Jet, Set… Sunny!

Jet, Set… Sunny!

…As we left the client office on Friday evening to catch a 6.45 flight to civilization, the clock had already struck 6.00. We were anxious that we might miss our flight. However, an unusually tranquil car ride in the Tata Winger (which, by the way, banged into an auto rickshaw this morning!) ensured that we reached the airport just in time.

The airlines, however, had wrongly anticipated that we would take a little longer and, hence, had delayed the flight by 45 minutes. Well… Chatty and one of the interns went off for a quick smoke while the others decided to indulge in the, rather, abundantly available delicacy in Ahmedabad – an ice cream. Finally we all entered the airport, checked-in, and parked ourselves in front of gate number A2. Since there was still no sign of a boarding announcement, we, as usual, started discussing…well… some important stuff.

Anyway… while we were deeply involved in our intense discussion, people around us just presumed that we were already a part of some line… and in a rare display of civility (or a usual display of herd mentality…) formed a long line behind us! …unintended…but well… ‘Bazinga!’… J …We laughed heartily and it helped us get away from the frustration that had started to build up by now. I mean, come on! Friday evening on the airport of a dry state… while working for Booz (pun unintended). The irony is never lost on any of us.

Well… slowly the minutes started turning into hours and there was still no communication from the airline. The mob started to get restless. Then, from somewhere, news leaked that passengers for the 3.00 p.m. Jet flight to Mumbai were sent off on our plane because their plane had had a technical problem. Now everyone started questioning the ground staff. Tempers started running high. When people realized that there was no solution but to wait, we decided that it was best if we were put in the next flight at 9.45 p.m. and people who had booked that flight asked to wait for the technical fault to be resolved.

The airport was crewless… everyone was clueless…. When the manager (who, by the way, had been up since 4.00 a.m.) finally turned up, he could offer no solution at all. By now, the mob was very irritated. People were yelling, and pointing fists, and yelling some more... A couple of us too joined the bandwagon and vented some of our frustration on the manager. Then someone came up with a radical idea.

“We shalt not let anyone board a Jet Airways plane. We shall block the boarding gates… Jet ke dono planes ab saath hi udenge”

They threatened to call the police. We threatened to call the media. There were babies crying, women yelling, men shouting, dogs barking… Ok! There were no dogs. But you get the idea, right. There was pandemonium. As soon as boarding was announced for the 9.45 flight, everyone rushed towards the boarding gate downstairs and barricaded the entry. Angry words were exchanged between the mob and the Jet Airways personnel. One of the Jet employees, in panic, asked the CISF to take “action” against the angry junta. This triggered people to actually move on to desi style gaali-galauch.

Amidst all this drama, someone pointed towards the security check area and shouted, “John Abraham!” All eyes turned towards that side. It was, indeed, John Abraham accompanied by Sophie Choudhary (of Baby Doll fame) and, none other than our very own Sunny Leone!

The focus of the mob shifted completely and people started clicking pictures of the stars. There were still a few who were in protest mode and one of these gentlemen suddenly shouted “shame shame” in as many words. John took this rather personally and walked up to this gentleman, asking him for an explanation. What followed was a classic Bollywood hero style apology to the public, and the end of which he moved on to board his ‘on-time’ flight. Sunny and Sophie were just too confused.

Our people, however, had given up by now. Most of us were feeling mixed emotions. The frustration of waiting at an airport on a Friday night could only have been alleviated by a chance encounter with Sunny Leone. We believe it was Fate! We were destined to meet!

The drama, however, was still on. The technical fault, it seemed, had been resolved. People started forming a line again in front of Gate A2. Our team went back to its usual (slightly enhanced) enthusiasm. One of the interns was basking in the glory of his triumph (He had taken a close up picture of Sunny Leone – HD quality). He was showing off his photography skills to the team when a random stranger butted into the discussion, “Arre ye pic kya dekh rahe ho, mere paas ye waali hai”… Since this piece is for family entertainment purposes, we shalt say no more… I am not sure if it was a memorable experience but it was, indeed, unforgettable. Finally the 6.45 p.m. flight took off at midnight!!...

