A Nobel cricketer and a lot of squabbling

A Nobel cricketer
RK Pachauri heads the Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which shared the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize with Al Gore for informing the world about the dangers of climate change. What you may not know about him is that he is a cricket fanatic and plays regularly, even at the age of 67. He captains the Tata Energy Research Institute in Delhi's corporate league, in which he has taken 345 wickets. The Indian Express reports that Pachauri once "took a break during a seminar in New York and flew to Delhi over the weekend to attend a practice session for a match before flying back. Again, he flew in for a day, just to play that match."

Wonder what Gore, who in his film An Inconvenient Truth urges people to cut down on air travel (because travellers foregoing even two flights per year will significantly reduce carbon dioxide emissions, apparently) would think of that?

Stuey pours his heart out
Stuart MacGill seems to have spent his time on the fringes of the Australian cricket team well. A few years ago he began to collect wine - he now has a 3000-bottle cellar - and has now become such a connoisseur that he is set to host a show called Stuart MacGill Uncorked on an Australian television channel called Lifestyle Food. Besides exploring the history of Australian wine, he will provide tips on how to become a wine snob.

Now we all know of how Shane Warne's presence in the side hindered MacGill's cricketing career, but will Warne's retirement, and the consequent vacancy in the team for a spinner, hamper MacGill's budding as a television sommelier?

Taxing times
Mahendra Singh Dhoni's burgeoning fan base now includes the income tax department of his home state, Jharkhand. Dhoni has become the state's largest tax payer and will reportedly enrich the government's coffers to the tune of Rs 4 crore (US$ 1 million) during the 2007-08 fiscal year. Dhoni recouped some of that money when the state government awarded him a Toyota Corolla for his role in winning the ICC World Twenty20, to go with the 4000 sq ft plot of land he had been given last year. Besides the car, he was presented with a cheque for Rs 5 lakh (US$ 12,700), which he immediately donated to the Chief Minister's Fund.

Hooked on the game
Next time a cricketer talks about winning being a high, we'll know just what he's on about.

Peter Kay of Sporting Chance, a counselling charity, recently told the BBC, "The characteristics that you need to get to the top in sport, a tunnel-like vision, commitment and focus, are the same that you would find in an addict." With this in mind, the Professional Cricketers' Association has set up an Addictive Behaviour Programme to help players recognise the circumstances which lead to "problem relationships with substances or gambling", and provide them with professional help to manage the problem.

In the light of the revelations regarding Andrew Flintoff that have been pouring forth from Duncan Fletcher's new book, and Fred's purchase of a customised Harley Davidson, perhaps he should be notified about the programme.

Not a contact sport?
Fittingly in a week filled with high-profile cricket spats - Ian Botham v Ian Chappell, Fletcher v Flintoff, John Buchanan v Shane Warne, Nathan Astle v the New Zealand Cricket establishment - Mehran Khan, a player in the Lancashire Leagues, was handed a three-year ban after being found guilty of violent conduct in a second-team match. After a series of heated exchanges, Khan head-butted an opposition player who was a stand-in scorer. The day after the match Khan was in further trouble for directing foul language towards his captain after an argument over field placings.

Quote hanger
"Ian Chappell worries me about as much as a cold."
Ian Botham shrugs off comments from Chappell that the decision to award Botham a knighthood would be regretted