Back with a bang?

Pakistani cricketer Shahid Afridi clogged timelines for a while -- much to the delight of his countrymen -- after reportedly 'taking back' his international retirement and making himself available for ODI selections. Like many, a certain Ryan Ellis was pleased: 'Glad to hear Afridi has decided not to retire after all,' he tweeted. 'A strong Pakistan team can only be good for international cricket.' According to R Bhatia, 'Afridi is coming back, no longer as a teenager but as a 20-year-old mature cricketer.' To which Surendra Chaurasiya replied: 'Some kids never mature!' Also this, from Abhishek Sharma: Taking back retirement? Is he inspired by politicians from the subcontinent?'

Nothing else matters
Legendary American band Metallica became a trending topic as the countdown for its first appearance in India -- in Gurgaon on October 28 began. Someone called Dominic Driscoll described his day thus: '1. Put Metallica on stereo. 2. Turn stereo up. 3. Make coffee strong enough to stun a donkey. 3. Begin epic workday.' There was also a tongue-in-cheek warning from Sorabh Pant: 'Hope no Punjabis are getting married in Gurgaon that day, or no one will be able to hear Metallica.'

Turning back the clock
A large number of people decided, for no discernible reason, to describe how things were when they were 14. Someone tweeted, 'I was in a hurry to grow up, now I regret it.' Also, 'I used to dance and thought I was going to carry that on in life.' This, presumably from India: 'Tendulkar was already a legend. He still is, and will always be.' Another example: 'A madman was in charge of Libya. Now there are dozens.' And finally: 'When I was 14, tweeting was something a bird did.'

The last word
A pertinent question from journalist Rajdeep Sardesai: 'Are we heading back to the bad old days in Indian cricket? Tigers at home, lambs abroad?'

-- Lindsay Pereira is Editor, MiD DAY Online