“Sunny Leone ek soch hai”, quipped a senior member of our team, who wishes to remain anonymous.


This Friday, we set out for our journey from Ahmedabad to Mumbai. Little did we know that we will be stranded on the airport for close to 6 hours.

Here are the scheduled and actual departure time on that day:

Scheduled Departure Time	Actual Departure Time	From	To
15:35	18:45	Ahmedabad	Mumbai
18:45	23:55	Ahmedabad	Mumbai
21:55	21:55	Ahmedabad	Mumbai

Source: JetKonnect website

Basically the
The cast of Shootout at Wadala was in Ahmedabad (most probably for promotion). We ran into them last Friday as we awaited our flight to take off. Here are some pictures of the celebrities.

Security check

A co-passenger explaining our plight to the hero, hoping for his intervention

Unmindful of the commotion, the lady of the hour passed by. The 3rd picture in the series below captures someone on the left intently trying to capture her. Note that their flight boarding gate was on the ground floor itself, but due to the commotion, they probably just started going upstairs.

John trying to understand the airlines point of view on the matter. While the ladies return back and proceed to the correct boarding gate.

John tries to leave, when people start asking him frantically to not board his flight as a mark of protest. He gently says that he would have done that but as he has an old professor travelling with him, he will not be able to do so. He asks the people to forgive him if they feel that their plight is due to him.

After the cast left, one of the senior members just couldn’t stop praising Sunny Deol, much to the shock and dismay of other members.

Random Thoughts 001

The no. of people physically present in office decreases on an India World Cup match for obvious reasons. But what happens on the next day? Does India winning mean they are off the next day in revelry?

Disappointed that Houdini doodle from google didn't have any tricks (or that it was hidden so well that I didn't notice any). With all the advancements in programming, I expected some tricks.

Anyone used Google Fusion Tables? http://maptogether.org/blogs/jim/nonprofit-map-from-google-fusion-tables

Btw... can we export our tweets to a text file? If we can then probably all these thoughts can go there instead of the blog. (P.S. - I am too lazy to google/bing it)

In News

Beating Corruption -
Technology perhaps provides the tool to bring down corruption, if not eliminate it. The best example being the online application for getting the encumbrance certificate and duplicate copies of land documents. Go directly, you will be charged Rs.200 and you will get it the same day; but this amount is a bribe. Applying online will take 1-2 weeks but you are charged only Rs.50 - the prescribed amount. More advancement in e-governance will certainly bring the required change.
Railway tickets through tatkal is another good example of bringing revenue to the government from those of you who do things at the last moment but want results are are ready to pay even double the amount to jump queue. This practice can be adopted by all government offices so that revenue will rise and middlemen will be eliminated.


Sound associated with stuff -
I saw a hilarious take by bbc on modern technology... apple, blackberry, and the like... the actor "boots" (i.e. kicks) an "apple" (the fruit and not a Steve Job's product) and it "crashes" (the window pane and not the bootup). Now in this video they hadn't shown the glass pane break but only the sound associated with it. It is amazing how the human mind can associate a noise to stuff, just like I did the noise with the glass window pane breaking. Mimicry probably uses this fact to entertain audiences.


3 months to complete a court case in China -
In China it takes a maximum of 3 months for getting an accused tried for an offence, convicted and sent to jail. Civil or commercial disputes are either settled or decided within 6 months. This is made possible due to the well connected computer network. The entire judiciary, from the lowest court to the highest court, is well connected through a computer network with each judge having every information in front of him/her. The court hall looks like a corporate office with state-of-the-art technology put in place in its day-to-day functioning. The case management system with well-knit archives is so scientific that all information is displayed on the screen for the benefit of litigants and judges, the moment a case is taken up for hearing.


