SEHWAG AND TIGER PATAUDI 'SIR'

Former India batsman revealed that it was the former India captain's 'advice' to change his stance in 2006 that helped him score a lot of runs

By QAISER MOHAMMAD ALI, www.Outlookindia.com

New Delhi has been — and is — home to many past and present Indian cricketers and captains. But when a frustrated Virender Sehwag, for the first time, openly alleged widespread corruption in Delhi cricket in 2009 and had threatened to leave Delhi over it, he had turned to Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi for guidance.

After Sehwag, feeling helpless with a "corruption-ridden" DDCA administration, told Arun Jaitley, then president of the Delhi and District Cricket Association, of his 'decision' to leave Delhi, the politician asked 'Viru' to meet him. It was then that Sehwag turned to 'Tiger' Pataudi to articulate his thoughts on the raging issue of corruption, particularly in the selection of Delhi teams, that he had raised.

Sehwag, the only Indian to score two triple Test centuries, has not forgotten that contribution — and more. On Saturday evening, he indicated how much he respected the late Pataudi, especially after revealing that it was the former India captain's 'advice' to change his stance in 2006 that helped him score a lot of runs.

While speaking at the naming ceremony of the 'Sehwag Pavilion' and 'Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi Sports Complex' at Jamia Millia Islamia, the ace cricketer said he had met Pataudi only a couple of times — in 2006, August 2009 and, maybe, a couple of times more.

"I was travelling with him in a car and I asked him 'sir, have you seen my batting?' in 2006 when I was not scoring runs. He told me 'you are a good player, keep believing in yourself, trusting in yourself'," former India captain Sehwag, an alumnus of Jamia, told the audience.

"I said 'can you give me some advice?' He said 'I don't think you need advice but since you have asked me I can tell you that if you open your leg a little bit then you will score a lot of runs. And after that I scored my second triple century," Sehwag said to thunderous applause from the audience comprising Sharmila Tagore, wife of Pataudi and Bollywood actress, Jamia Vice-Chancellor, teachers and students.

"I was very thankful to sir [Pataudi] who gave such honest advice, and after that I scored many, many hundreds, the [second Test] triple century, and a double hundred in one-day matches. I was lucky. It's great honour for me to be here and spending time with you," he said.

Pataudi, the first India captain to register a Test win overseas, in 1969, had later disclosed that Sehwag had requested him to accompany him for the meeting at Jaitley's residence in August 2009, and he agreed due to his "respect for Sehwag".

Apart from Pataudi, the other story that Sehwag, dressed in a green checked shirt and brown trousers, narrated to his spell-bound listeners was how he got admission in Jamia.

"And after that [getting admission] I played for the country. So, I am very, very thankful to this university that gave me admission when no college in Delhi gave me admission," the swashbuckling batsman, who completed his Bachelor of Arts degree in 2001-02, said to a loud laughter and applause from the gathering.

Sehwag's childhood coach Amar Nath Sharma had taken him to Noor Mohammed, Physical Education Director at Jamia, for admission.

"Noor sir took my selection and told me one thing only. [Since] in XIIth standard I had a compartmental [re-exam], in English, so he asked me to clear that exam and then only would I get admission. He said 'go and study hard to clear that exam so that I could join the university'. I worked hard and cleared the exam and joined the university," he said. "I worked hard [at cricket] and practiced for hours and hours."

Due to his preoccupation with matches, Sehwag's attendance fell short of the minimum required mark for taking exams and Noor Mohammed had to take him to then Vice-Chancellor to get him special permission to write papers.

"He told him that 'this is the boy who will play for India one day. So, please allow him to sit in the exams, because if he doesn't practice, doesn't work hard, he can't play for India'," he said, referring to the reasons Noor Mohammed gave for short attendance.

"Thank you the Vice-Chancellor at that time and Noor sir who, believing in me, gave me the opportunity to use this ground and be a part of Jamia," said the indebted retired cricketer, now mentor of IPL franchise Kings XI Punjab.

However, Noor Mohammed was surprisingly missing from the function, despite living at a stone's throw from the venue. It transpired that he was not invited, that, too, to at a venue that he had worked hard to develop to its present shape, and where he even today goes for his daily morning walk.

When contacted, Noor Mohammed, who retired from Jamia in 2014, said he was not invited. "It's a normal practice that retired heads of department of any office are usually invited for such functions," he said.

