RANDOM AT LARGE

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32142, 11 November 1969, Page 26

RANDOM AT LARGE

SIGN, PLEASE

If there is anything lacking in the press box at Karachi it most certainly isn’t good wiU. The attention given a visitor is most flattering, the courtesy and kindness shown him quite astonishing. Cold drinks are brought along at regular intervals, without being asked for, and about three times a day a splendidly • uniformed waiter arrives with coffee—but not just a cup of coffee, a full service of a quality we would be proud to own. With it, much bowing and saluting, which - is difficult to acknowledge suitably because of the close confines of chair and table. They really are extremely kind.

But as in India, tbe bonhomie can become just a little oppressive. On the first day of the match here we were busy typing another piece of peerless prose when an enormous book was flung across the machine and with it an instruction to write in it, for the benefit of the local cricket association, our views of the suitability or otherwise of the arrangements made for the test match. This we were willing enough to do. But on the second day, yesterday, another gentleman, exuding good will, and that’s not all, from every pore brought -it back again. We explained, with a kindly smile, that we had already placed our message to posterity within its covers. But, no.

s we had to do another one t —for the second day. They s will be back again today, i no doubt, and its going to i be difficult to think up s something fresh. It’s 5 very hot again this morns ing and there is a, temptat tion to note that although , some may regard the 1 thousands of red stains r from betel juice in the r dusty paths around the sta- ► dium as making a pretty t pattern, it does not look - well on a scorebook. And, of course, there is , always tomorrow, the last i- day, and our last words I, to the nation. We might i suggest that one message t of goodwill a match, in I, a climate like this, is t about as much as any i reasonable person can 7 manage. It would proi. bably puzzle them no end.