What’s in a name? A lot, if you ask Team Jaipur. In the process of gelling well, each member of the team has been given a name. "We like doing things that way,’’ skipper Shane Warne said. Warney, as he is called by teammates, got together with director of coaching Darren Berry and psychologist Jeremy Snape to come up with the names.
At the top, there is a Springbok on a walk. Of course, when Graeme Smith is on the field for practice or a match, teammates would rather call him Smithy. To give him company when he goes out to open the innings, you have either the ‘Goa Cannon’, Swapnil Asnodkar, or a certain ‘Blaster’, Yusuf Pathan.
Asnodkar has a new name too, after his 34-ball 60 against Kolkata Knight Riders. Teammates have started calling him Sachin. "Earlier, when Warne wanted to have a word with Asnodkar, he would look for ‘the Goa Cannon.’’ a team official told TOI. "Now, after calling out for the ‘Goa Cannon’ a couple of times, he asks for ‘Sachin.’’
"Pankaj Singh is ‘Panky’ for everyone and Munaf Patel is ‘Munna’.
Ravindra Jadeja is of course ‘Jaddu’. Siddharth Trivedi is a simple ‘Sid’"
That should make Asnodkar a happy man. From an unknown face in Indian cricket, he is being compared with the biggest name around, that too by a man who knows what he is talking about. Warne has often termed Sachin Tendulkar as the best batsman around and when refers to someone, even in jest; it is something to be proud of.
Calling teammates by nicknames is quite common in cricket, particularly in Australia. Warne seems to have carried that tradition to Jaipur. Pankaj Singh is ‘Panky’ for everyone and Munaf Patel is ‘Munna’. Ravindra Jadeja is of course ‘Jaddu’. Siddharth Trivedi is a simple ‘Sid’. Then there’s Shane ‘Waty’ Watson, who has been one of the best players in the IPL so far.
Nicknames may be considered small details, but in a team like Jaipur they mean a lot more.