The land on which Jamia's Bhopal Ground, which comprises an international-size cricket field and a modern sports complex, was developed was donated by Pataudi's mother, Begum Sajida Sultan, the last begum of Bhopal. The complex has now been named 'Nawab Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi Sports Complex' but the words 'Bhopal Ground' have also been retained. It is also a first-class cricket venue where several Ranji Trophy matches have been played.

Sharmila Tagore, dressed in a yellow saree, said that "ideally" her husband should have been attending and speaking on this occasion, but considered it a "singular honour" and an "emotional moment" for her to be there.

"You probably only know him as a cricketer. But in truth he had a natural talent for many other sports. He played racquets, he played tennis, he played squash, he played football, he played hockey. So he was really blessed. And he also played a lot of snooker, hustled a lot of people and made money at the Bombay Gym Club, and also played bridge. And he had a lot of love for athletics. So this place, he would really have loved it," she said in her measured speech.

Sharmila said Tiger was "always calm and in control with his amused grin".

"He always had this look as if there is something funny about the world and detached from the machinations of lesser men. On the field he was relentless and hard hitting, passionate and unstoppable. Off the field he was caring, gentle, generous, very, very funny and very, very naughty," she said.

Sharmila also briefly touched upon the present state of Indian cricket, clearly hinting at the administrative side of the BCCI.

"Indian cricket is at the moment in a considerable state of reflection. It is blessed with resources in terms of players and infrastructure. However, some big questions remain," she said without pronouncing the word 'BCCI', which didn't treat Pataudi well in his last few years. When his IPL fee was withheld, he had to move the Bombay High Court to recover Rs.1.16 crore from the BCCI in April 2011, just a few months before he died. In 2013, BCCI instituted an annual lecture in his memory.

Jamia presented to Sharmila an oil portrait of Pataudi, made by Shah Abdul Faiz, an assistant professor in the Faculty of Fine Arts at the university, and a crafted framed photo of Sehwag to the ace cricketer.

And Sharmila donated Jamia a large-sized black-and-white framed portrait of Pataudi executing a cover drive, possibly while representing Sussex in English county competition, which she unveiled at the entrance of the sports complex.

Asked why she chose that particular photo, Sharmila told Outlook: "It's a good shot and I like the concentration, [his] hand-eye coordination."

Sehwag also unveiled a photo of his, batting in India's ODI coloured uniform, as part of the simple ceremony. (This story first appeared on www.outlookindia.conm on May 16, 2016)

[Click here to read all my stories in OUTLOOK magazine http://www.outlookindia.com/people/Qaiser-Mohammad-Ali/16843]

REVIEW OF FILM ‘AZHAR’

Based on cricketer Mohammed Azharuddin’s life, it seems like an attempt to narrate the player’s side of the story, finally exonerative, but with a happy ending

By QAISER MOHAMMAD ALI, www.Outlookindia.com

Almost 17 years ago, when he was banned by the BCCI for his alle­ged role in match-fixing and three-and-a-half years after he won a court case against the ‘illegal’ punishment, a biopic has brought Moh­ammed Azharuddin right back into debates. Usu­ally, in all these long years, Azhar has steadfastly refused to talk about the match-fixing scandal that ended his car­eer in ignominy, but, very clearly, gave his consent to film-makers to have his say on celluloid after all these years.

Azhar, though it claims to be a work of fiction, seems like an attempt to narrate the player’s side of the story, finally exonerative, but with a happy ending. Azharuddin, a man with sublime, wristy flicks and effortless, languid strokes, is first shown accepting money from a bookie to underperform. After that, he realises his mistake, makes amends, and plays to his full potential to help India win a crucial match. He even ret­urns his ill-gotten gains. 

In the final scene, both his first wife (Naureen, played by Prachi Desai) and second (Sangeeta Bijlani, played by Nargis Fakhri) make a drama­tic appearance together in court when the judge declares Azhar’s life ban illegal, thus hinting at a reconciliation. The longest role in the film, after Emraan Hashmi’s Azhar, is that of his lawyer, Reddy, played by Kunal Roy Kapur, who is initially not confident about winning the case, but eventually has the better of defendant lawyer Meera, played by Lara Dutta.

