Writing well and with sensitivity is an art. And to be able to write admirably week after week, for years, is an ability only a rare few possess in the world of Indian sport. Harsha Bhogle is one of such rare breed. This ability deserves greater appreciation because as an insider Harsha is more likely than anyone else to have lost the sensitivity he continues to demonstrate week after week with amazing alacrity. The lure of money and extra monetary favours are always lurking in the horizon, encouraging the pen to slow down for benefits essential to a happy living. For example, when you need to say that a decision is wrong and against the best interests of the game, you end up masking your argument in words like ?the prudence of the decision is questionable?. To not be forthright is considered blas?; to be diplomatic even to the extent of understating one?s true feelings are a virtue. Put bluntly ? the desire to stand up for the cause you believe in is a fast disappearing quality in Indian cricket. Harsha, thankfully, after years in the trade, retains it. For why else would he write soon after the Lahore attack on the Sri Lankan team in March 2009, ?The ICC must act fast and not close their eyes to reality like they did with the Champions Trophy. A firm decision on the World Cup will have to be taken quickly and without emotion or appeasement. This is neither the time to cater to vote banks nor for the former gentry to get back at the nouveaux riche.?

As one who follows world cricket closely and one who makes a living from writing and teaching the socio-political implications of the game, I fully understand what it takes to make sense to your readers for months and years at a stretch. Each column is like a quality miniature painting, drawn with panache and passion at the same time. And it only takes one bad piece to alienate the reader, who, in an age of saturation doesn?t need much incentive to switch off. Harsha has been able to retain eyeballs for years and this, more than anything else, stands testimony to his contribution to Indian cricket.

This collection, a compilation of his pieces in The Indian Express for over five years, tells us the story of Indian and world cricket in fits and bursts. While on occasions it leaves you with the desire for more, on others it does enough to enliven memories that had started to fade with time. With so much cricket being played and covered round the world, this isn?t a quality to be ignored.

As is imperative with columns, some are better than others. While some words and sentences linger on like pedigreed wine, others have to be consumed like fast food produced to meet the needs of the market. In the former category falls his description of T-20 cricket. In fact, anyone who still has the guts to oppose T-20, just needs to read a paragraph from Out of the Box, ?Those who say ?this is not cricket? and splutter over their coffee can pull out their manual typewriter, search for photographic film and call in the pigeons to send messages. Just enjoy it for what it is. Sometimes it is good to put the jacket and tie aside and slip on a round neck tee.?

Some things that don?t often come to light when you read a column are the emotions one feels for a certain player. Reading this collection at a stretch, Harsha?s unmatched sympathy for Sreesanth stands out. Had Sreesanth realised the deep disgust and frustration he has caused to one of Indian cricket?s most credible voices, he may have seriously considered mending ways. At a time when the paceman is starting a new stint with Warwickshire, he will do well to read Out of the Box to understand what the nation wants him to do.

The two pieces that I enjoyed re-reading are the ones on Eknath Solkar and Dilip Sardesai. In an age when events of yesterday seem a few years away, these two articles are valuable reminders that the story of Indian cricket is a seamless, dynamic journey and past heroes rightfully deserve their place. One simple statement, ?He (Sardesai) made 642 runs in that series (against the West Indies in the Caribbean, which India won 1-0), hit three centuries and without him India would have lost the series?, does enough to remind readers of Sardesai?s contribution to what is justly regarded as Indian cricket?s watershed moment. Even more eloquent is his tribute to India?s best close in fieldsman of all time, ?Solkar?s greatest contribution to Indian cricket will be the edge he provided the spinners with, and the wickets that never would have been, but for his brilliance.?

If asked to single out the one stand out feature of the collection, it is Harsha?s commitment to the game he loves to watch. And that?s what brings me to remind him of what he has written about the strategy break in the IPL, ?Two breaks of two-and-a-half minutes each may not hurt the game as much, though that can at best be a stop gap approach. In the years to come, I won?t be surprised if it fades away completely, for it must?. He will continue to champion his views come IPL three for it will be yet another demonstration of his commitment to cricket. I can assure him of a supporting voice in his fight against this unworthy innovation hurting the flow of the game.

The reviewer is a cricket historian