Reetinder most sought after at HK Sixes

Defending champions India is the most sought-after team at the nine-nation Cathay Pacific/Standard Chartered Hong Kong International Cricket Sixes, starting at the compact Kowloon Cricket Club in the heart of the city.

The enthusiasm of young boys and girls, accompanied by their parents, could be seen at the Hong Kong Cricket Club ground, the practice venue for the teams. Autograph-seekers may not be many here like in India, but one could see Darren Gough and Dominic Cork volunteering to sign the small bats that tiny-tots were carrying.

Some of the fans, of Indian origin, who visited the ground returned disappointed after learning that the Indians would arrive only on Friday.

"Is Sodhi (Reetinder Singh Sodhi) coming?" was one general query from most of the Indians. Sodhi, whose all-round performance fetched him the player of the tournament last year, is the most sought-after cricketer here.

Even some of the locals have a special liking for this Punjab cricketer. His deft placements and consistent performance last year has won him several fans. His 128 runs in five games -- and three wickets -- was the top score of the tournament.

"He is a player with a lot of potential. But why is he not part of the main Indian team?" asked Chei Wen.

Similarly, Robin Singh is another cricketer who is adored much in this part of the world. Robin Singh, say the locals, played a crucial part in the final with a fine 34 before retiring.

"He's a clever cricketer and knows how to make the most of the gaps on the field," said Ravleen Singh, a mother of two, who accompanied her children to the practice venue today.

"I will be there on the weekends at the KCC with the kids. For us, this is a kind of entertainment because we don't get to watch much of competitive cricket here. Moreover the pay channels that show cricket are costly here," she reasoned.

While they were disappointed at missing the Indians today, they watched a one-and-a-half-hour session by the England team.

Later talking to the media, David Graveney, England's chairman of selectors and manager for the event, said: "The England team has enjoyed a good deal of success in the Hong Kong Cricket Sixes over recent years. We have not considered players from the England Academy squad or the Ashes squads because we had to pick a squad suited to this format. Four of them have represented England in one-day international cricket this year."  

Nicky Boje, who failed to make the South Africa squad in the Champions Trophy in India recently, is already licking at the prospects of making an impression before he can get into the Test squad.

The Protes have a strong team and they are determined to regain the trophy they last won in 1995.

"The squad we have here is quite suited to this form of cricket and, I am sure, we will be able to win the trophy this time," said coach and manager Ray Jennings.

For Hong Kong, too, a lot is at stake at the US$ 2.8 lakh event. They have never won the tournament despite hosting it for the last 11 years.

Krishna Kumar, chairman of selectors, said: "We have a well-balanced side and we're pleased to provide an opportunity for some of our promising young prospects to test themselves against world-class players."

He also said his players would want to erase the memory of not winning a game last year.

How the teams line up:

POOL 1: India, Australia, West Indies

POOL 2: England, New Zealand Kiwis, South Africa

POOL 3: Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Hong Kong

PRIZE-MONEY BREAKDOWN

1st place US$100,000;
2nd place US$45,000;
3rd place US$36,000;
4th place US$30,000;
5th place US$24,000;
6th place US$18,000;
7th place US$13,000;
8th place US$9,000;
9th place US$5,000.
Total: US$280,000.