Beyond a boundary

In these days of exhaustive TV coverage and reams of newsprint, the tour diary seems an anachronism. Gautam Bhimani's Reverse Sweep is not strictly an addition to the genre - rather it is a cricket travelogue with a difference, a series of haphazardly arranged anecdotes that illuminates life beyond the oval. During his time with ESPN-Star, Bhimani has entertained many with his quirky humour and intrepid expeditions to places as diverse as the Sydney Harbour Bridge, the top of a floodlight tower, and a shark tank at the Melbourne Aquarium.

By concentrating on small snapshots and yarns, the book allows the reader to dip in and out rather than be compelled to read it in a sitting or two. And unlike the formulaic tour diary, which rarely breaks free of the runs-wickets-and-lads mentality, Reverse Sweep prefers to walk the wild side and sample the many attractions that are out there if your eyes are open to more than the cold balance sheet of wins and losses.

You can read about Sunil Gavaskar dancing on the Mound at Sabina Park, of a flight to Bridgetown where the seat next to Bhimani was occupied by Sachin Tendulkar ("Sachin had a glint in his eye as he gave a blow-by-blow account of being invited as a special guest in Bloemfontein to ride aboard a South African Air Force fighter jet"), and of a hilarious net session when the author made the mistake of cover-driving Wasim Akram, only to see the next delivery thud into his ribcage.

The various anecdotes are tinged with a sense of wonder, and you can tell that Bhimani appreciates how fortunate he has been to see another side of the game's legends, away from the amphitheatres that they grace. A well-produced book with good photographs, the only jarring note is the excessive number of exclamation marks. Perhaps a reverse sweep still has that effect on people.