PM's entourage -
A person died on his way to the hospital as the ambulance he was travelling in was blocked by PM's retinue in New Delhi. Will the PM take sole responsibility for his death?


Price Rise -
The spurt in prices is not only because of crop damage but also due to the fact that for 6 days (from Dec 17) the movement of all heavy goods vehicles on the Outer Ring Road here was banned during the Congress plenary at Burari, hitting hard the supply of vegetables and fruits. Trucks were not even allowed to park on this busy route, resulting in congestion and a squeeze on supplies. The Gujjar agitation in Rajasthan, blocking road and rail traffic, also impacted supply.


TAPI - Silk Road project connecting Central Asia to the West -
TAPI (Turkmenistan - Afghanistan - Pakistan - India) gas pipeline project was agreed to on Dec 11 in Ashgabat. IPI (Iran - Pakistan - India) pipeline project was brought under heavy pressure by the US. New Delhi and Islamabad buckled under American pressure. It actually provides the US to keep its forces deployed in this region under the cover of providing security to the pipeline. India in its zest to secure "global commons" with the US is needlessly getting drawn into the "new great game".


Computers that trade on news -
Math-loving traders are using powerful computers to speed-read news reports, editorials, company websites, blog posts and even Twitter messages - and then letting the machines decide what it all means for the market. Computers are actually parsing writter's works, sentence structure, even the odd emoticon. A wink and a smile - ;) - for instance, just might mean things are looking up for the markets. Then, often without human intervention, the programmes are interpreting that news and trading on it.
Technological revolution - The latest economic figures, news and social media buzz - "unstructured data", as it is known - can shift the mood from exuberance to despondency.
Words and sentiments - Feel-good words include obvious ones like "ingenuity", "strength" and "winner". Feel-bad ones include "litigious", "colludes" and "risk".
Reactions - People are trading news at very high frequency. It is the next wave of trading.


$2 trillion debt crisis threatens 100 US cities -
More than 100 US cities could go bust next year as the debt crisis that has taken down banks and countries threatens next to spark an urban catastrophe. Meredith Whitney, the US research analyst who correctly predicted the global credit crunch, described local and state debt as the biggest problem facing the US economy and one that could derail its recovery.

Cricket, Musings

As always I was watching sports channels on my television today. I saw the whole of Daniel Vettori's test hundred against Pakistan. Later that night I saw India beat Sri Lanka in the second T20 match. Earlier in South Africa, England became the third country to win an ODI series in South Africa, its victory's architect being Paul Collingwood.

People worship skill, I do too but it is the grind-out-types that I hold in greater respect. Collingwood, not the most talented cricketer, but always gives his whole to the game and that is much better than a highly skilled one who doesn't put in all his efforts. Ditto with Vettori's batting. They might be clumsy and dirty to watch but the effort they put in is amazing. The never-die attitude, the will to keep fighting, the gutsiness, the strength. That is what makes them the Mr.Dependable in their respective sides. The thing with people who rely on skill and talent is that there is a chance they might forget or lose their touch/quality. Such situations cannot arise for the gutsy ones since that is in their nature and what they are. Its not something that they have learnt or cultivated that could possibly be lost some day.

Now coming to the T20 game. Lets forget the poor standards of fielding and outfield cricket of the sides. I was concentrating on the chasing Indian batsmen. Everyone says that T20 is a batsmen's game, and we need to spare a thought for the poor bowlers who toil hard without equivalent return. But picture this - a bowler gets whacked at a rate of 9 runs per over. Now that is a decent return for the bowler in sub-continent pitches where runs are scored in buckets. But a batsman gets out for a naught. I am sure the selectors will persist with the bowler and ditch the batsman. All that I am trying to put forward is that it's the batsmen who are under pressure to perform in a T20 game as it's a forgone conclusion that T20 is a batsmen's game. The stakes are high for a batsman than for a bowler. So even if a bowler has a bad outing, it's ok but a batsman cannot and should not falter.

