Cricket is chirping in the drawing rooms, thanks to Dhaka's preoccupation with the danda (stick) in and outside the pitch. Just by watching cricket on the television screen, we can apply some of the tactics and techniques in our daily life.

Here are some do's and don'ts, which can be verified by any one, with or without experience in the field of life, while batting, bowling, fielding, umpiring, or acting as scorer (there is no 12th man).

Never try a googly on the wife. The Bengali equivalent for googly is gool' (bluffing). She can always spot it men do not have this mysterious feminine intuition for Surveillance Operation for Female Approach, or another kind of SOFA we read about in the papers these days. The damage is less if she spots it right away. If she finds out later, the appeal is outdated, and outmoded, and the resulting fine is damaging to light-

hearted gentlemen lighter in the pocket.

Never nibble outside the off stump. This temptation is almost irresistible; specially when you are 'fielding' in Bengali, which means romancing. The Bengali language is rich in cricketing terms. Our charming Bengali maidens are expert in bowling outside the off stump.

Don't be bowled over. During the initial overs do not try vicious cuts--get your eye in (you bat and ball with one eye, figuratively speaking). Later you might try the different types of glides and late cuts. Initially go for the singles. Cover your drives.

Good batsmen play a straight bat, but cross bats are more common. Lofted shots are nice to watch, if these are sixers, but most of the time these batsmen get caught sometimes awkwardly. Play your shots along the ground; which, in life, means keeping a low profile.

Also, in a life of crowded competition, you have to steer the ball along the gaps. So watch the field placing carefully. Remember, the field has been set for you, not for the other batsmen. If you are a footballer, do not dribble too much you might lose your balance.

You cannot hit a good length ball (unless you are world-class. What is world class in private life??). But we all do (as local heroes do), and land ourselves in trouble, by trying to score where there is no run. Moral, resist temptation, and cultivate patience. But before you can do both, you have to spot, or, recognise a good one. That is the problem, because temptation always comes in disguised forms. The good things in life do not repeat too quickly. Invest safely. Don't go by the alluring figures displayed by the Dhaka Stock Exchange.

We all like to be swingers in life. Only fast bowlers can swing

the ball. The amount of the swing depends a lot on the environment. With a cross breeze, it is more effective. So do not swing in and out of season. Perhaps sometimes you confess that you were swept off your feet. These is no such term in cricket.

There are time and tide in our lives. 'The batsman pulled it to the boundary, all along the ground'. We are always looking for pulls in life regardless of the quality of the bowling. Do not forget that a square-leg is waiting for you. Don't get caught in the gully (remember the Bangla sound of the word). If you like to pull, hit the ball along the ground you get the boundary; and you are not caught. The principle is the same as stated earlier: keep a low profile.

The batsman can never say "How's that?" only the bowler can. That is life. Play cricket!

Alif Zabr

Dhaka