ICC CWC: Tour Diary from Nagpur

The Pride Hotel in Nagpur is playing host to every team that will play its match at the Jamtha Stadium.
By Faisal Kamal in Nagpur

Pride and hospitality:
Visiting teams in Nagpur have always had a pleasant stay at the Pride Hotel. Since being built 14 years ago, the splendid hotel has hosted each and every team that has visited this vibrant and bustling city. It's not surprising.

Situated in the heart of the city - 6 km from main Birdi market and 12 km drive to Jamtha - the 5-star hotel is the obvious choice for every team. Front office manager Amit Pathak revealed that the hotel is the number one choice for all sides touring Nagpur.

"Teams prefer our hospitality. Though there have been many 5-star hotels that have been built in the recent past, the teams continue to give us the honour of hosting them," said Pathak.

I recently visited the spa and the health club and guess what? There was England skipper Andrew Strauss having his hair cropped at the salon!
Pathak also recalled the time when Anil Kumble last captained the India side in a Test match against South Africa while staying in the hotel.

"Kumble and the India team stayed in our hotel. It was always fun and games when the day's play got over. Contrary to popular belief, Kumble is very relaxed and jovial when the spotlight is not on him. He always treated the staff with lot of respect," Pathak added.

Pathak also said that the staff had thrown a surprise birthday bash for Netherlands team manager Ed van Nierop, a couple of days back.

"We take special care of our players. Their personal food preferences and tastes are all taken care off. We do thorough research for each player who is going to be hosted by us," Pathak said.

So players may come and teams may go, but Pride lives on forever.

Bat for Nagpur:
While driving back from Jamtha to the city, I chanced upon cricket bats lined up at the roadside. On asking, I discovered that the bats are made for tennis-ball cricket, which is very popular in Nagpur. There are families who specialise in this art.

Known as Thoris, the artisans hail from Gujarat and cater to the cricket-playing youth of the Orange City. The bats are made from a special kind of wood called 'Sewan', timber which is imported from the Nandyal district of Gujarat.

On meeting one of the Thoris, I also got to know that the local shopkeepers buy these bats from these roadside vendors, adorn them with fancy stickers and then sell them at a higher price.

"We sell these bats for 150 or 200 bucks, but we also sell them on a mass basis to the local shopkeepers, who in turn sell these bats by hiking the price tag. But that's the way it is. This is our ancestral work and we love it," said bat-maker Govind Thori.

So the next time you are in Nagpur, either catch a game at Jamtha Stadium or buy a bat at the roadside. Either way, you will be sure to enjoy the flavor of cricket in Orangeland.

Source: http://www.espnstar.com/cricket/icc-cricket-world-cup/news/detail/item586352/ICC-CWC:-Tour-Diary-from-Nagpur/

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