The Scout

The bowler took up his position and slowly started to run towards the stumps. As he came upto them, he released the hard, red coloured ball, which went flying towards the other end, where a batsman was waiting to hit it as hard as he could.

“Owzthat!” cried out Jayant Shah, the bowler, as the batsman missed the ball, which went straight and hit the stumps.

The umpire, without any hesitation, lifted his finger.

The stranger on the boundary, wearing Dunhill sunglasses, a black suit, white shirt and a red coloured tie, with his blonde hair combed back, made a note and then walked over to the score keeper and asked a few question and then made some more notes and went back to watching the game that was taking place on the square.

Later, as the game ended, the stranger walked away before he could be spotted.

“There was a man here, asking questions about you Jayant,” said the score keeper, “He was also asking about you Jason.”

Jason Townsend, a new comer to the club and also friends with Jayant Shah, a long-time member, looked at his friend to ask if he knew who it was.

“No idea Jason,” replied Jayant Shah, as the two friends walked into the bar, after getting changed, to get a drink, “A Scarlet Pimpernel!”

“There’s an important match this Saturday against a team from England,” said the barman, as he served some drinks to the two friends, “Other than that, I don’t know.”

The two friends had been at the same college in England and had also played for the college XI and were players the college had. But this! This was something different. During the holidays, they had opted to play for a club, where the quality of playing had to be at the best and they were always playing when they could and the Captain Dhanraj Shah and the vice-captain, Daniel Hawkins, had always chosen them when they were available.

“Dhanraj,” said Jayant Shah, as he held his mobile to his right ear, “Someone was asking about me and Jason at the club. Do you have any idea who it maybe.”

“Don’t know,” replied Dhanraj Shah, “But it could be someone involved with the team selection against this England side. By the way, that game is a one day game and I would love to see some of our team members in it.”

The following day, the two friends were at the club, practising in the Nets, when suddenly, Jason, who had been bowling, turned around and saw a man, wearing a black suit, dark glasses, white shirt and a yellow tie, with his blonde hair combed back, looking in their direction from the bottom end of the field. He slowly began to walk upto them. Jayant urged his friend to continue bowling against him and just ignore the stranger.

“How old are you boys?” asked the stranger, as he walked upto the Nets.

Having being told to be aware of strangers and not to talk to them, the two friends continued ignoring the man.

“I have been watching you boys for a good few days now and I think you are both good players,” he went on, “Oh, sorry! I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Jack Tanner and I am a scout. I am in search for some players, such as you two, to be in a team against an English side this Saturday.”

The two friends stopped in their tracks and began to walk upto the man and introduced themselves.

“I see that neither of you have a coach to train you,” said Jack Tanner, as he looked around the field, "So you must be training by yourselves.”

“Actually we are here on a holiday, you see,” the two friends told him, “but we study in England.”

“Mister Tanner,” yelled out someone. That someone was Dhanraj Shah, as he came running upto them.

“Mister Shah,” said Jack Tanner, “I have found the replacements.”

He then asked the Jayant and Jason to continue practicing, while he had a word with the club Captain, as the hot, midday sun beated down upon them mercilessly.

“Thank you for showing them to me,” said Jack Tanner, sarcastically, as he turned to the club Captain, “If I had listened to you, then I wouldn’t have met these two, who have the capability of winning.”

“They are not here on a permanent basis,” argued Dhanraj Shah, as he tried to persuade the scout not to take on the boys.

“I know that,” replied Jack Tanner, “But I have ways and I have means to sort that out and I certainly have the means to sort, people like you. My way just means getting those boys into a team. But if you come in my way, then I can sort that out as well.”

The threat worked and the two friends were called over for a brief discussion.

“I want you boys to be at the Patel grounds this Saturday, with your whites – all clean and tidy, “ said Jack Tanner, as he smiled at Jayant and his friend Jason, “In the meantime, I am going to have a word with the National team manager and see where he put you two in for the match. I look forward to seeing you boys.”

With that the scout turned and walked away, as the two youngsters, with smiles of joy on their faces, walked back to the Nets to continue with their practice.