not changed as a cricketer?
He had surely become aloof after
getting the captaincy.
He says in the book that he had
satyagraha against the media ever
since his house was attacked. Now I
don’t believe it is the only reason; it
serves his purpose. He doesn’t have
to address uncomfortable questions.
He’s one cricketer who wants to do
his own thing. Who is the media or
the board to set the rules? I think
media has been fairly kind to Dhoni.
Virat Kohli’s story is a bit
incomplete.
Yes, I think it is. But he has already
become a millennium master. I found
Kohli very interesting. I thought
he was this brash arrogant guy but
when you speak to him you realise he
understands the game. It is a supreme
understanding of the game. XDemocracy’s XI: The Great
Indian Cricket Story
By Rajdeep Sardesai
Published by Juggernaut
Price: 0599
Pages: 371