Graeme Swann's batting average after 13 tests and 15 innings stood above 40. That is more than what regular English batsmen or regular batsmen from any part of the world muster. And mind you those tests were against good oppositions including India, Australia, South Africa.


Today we had Baghban movie playing on one of the channels. It's a movie about family relationships, parent-kid interaction and all. Mostly interesting elderly people. And guess what commercials were played - use X's oil for cooking since it has less cholesterol, how many people will be affected by heart diseases by Y year... Interesting pattern...

Andrew Strauss

Lest we forget, in Napier just 18 months ago, Strauss was poised to slink back to county cricket, never to return. It was, he relates in his forthcoming book, "the only time in my life I have struggled to sleep". The key to his subsequent 177 was a first-innings duck: "With only one innings left I felt it was too much to expect to pull it out of the bag, so I was just going to enjoy my last innings for England." In other words, he relaxed. Encouraged by Paul Collingwood, he also reclaimed the cut and the pull, the once-fruitful strokes his cautious, fretful self had sheathed. As Kris Kristofferson so deftly put it, freedom's just another word for nothing left to lose.

"More than anything, performing in those circumstances made me think that when the going gets tough, that is what motivates and brings out the best in me," reflects Strauss. "And, when you are armed with that knowledge, it gives you huge confidence for difficult times in the future." Nothing particularly earth-shattering, sure, but this realisation was no less valuable for its familiarity. Come The Oval last month - and yes, it does seem a sight longer than that - England were pulling the Ashes out of the bag. That they bounced back not once but twice in that series - from the near-disaster of Cardiff to victory at Lord's, from humiliation at Headingley to final triumph at The Oval - can be attributed to many factors, but none was more important, surely, than the tone set by Strauss, at the crease and in the field.

There is a bit of him in each of the other contenders. Like Gambhir, Strauss possesses the mental fibre and inner confidence to stare down adversity and drag a career from the precipice. Like Johnson, he can dominate opponents. Like Dhoni, he is a leader by vivid example. None of those rivals, though, has had quite as much to contend with this year as Strauss. Post-Stanford, post-Pietersen v Moores, he took the reins when English cricket was looking sicker than John Cleese's ex-parrot. That it is now widely perceived to be in polite if not rude health is no mean feat. Just don't mention the words "limited" or "overs" in close proximity.

Iron man

Twelve years into his international career, South Africa's wicketkeeper is still the epitome of fighting spirit and reliability under pressure

His critics believe he is finished, but does Mark Boucher care? He has dragged South Africa back from the brink on countless occasions, and yet several hacks prefer to focus on his batting average. He is the most accomplished wicketkeeper in Test history, but there are still people calling for a change.

Perhaps Boucher should care, but he doesn't. Perhaps he should feel the need to prove the naysayers wrong, but if he did, he would forego the very quality that makes him special. Boucher is the pressure man, the player for the big occasion. He won't average 50 or hit seven hundreds in a calendar year, but he'll win you games. He'll come across as arrogant in the post-match interview, the lemon-sucking expression accompanied by a curt response to a stupid question. But again, if he repressed this attitude, he'd lose all his clout.

"I first worked with Mark when I was coaching at the Warriors," recalls South Africa coach Mickey Arthur. "He captained the side and I always had faith in his cricketing brain. He was also the kind of leader who was never afraid to have his say, and as a player he was a true fighter.

"Mark's a tiger, and if I went to battle, there's no one I'd rather have beside me. He's fiercely loyal and will never turn down a challenge. He's an invaluable member of our team."

The stats may not reflect Boucher's value when he strolls to the crease, but Arthur admits there are other stat bars that tell a more accurate story, highlighting his game-winning ability.

