Rajasthan Royals captain Shane Warne says his inability to understand Hindi is not a handicap as he can figure out from their tone when his team members are upset with him.
"I think I can tell by their tone," Warne said, explaining that on the flip side, the team members could figure him out from his body language even if they couldn't understand his Australian accent.
Warne was reacting to a question at a function hosted here by sponsor Tata Communications Services for leading businessmen as to how he and teammate Graeme Smith, who is the South African captain, were getting along as Hindi seemed to be the main means of communication with some members of the team.
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"If I raise my voice and it's a bit aggressive, then I think they know they were not as good as they should have been. But if I'm happy and smiling, I think they understand," Warne maintained.
Smith pointed out the advantages the Indian Premier League (IPL) offered on the cultural front.
"Being a South African, I've grown up in a different cultures. So, from my perspective, just to spend time with the different cultures in the Royals has been a really interesting experience.
"The Indian guys have been teaching me a little bit of Hindi every now and again so we can use that to communicate with them," Smith maintained.
He also lauded the role of the younger Indian players.
"A few of us have played international cricket for a fair amount of years now, so we have got a bit more experience to impart to the young guys, but it's also great to have their energy and excitement.
"They have also got fresher legs than what we have got, so they can do the running and we can do the talking," Smith said, more in jest.
Warne also spoke about team work.
"In my opinion we are all in this together. We all work together and help each other out. I'm very proud to be the captain of Rajasthan Royals, but there are a lot of captains in our side," he said.
Strategy break not working
Warne has joined the growing chorus against the strategy break introduced in IPL-2 saying it might make commercial sense but was not good for the game.
"I think the strategy breaks affect whatever side is behind (in the game)," Warne said, adding: "So, whoever has the momentum, the opposition can actually catch up in that break."
He felt that the strategy break in recent games had twice upset the momentum of master blaster Sachin Tendulkar.
"It doesn't matter who is batting, Sachin (Tendulkar) or anybody else; you just lose momentum. But if you are behind, you can actually regroup and refocus to work out what you should actually do on the field and then go out and do it.
"From a purely cricketing point of view, I don't think it works, but from a commercial point of view, I'm sure it works very well," Warne added.
At the same time, he said the introduction of the strategy break had been "worth a try".
The seven-and-a-half minute strategy break allows for IPL organisers to sell advertising for a reported Rs.4,000 per 10 seconds.
Warne was also asked to compare IPL-2 in South Africa to the inaugural season in India."
"I think the wonderful thing about playing cricket in India is the passion of the people. You get some of that in the games on television, but the atmosphere at the (stadiums) was unbelievable. "
"In 20 years of playing first class international cricket, I don't think I could ever imagine or experience anything like we experienced last year as a group"
"Coming into South Africa is obviously going to be different. It is to the South African people's credit (for the) wonderful way over here that they have embraced the IPL. They come to the games (although) they have got a long international cricket season here as well, so to have so many people at the games makes it more exciting," Warne said.
Lauds young Indian players in IPL
Warne has lauded the young Indian players in the side as the ones who would ensure triumph for India in the World Cup Twenty20 in future.
''If India want to do really well in the World Cup Twenty20, all these guys here should be in their sights for doing a really exceptional job," Warne said.
Young player Siddarth Trivedi said: "IPL has changed my cricketing life because the selectors have started noticing me after my performance last year.
"In 2003 I was on the fringe ... but somehow I could not make it. But last year my performance (in the IPL) was good and I also won the title. That helped me a lot and I came back into the limelight again."
Commenting on his achievement of becoming one of the highest wicket-takers in India in first-class cricket, Trivedi said: "Shane (Warne) told me that whatever ball you bowl should be the best ball of your life, so I give 100 percent commitment to whatever ball I bowl."
Ravindra Jadeja was overawed at his selection in the Rajasthan Royals. "It feels great to be able to play alongside such great players," he said.
"They give us great confidence in the dressing room as well, something which started last year and is continuing.
"The IPL is a wonderful platform for youngsters like us. Getting the opportunity to play with players of such international stature inspires us to go and do even better next year by building on what we have learnt from them."
Kamran Akmal of Pakistan, asked if he ever dreamt of making it in Bollywood, retorted in Hindi with a short, swift answer: "I have no ambitions of Bollywood or anything else. I am devoting all my time only to cricket for now."
Would be happy to show Shilpa some tricks
Warne would be happy to oblige team co-owner Shilpa Shetty, who had earlier indicated ignorance of the rules of Twenty20 cricket and alluded she would learn them from the skipper.
"I would be happy to show Shilpa some tricks," Warne said. "You haven't heard about the latest movie (South African captain and Rajasthan Royals teammate) Graeme (Smith) and I are starring in?" Warne asked in jest in response to a question on how the lessons were progressing.
"Shilpa, me and Graeme (in one movie)? You haven't heard about that one yet?" Warne continued.
"We're ready to sign a deal. If there's a deal for a Bollywood movie, we're in!"
On a more serious note, Warne said: "I think (the link to Bollywood) is great for cricket. We're lucky to have someone like Shilpa getting involved. I think that the match between Bollywood and cricket is very, very good."
"Bollywood has always been involved with cricket indirectly," added veteran record-holding cricketer Yajurvindra Singh who was the MC at the function. "Cricketers and Bollywood, somehow, especially the actresses, get along pretty well. But I'm not talking about me - I'm happily married!" Singh added quickly added before reminding the audience of the linkages between Indian cinema and cricket from the early days of Raj Kapoor entering the industry.
"Amitabh Bachchan always thought he was a great left-arm spinner. Before him, Rajesh Khanna also thought he was good at cricket. At present there is even a Bollywood cricket team led by Sunil Shetty, which plays regularly on Saturdays whenever they get the time," Singh pointed out.
Sachin my favourite batsman
Warne named master-blaster Sachin Tendulkar as his all-time favourite batsman.
"Over all the years there have been a lot of wonderful batsmen, so it is pretty hard to pick between Brian Lara and Sachin Tendulkar," Warne said in reply to a question about his favourite batsman.
"But I think given the way Sachin handles everything and the expectations that he carries every single time that he walks out to bat, and the way he handles bad decisions and the way he just carries himself; I would have to say Sachin Tendulkar was the best batsman that I have played with in my 20 years of playing international cricket.
"My biggest bunny, I suppose, would have to be (South African) Darryl Cullinan," he added.
A "bunny" is one who cannot bat and who often gets out to one bowler, in this case Warne.
"I was once asked who I would like to bowl to for a living. I said I would be a very rich man if I was to bowl to (Cullinan)."
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