Bhangra dancing in the rain

The rain continues to play havoc on the sporting calendar with no end in sight. The much awaited clash between arch rivals India and Pakistan was washed out completely in Glasgow. The small hardy crowd had come eager with their flags, blow horns and dhols to see some action but were left to amuse themselves by playing the dhols and breaking into some bhangra dancing. There was no doubt some good old Asian food at hand to keep their hunger at bay.

These contests are usually full of good humoured banter between the rival fans and there is as much action off the pitch as on it. Many come to watch with families and groups of friends and many friendships are made on the day as stories and food are shared. It is a time that the British Asians can publicly demonstrate support for their team and feel proud of them. Many do not even follow the game but they want to be there to support their fellow countrymen. The noise levels at these matches is always a few decibels higher than any other with the characteristic horns and dhol beats accompanying every scoring stroke. There is over exuberance at times leading to scuffles and unruly behaviour, but fortunately it is in the minority.

I was lucky enough to follow the team around the country in 2002, when they last toured, and it was like a travelling circus with a party atmosphere at every ground.The weather was great and the team were in fine form giving their fans much to cheer about. I had my claim to fame as I seemed to be caught on camera a few times and virtually all my friends and family saw me on television in all parts of the world. I think I was doing a bhangra dance, celebrating a four on one memorable occasion captured on camera. I made many friends along the way and was lucky enough to meet my hero Saurav many times. I had met him in 2000 during his County stint at Lancashire and had been in touch since on his visits to England. He was a thoroughly down to earth person, very generous and considerate and above all had a passion and hunger to play for his country, which is still evident today.

I hope that this forthcoming series is as good as the last one. I think that it could be even better on the field as both teams are hitting form and are well matched. It will probably be the last time we see the greats Sachin, Saurav, Rahul and Anil in England, where they have enjoyed much success. The fans are raring to go to watch the mouth watering encounter and if the rain does stop play on the field, there will no doubt be some bhangra dancing and singing off it.