Boucher's wicketkeeping virtues have never been in doubt. He has 475 scalps in Test cricket and 406 in ODIs - record figures that are set to rise as long as he's fit and favoured. But it's not just his work behind the stumps that has won him acclaim. His batting contributions played a significant part in his winning the South African Cricketer of the Year Award in 1998, 2000 and 2006. He was also named as one of Wisden's five Cricketers of the Year in 2009.

So what does he think about the criticism and the recent calls to step aside? The rise of AB de Villiers has prompted a fierce debate. De Villiers seems set to become one of the batting greats and has the ability to keep wicket. The ingrates reason that, closing in on 33, Boucher needs to make way for the future. But is comparing the two really comparing apples and apples?

"I know it sounds like I'm trying to protect my position, but I just don't think AB should play keeper," Boucher says. "He's too special a batter, and to put pressure on him from a keeping perspective is going to hamper his batting average.

"Most players' batting averages take a dip when they are asked to keep. Kumar Sangakkara wasn't doing well when he was keeping, and I see his average has gone up since he stopped. AB needs to be averaging around 55 at Test level, but he's not going to do that if he has to worry about keeping too."

Boucher's viewpoint is shared by Arthur. There's no plan to replace Boucher with de Villiers, and there's no long-term plan to groom de Villiers as a successor when Boucher eventually calls it a day. "You can't compare AB and Mark because their roles in the team are vastly different," affirms Arthur. "Mark's our best keeper, while AB is in the team as a top-order batsman.

"In an emergency, we would look to AB to keep wicket, but we don't view him as a successor to Mark. Ultimately AB will bat at No. 4 in both versions of the game. We really want AB to become the best batsman on the planet. It would be unfair to burden him with the keeping responsibilities, as that could cause him to average 10 less than he should. When you have a player of that talent, you don't want to hamper his ability to score.

"We have identified two potential successors in the Dolphins' Darren Smit and the Titans' Heino Kuhn. Both are good keepers and have the ability to chip in with the bat."

Boucher averages less than 30 in both forms of the game, but when he does get going you have to wonder how good he would have been had he given keeping a miss. He has scored five Test centuries and 29 fifties, and his value in the ODI arena is well documented: he has 26 fifties and a sparkling 147 not out to his name. But since his 1997 debut, where he replaced Dave Richardson, it has always been about keeping first. Batting has been important, but only in the team context.

"Mark is first and foremost a wicketkeeper," says Arthur. "I think he has averaged less than he would have had he not worn the gloves, but that's his role. That's not to say we've ever doubted his ability. I can't speak highly enough about what he has done for South African cricket.

"In the Test set-up we usually go with six specialist batters, four specialist bowlers and our best wicketkeeper. From a batting perspective, Mark's role is to marshal the tail.

"In the one-day game Mark has become one of the best finishers in the world. At the end of an innings he can be devastating, whether he's helping us set a formidable target or getting us past the opposition score. He's capable of the big shots, but his experience is so crucial during those knocks. When he's out in the middle, it helps other guys like Albie Morkel."

Boucher admits his personal goals are not that of a normal batter. When he walks down from the dressing room and onto the field, he's thinking about how he can help South Africa. "I never look at averages and stats because they don't really tell a story. Don't get me wrong, I love scoring hundreds, but there are other things you look to achieve when you perform my kind of role.

"I like to bat aggressively and take the bowling on, but I'm a team man. I'll do what the team requires. My average may be a bit lower because of my responsibilities in the team context, but I'm a wicketkeeper-batsman, not a specialist batsman. My goals are not the same as those of an all-out batter.

"There are some knocks I'll never forget, and those are the ones scored under pressure. In one of my first visits to India, we were in a difficult position and I came in and scored 27 not out to help win the game. That was like a century to me because of the conditions and context of the match.

"That Test innings I played at Edgbaston last year was also very special. The series was on the line and although I didn't score much [45 not out], I helped us towards that winning total."

