Daily Diary

Sticky wicket

Posted 20/11/2007 by The Daily Diary

The various powers that be in India might not be playing ball when it comes to the longed-for liberalisation of the its potentially bottomless legal market, but The Diary brings proof that, for one week only, playing ball is precisely what they will be doing.

In a tie-up between the Indian Advocates Cricket Association and the International Cricket Group, the first-ever Lawyers Cricket World Cup is due to be played on the sub-continent from 30 December to 7 January, 2008.

The event will see barristers, solicitors and various other law-talking-type guys from around the world do battle on the dusty outfields of Hyderabad as teams representing India, Pakistan, England, Australia, South Africa, the West Indies and Sri Lanka square off in a round-robin league. The top two sides then move on to a winner-takes-all-the-glory-and-possibly-a-few-referrals-too final.

Crucially, the entire Bar Council of India is expected to attend, along with the chief justice of India, his Sri Lankan counterpart and the president of the Commonwealth Lawyers Association.

Sadly, The Diary understands that Jack Straw is unlikely to be polishing his balls in readiness to spearhead the domestic attack this time. Either way, if the Indian batsmen prove as fiercely protective of their stumps as they are of their legal hegemony, England’s array of spinners and medium-pace trundlers could be in for a long day in the field.