Book description
A politically weighted cricket match between Pakistan and India
provides the setting for the hilarious farce, set in a delightful 'Yes
Minister' format. The Pakistani Premier's sudden decision to invite
himself to a cricket series to be played in India creates uncertainly,
panic and bureaucratic gamesmanship in New Delhi. Seemingly above such
mundane concerns, India's elderly Prime Minister, devoted to movies,
scotch, and late mornings, adds to the confusion with random utterances
and occasional temper tantrums. His official factotum, a bureaucrat
named Swami, plays the confusion for all it is worth, attempting to
advance his career and settle old scores. Old rivalries between the
Foreign Service and the domestic bureaucrats flare up as the day of the
Pakistani Premier's visit approaches. Matters get stalled as rival
departments choose to hide behind arcane laws. Conscious of his place in
history and of the damage a botched visit would cause, the Prime
Minister stages his own protests. Swami is forced to chart a treacherous
course between his political and bureaucratic masters. A parable rooted
in the absurdities of modern India, this novel takes a light-hearted dig
at the pretensions of people who matter.