If you are going to measure Boucher's worth, you may as well do it in kilopascals. He has the ability to hit a cricket ball into the stands, but what sets him apart is how calm he is under pressure. "Everyone remembers guys like AB, Graeme Smith and Herschelle Gibbs for that 438 victory[in 2006], but Mark was the guy who got us home," says Arthur. "The ODI win in Sydney this year was thanks to his batting performance, an important innings that allowed us to go to a defining 2-1 lead in the series. Mark's a player capable of hundreds, but he's also capable of playing those momentum-swinging knocks that sometimes prove [to be] the difference."

Fighting spirit is something that's become synonymous with South African cricket. Jonty Rhodes, Allan Donald and Gary Kirsten are just three players who were renowned for it when Boucher first arrived on the scene, and Boucher credits them for contributing to his mental development. But deep steel, according to him, is something you cannot acquire. You either have it or you don't.

"I've played squash since I was very young and I think it has shaped my mentality as a cricketer. Squash is the type of game where you're always fighting for the upper hand, and if you are down, you need to fight hard to come back. You need that fighting spirit to be a good squash player. You need to be a fighter if you're going to deal with that pressure and rise above it. That's what makes you a hardened sportsman, and I believe that's what gave me the base to perform under big pressure in cricket.

"Some people claim to enjoy the pressure. Some people ask me if I enjoy the pressure. Truth be told, I don't think anybody enjoys it. It's more about understanding it and understanding how to beat it. Some people will go into their shells when they're under pressure, while others respond with an aggressive approach."

Richardson was 38 when he retired from international cricket, and while Boucher isn't sure about matching that feat, he's determined to soldier on for as long as he's able. "I will never rest on my laurels and I will never voluntarily give my position away," he says. "That may be the wrong thing to say, but I'm very competitive and I have plenty more years in me. I only think about my goals two years at a time. I definitely have another World Cup in me and I'll decide where to after that.

"My body's still in good shape and I've never told anyone that I'm looking to retire. After the World Cup, I'll be 35, but if I've still got a lot to give, why can't I carry on for another few years?"

Boucher had a limited opportunity when South Africa toured Australia back in 1997, but was awarded a full-time position when they travelled to England in 1998. For over a decade South Africa came close to beating England in England, while the same period witnessed a string of failures Down Under. There was a breakthrough in 2008, with South Africa following up a Test series win in England with an unprecedented triumph in Australia. Boucher was at the heart of both victories, and as a seasoned campaigner drew the most satisfaction from the results.

"We'd come close before in England, but because Australia are our arch-rivals and so much is made of beating the best on their own track, the win against the Aussies meant the most. The Proteas have been referred to as a team that choke in big contests, so it was satisfying to prove to the world, and to the Aussies, who initially tagged us as chokers, that we can rise above the pressure."

Boucher has achieved more than most and is by no means finished. However, he's not so arrogant as to believe he'll play forever. A couple of goals remain before he eventually passes the baton. South Africa need to become the undisputed kings of Test cricket, and they need to atone for their past World Cup sins by capturing the crown in 2011.

"The past two years have witnessed a turning point in South African cricket," he says, as if the recent success is an appetiser for things to come. "In any winning team, the key to success is consistency over an extended period.

"Look at the Springbok team that won the 2007 Rugby World Cup. They were together for four years before they won in France. It's not only about building a family, but also about being dynamic and ensuring things continue to develop. That's why Mickey's done extremely well to bring people like Jeremy Snape and Duncan Fletcher into the mix. There's no danger of stagnating.

"I'm very excited to be a part of something so special. We've achieved so much over the past two years, but we haven't fully reached our potential. We can get a lot better and as long as the leadership core remains intact, we will continue to achieve our goals in years to come."

Curtain to fall on Milan star

If any player over the course of the last two decades deserves a fairytale ending it is AC Milan star Paolo Maldini.

Five times the 40-year-old defender has held aloft the European Cup and he was a beaten finalist on a further three occasions.

