India, Aug. 29 -- So successfully woven was the narrative of a dystopian future that even the promise of normal service felt like a win. But as everyone waits for the Supreme Court's decision on Monday on the proposal to start the season, it feels like a lot of time has been wasted. Time that could have been utilised for pre-season training - which, in turn, would have helped Khalid Jamil ahead of the CAFA Nations Cup beginning on Friday - and planning for the regular season.

"Most of these things should have been sorted out a lot earlier," Gurpreet Singh Sandhu said looking visibly displeased during our interview ahead of India's first match of the new season in Hisor, near Dushanbe. From the time he was taken to the 2011 Asian Cup as a...