Look who's teaching Akshay cricket...

Subhash K Jha/TNN

While the list of Indian, Pakistani, British, Australian and South African cricketers who will be appearing in Nikhil Advani’s Patiala House which stars Akshay Kumar as an aspiring cricketer from London is being kept confidential, the name of Nasser Hussain has also leaked out. Earlier, Balwinder Singh Sandhu who was part of the 1983 World Cup Indian cricket team, had worked behind the scenes on Akshay who plays a fast bowler in the film. 

Nasser, the first English captain of Indian and British parentage, has whopping, record-breaking 

scores in Test cricket to his credit. A London newspaper called him “the most significant cricketer to have played for England since the War”. Now Nasser will be playing Akshay’s coach in Patiala House. 

Nikhil, who’s had a difficult time signing on cricketers for his film, confirmed, “It wasn’t easy getting near Nasser, let alone getting him to agree. He has a fairly large acting role in the film. But, believe me, it’s easier to sign the biggest superstars of Bollywood and Hollywood than to try and get star cricketers on board and coordinate their dates. The IPL proved a blessing. Cricketers from all over the world were at our doorstep, plus their managers and co-ordinators.” 

Akshay will join Nasser in London next month and spend some pre-shooting time with the 42-year-old former Enlgish skipper so that they look like guru and shishya on and off the playing field. Nikhil hopes to begin shooting the cricket matches in London from June 19, that is if he gets permission to shoot at the Oval and Lords.