Huge Leeward Islands offie, Wendell Pemberton is avid admirer of the Hyderabadi's batsmanship "C'mon Laxy," murmurs a man as VVS Laxman tackles a bowler in the Northamptonshire County Cricket Club indoor nets yesterday. It is a West Indian voice so one finds it hard to ignore it. Soon, he introduces himself as Wendell Pemberton. "I played for the Leeward Islands, bowled off-spin. I am close to 50 ufffd actually 47. I bowled to Laxman here a few years ago in a charity match. I met him this morning and I asked him do you recognise me and he said, 'of course I do'," says the 6 feet, 7 Pemberton. He then watches Sachin Tendulkar hit tennis balls. "Tennis ball cricket ufffd what a good sport to play," he says. Pemberton is now settled in Northampton and works at Tesco's. He claims to be a friend of Carl Hooper. Also, Chris Gayle. "Both nice men maan. Chris is a gem. Why can't he come here and play? Any idea," he asks. He can't take his eyes of Laxman. "He is your best player. I am not saying this because I know him, but I genuinely believe he is the best," he says. "I bowled to Laxman in a match played in memory of Malcolm Marshall (who died of cancer in 1999). Malcolm was a great soul... I was on the bus with him a year before he died. "Clive Lloyd was going to give me a ticket for a game. Since he had it in his hotel, he asked me to travel with the team. I was with Malcolm then. I never knew he was so ill.," says Pemberton. He soon got chatting with an Indian fan, who was amazed at his height. You come from the West Indies, the land of Michael Holding, the great fast bowler, " the Indian fan says. "Yes, Holding was a good bowler but not as great as Malcolm," Pemberton shoots back. Pemberton's off-day clashes with the Indian team's practice session. He is delighted to be here. "I will come on Saturday, but will leave early. I've got a club match to play in," he says. Why so grumpy? THE officials at Northamptonshire County Cricket Club were generally courteous but the same cannot be said of one particular steward, who didn't seem to enjoy his work while the media went about theirs when the Indian team was training indoors. One journalist went to the viewing gallery to check out what was happening when the Indian cricketers left. He discovered a solitary Northants player was batting so decided to watch how the young batsman was playing in the nets. Mr Grumpy comes up to him and said, "sorry, I will have to ask you to leave." When a member of the electronic media was all set to pack up, Mr Steward was heard telling his colleague: "Now, you can have the room for yourself. There is one chap who will soon clear his junk from here soon." Mr Grumpy should be sent to a junkyard instead of doing duty at a property connected to a noble game. Class of Northants Northamptonshire have had some big names on their roles in previous years. Sample these overseas stars who have called the Wantage Road stadium their home ground: Bishan Singh Bedi, Sarfraz Nawaz, Kapil Dev, Roger Harper, Curtly Ambrose and Anil Kumble. Chaminda Vaas plays for them currently. Cut-throat Boycs! Geoff Boycott writes in The Daily Telegraph: Obviously, Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman and Sachin Tendulkar are very good playersu00a0 and they will find a way to make some runs. But the rest have struggled against the bouncing ball. Some of the Indian batsmen don't fancy and can't play the rising ball into their ribs, chest and neck area." Boycott is right about the big three and the rest struggling with the short ball, but Mr Boycott, can you tell us which batsman fancies fast bowling? Please, don't be stingy with the truth.

England will dominate like Aus, WI: Flintoff

Huge Leeward Islands offie, Wendell Pemberton is avid admirer of the Hyderabadi's batsmanship

Wendell Pemberton, an avid Laxman fan

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Wendell Pemberton, an avid Laxman fan

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