JOIN USI make it a point to eat Indian food'
He looks like a calm and shy person by nature but get him talking on his passion that is cricket and Tim Paine gets extremely excited! The young Australian cricketer, who was in the City recently to play a game against Kenya, was shopping during the weekend at a popular mall.
Though the schedule for the Australian team has been a little tight, Tim has been enjoying the Indian food and hospitality. “Chicken tikka and garlic naan are my favourite Indian dishes,” he smiles. “Every time I come to India, I make it a point to eat Indian food. When it comes to Bangalore, I really like the weather here.”
Apart from hanging out at a few restaurants and cafes, Tim hasn’t had the time to do much in the City. In his free time, he just chills out in and around the hotel, he is staying in. “I love listening to music and in our team, some of our boys (like Brett Lee) play the guitar. So I like listening to them play.”
Talking of cricket, Tim says he’s happy to see the underdogs playing very good cricket at the World Cup. “Teams like The Netherlands and Ireland have been playing really well,” he notes. Which are the strongest teams according to him in this World Cup? “Australia, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka are the best teams,” he answers.
Tim will also be playing for the Pune Warriors at the Indian Premier League this year. This being his first tryst with the IPL, he is extremely excited. “I was picked up at the auction and I felt fortunate to get selected,” he exclaims.
“I have been following the IPL whenever I can. During the last few seasons, I would try to stay awake and watch the game whenever I could.” He doesn’t have any friends in the Indian cricket team. “I have only met Sreesanth once during practice and spoken to him,” he recalls.
Is cricket as big a craze in Australia as India? “No, not at all,” he is quick to answer. “Over there, both football and cricket are the favourites among people,” he adds. So is he amazed at the love Indians have for cricket? “Yes. When I first came here, it took me a little time to get used to the frenzy and the fact that people really love cricket,” he smiles as he signs off.