Factor in seven Italian Serie A titles, five UEFA Super Cups, five Italian Super Cup successes, one Coppa Italia and the FIFA Club World Cup back in 2007 just for good measure and it is apparent Maldini will be remembered as one of world football's all-time greats.

Sadly, however, when Maldini makes his 902nd, and final, appearance for AC Milan this weekend against Fiorentina there will be no silverware at stake as Carlo Ancelotti's side look to consolidate a top-three finish to a trophyless campaign.

His final Serie A outing for the Rossoneri at the San Siro during last Sunday's 3-2 defeat against Roma also proved to be memorable for all the wrong reasons when a small section of the club's supporters sported banners blasting Maldini, who criticised fans earlier this year when telling them to get behind the team during their struggles.

One in the south stand read: "Thanks captain: on the pitch you have been an infinite champion but you have lacked the respect of those that have made you rich".

Another one read: "For your 25-year glorious career our deepest thanks from those you defined as mercenaries".

That banner was accompanied by a big jersey of Franco Baresi, who Maldini replaced as captain, and with chants of "There's only one captain".

Maldini has been left nonplussed by it all.

"I don't really know what happened," admitted Maldini, who turns 41 next month.

"I have always played consistently and have a lot of respect for the club. I wanted to be judged only on that ground."

Indeed, Maldini has served Milan with nothing but distinction in the 24 years since he made his debut for the club at the age of 16 back in January 1985.

Like his father Cesare before him, Maldini would later be installed as Milan captain and he helped the Italian giants dominate both domestically and in Europe until recently.

The first of his seven scudettos came at the end of the 1987/88 campaign and the following year Milan-born Maldini was part of the legendary Rossoneri side alongside the likes of Marco van Basten, Ruud Gullit, Frank Rijkaard and Franco Baresi that thrashed Steaua Bucharest 4-0 in the European Cup final.

Numerous personal and collective awards and accolades have followed since, including being the oldest player to score in a Champions League final in the 2005 defeat against Liverpool, a game in which Maldini also netted the quickest goal ever in a Champions League final after barely a minute played.

He also amassed a record number of caps - 126 - for Italy before retiring from international football in the aftermath of the 2002 World Cup.

Maldini skippered the Azzurri all the way to the 1994 World Cup final, which they lost on penalties to Brazil, and to the same stage at Euro 2000 before again falling at the final hurdle following a 2-1 defeat to France.

International silverware may have alluded Maldini, but his committed performances for club and country, leadership skills and battling qualities were clear for all to see.

That Maldini is bowing out at the very top also offers proof, if any was needed, of what a consummate professional he has been down the years.

The respect from leading figures within the game for the veteran Italian was all too evident only this week when Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola dedicated his side's Champions League triumph over Manchester United in Rome to the retiring Maldini.

"He is a true great of the game and what happened to him by 20, 30 or 40 supporters was wrong," said Guardiola in reference to the fan abuse Maldini suffered last weekend.

"I dedicated this triumph to him."

What the future holds for Maldini is unclear as he prepares to hang up his boots, although he does not intend to follow in his father's footsteps and make the move into management.

"I won't be a coach because it is a role that brings out all the things that I don't like about football," he revealed.

"The excessive exposure to the media, moving to different cities and having to work with difficult presidents."

At least the Maldini name will carry on for a third generation at Milan, with Christian, Paolo's 12-year-old son who is also a defender, currently on the books at the San Siro.

The pressure is bound to be heaped on Christian in the years to come due to his family heritage and even more so after Milan president Silvio Berlusconi afforded Paolo lavish praise earlier this month.

"In the list of best Milan players of the last 20 years, I would put him on top, with Baresi just behind," said Berlusconi.

"We always loved Paolo and we still do, because he has always shown great professionalism and dedication to the team."

It is these enduring qualities that mean finding a worthy replacement for one Paolo Cesare Maldini will be an ominous task for the Milan hierarchy.