Boris Johnson bowls over young cricketers on Indian trade mission

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The Foreign Secretary was in India on a trade mission

Mr Johnson visited a cricket academy in Kolkata run by former India batsman Arun Lal and arrived at the crease sporting a suit.

Test player Mr Lal, who represented his country 16 times, praised Mr Johnson’s effort even though he was out for a duck.

He said: “He is a sport. He spent time with the kids and had encouraging words for them.

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson in pictures
Thu, July 21, 2016

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson attends his first EU foreign ministers meeting in Brussels to discuss the issues in Turkey, Syria, and the Middle East.

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British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson addresses the press after a meeting with the French Minister of Foreign Affairs Jean-Marc Ayrault at Quai d'Orsay on July 28, 2016 in Paris, France

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We can only hope Mr Johnson negotiates better than he bats

“He was surprised by the number of kids enthusiastically taking part in the sport and (Boris) said this is why we (the English) should be worried.”

Mr Johnson was visiting Kolkata, formerly Calcutta, to take forward a UK partnership with West Bengal and hold discussions with a cross section of Bengal society in a drive to boost Bengal-UK business and partnerships.

However, Boris efforts at the crease were clearly in vain as India clinched the one-day series over England at Cuttack yesterday.

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