In Pakistan: The 'Hat' trick of Reporting

It's a refreshing day today in Karachi. It's been cold for the majority of the tour, very similar to how I left Delhi. For a change, I just did a morning live shot with hardly any layers on, one to be exact.
And also, after a while, there's a buzz surrounding this game. Lots of speculation about players, pitch conditions and all the spicy things that make reporting a game of pure kite flying but yet compelling and drama-like that you actually feel like you're doing something important. I'm not disillusioned or upset with my kind or my field, it's just that it's the truth. I mean think about it, people love reality tv these days. I mean, the Osbournes are a household name only because everyone wants to know what Ozzy puts on his pancakes. I'm not sure if people percieve their lives as too boring or if there's a genuine interest in what goes on behind famous closed doors.
It's almost an extension, what we do, this fascination with whether Sourav Ganguly is a targeted man or if there's really truth in another rumour about Sachin Tendulkar's elbow. The fact of the matter is, often enough, we journalists know as much about the rumour or tale as reader or viewer. Television sports journalists (will not want to smear the political, business and entertainment beat) such as yours truly are self-admitedly notorious for sometimes going on air with information that is half confirmed at best or at worst, factually inaccurate and unverified. But it sells, and public memory is only as long as camera flash, so nothing you say can really come back to bite you in the as*. I've screwed a few times on air, and I'll challenge most people who saw that broadcast to tell me those instances and call me out. Chances are, no one remembers (might have something to do with my un-memorable manner) but yet, the point being, for the most part, I won't be caught for a dropped catch.
Here in Pakistan, it's a little strange because I'm so isolated from what's going on in India. Like Rahul Dravid (no, not name dropping!) keeps saying, 'I'm in a cuccoon here... I don't hear anything and don't want to... that's the best part about touring, I can just focus on the cricket...' Unfortunately, I don't have the luxury of not wanting to hear anything, because it positively affects my bottom line...
So, we try to stay keyed in and get the dope we can... and yet, miss out occassionaly, and sometimes hit jackpot... but that's like anything we do, so why should reporting be any different...
Gosh, I was such a worry-free boy only a few years ago, not having to worry about keeping a track about myself, let alone about an entire religion (I'm talking about cricket of course)...
And Irfan Pathan's just achieved a hatrick in his first over, and there's already talk about the test match wrapping up early... but what can we do, speculate of course, and worry about whether anything I use to test the waters will ever hold it. But for now, it's a really nice day in Karachi...