One of the best batters in the world suffers from the same uncertainty that plagues an ordinary cricket lover when it comes to buying clothes for women.
Pakistan captain Babar Azam bought seven saris from an ethnic wear store at a south Calcutta mall on Thursday. But not before he had made a long video call to his family back home for approval.
Azam and opener Imam-ul-Haq — nephew of Inzamam-ul-Haq, one of Pakistan’s greatest batters — spent close to two hours at South City Mall on Thursday afternoon.
“Babar Azam bought seven saris, most of them made of chiffon georgette. He seemed impressed with our collection. But he was not sure about the ones he would buy,” said an employee of the Soch store on the third floor of the Prince Anwar Shah Road mall.
“He then made a WhatsApp video call to his home. He showed the saris and had a detailed discussion after which he finalised seven saris. Basically, the approval came from the women,” said the employee.
The employees could understand most of what he said.
Azam hails from Lahore, the capital of the Punjab province in Pakistan. He speaks fluent Punjabi.
Pakistan play England at the Eden Gardens on Saturday. Their chances of qualifying for the semis took a beating after New Zealand’s thumping victory over Sri Lanka. But mathematically, they are still in the race for top four.
The two Pakistan players looked holiday cool. Azam paired an orange tee with chinos. Haq wore a green tee with shorts.
Before Soch, the first stop for the cricketers was the ground-floor store of Zara, a Spanish brand known for its fast fashion. Both Azam and Haq bought clothes there, said a mall official who was with them.
After Soch, the two dropped in at Sunglass Hut, on the first floor. “Azam seemed very fond of shades. He bought a Tom Ford wayfarer,” said someone in the store.
Azam and Haq had arrived at South City around 1pm. Surrounded by a heavy contingent of police and security guards, the two of them spent the next two hours there.
The duo triggered a frenzy and the crowd soon swelled. But the heavy security deployment prevented fans from taking autographs or clicking pictures with the two.
Hundreds of people pleaded for a picture with the cricketers and their autographs. A crowd had formed outside the mall as well. But the security team did a fine job of keeping the fans at bay.
“I have not seen such heavy-duty security for any visitor in a long time,” said a store manager in the mall.
Police sources familiar with the protocol for the Pakistan contingent later said: “They could not interact with the fans because of the safety protocol.”
The mall authorities apparently came to know about the visit “barely 15 minutes” before the arrival of the players, sources said.
“Any information related to the schedule or location of foreign cricket players is sensitive, revealing which may become a cause of security concern for them,” said a senior IPS officer.
Man Mohan Bagree, vice-president, South City Projects, said: “We were very excited to have Azam and Haq. Their safety was our priority. The other day we had Pakistan fast bowler Hasan Ali with family at the mall.”
Century, then coffee
If the Pakistani players had an outing at South City, Ben Stokes, the English all-rounder, was spotted at a cafe in Quest Mall on Thursday evening.
Stokes, who scored a brilliant attacking century against the Netherlands in Pune, the only bright spot in an otherwise dismal campaign for the English team, was at The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf outlet in the Beckbagan mall.
Clad in a black tee, white shorts and sneakers, Stokes, one of the world’s best all-rounders, turned many a head.