In real life, lawyer Rama Kant Reddy, Azhar’s classmate from All Saint’s School in Hyderabad, told this reviewer that he was initially reluctant to take up the case, but took up the challenge on the insistence of his mother.

The film, which was largely shot at various English cricket grounds, was completed in about a year. Azhar also comes armed with a long disclaimer up front that declares it as fiction, clearly to avoid litigation, as many of Azharuddin’s famous teammates are shown—actually, often depicted mercilessly—though they are only given first names, like Ravi, Manoj etc. Although the events are fast-paced Azhar would only appeal to people who’re aware of the facts. (This story appeared in the May 30, 2016, issue of Outlook magazine)

[Click here to read all my stories in OUTLOOK magazine http://www.outlookindia.com/people/Qaiser-Mohammad-Ali/16843]

AN INDIAN SCOOP TRICK

A Berlin exhibition on Dhyan Chand to celebrate 80 years of 1936 Olympic gold

By QAISER MOHAMMAD ALI, Outlook magazine

Eleven years before India first celebrated August 15 as Independence Day, it held significance for the hockey fraternity. On August 15, 1936, the Indian hockey team completed a golden hat-trick at the Olympic Games, having won gold at the 1928 and 1932 Olympics.

The brilliant Indians, captained by the legendary Dhyan Chand, duly clinched their third successive title in Berlin, with the crack centre-forward scoring three goals in his team’s 8-1 routing of Germany. It was Dhyan Chand’s third Olympic gold too.

The final was scheduled to be played on August 14, but was postponed by a day due to rain. In the audience was German chancellor Adolf Hitler, who had striven to use the Berlin games to showcase natio­nal socialism in all its imm­aculately choreographed ‘Aryan’ glory.

Now, the Indian Embassy in Germany is honouring Dhyan Chand, celebrating the 80th anniversary of the magical win with a exhibition in Berlin on August 15. Fans and family of the hockey wizard, not unjus­tly, feel the Bharat Ratna should be conferred on him.

“I would like to have an exhibition honouring your eminent father, the great Major Dhyan Chand (who was in the 2/14 Punjab Regiment after the First Brahmin Regiment, which he had joined as a sepoy in 1922, was disbanded). While his life and artistry does not need any reason to celebrate, this year will mark the 80th anniversary of his leading the Indian team to an Olympic gold medal in 1936,” said Gurjit Singh, India’s ambassador to Germany, in a letter to Ashok Kumar, also a former India hockey captain. 

Gurjit Singh, himself a cricket fan and a qualified cric­ket umpire, contacted Ashok for a loan of Dhyan Chand’s memorabilia—rare papers, photographs, mementos—that he and his extended family possess.

Ashok Kumar is delighted about Gurjit’s organis­ing the exhibition. But, having gone through a bitter experience before, he was apprehensive of losing the mementos. In the past, people have ‘bor­­rowed’, and never returned, items belonging to Dhyan Chand. The 1928 Olympic gold medal is among the casualties. “I’m grateful to Gurjit Singh has shown such keenness; he traced my phone number and called me. Since he is from Punjab and a sportsman, he has a lot of love for Dhyan Chandji,” says Ashok.

A wide variety of Dhyan Chand’s photos and honours are being sent to Germany. They include the 1932 and 1936 Olympic gold medals; a medal he received for ‘Fine Play’ at the 1936 games; the Padma Bhushan he received in 1956; the photograph of a 30-foot statue his fans have built atop a hill in his hometown Jhansi; photos of his meetings with B.R. Ambdekar, C. Rajagopalachari and Rajkumari Amrit Kaur; and the first day cover that the postal dep­artment had brought out on December 3, 1980, besides on-field action photos. Ashok says the Indian army too had rec­ently contacted him. “They requested me to send copies of the Dhyan Chand memorabilia to them as well, so that they could preserve it,” he says.

The 1936 Olympics also has non-sport significance for India-Germany relations. As Ashok Kumar points out: “Hockey helped consolidate the relations between the two countries. Besides,

Adolf Hitler had famously offered Dhyan Chand a commission in the Wehrmacht after watching him play at the final.” Legend  has it that Dhyan Chand politely declined Hitler’s offer—made after the hockey magician had scored 11 scintillating goals (as did his brother and teammate, Roop Singh) in the Berlin Games. But he was a true patriot and it was one of the few times the Fuehrer had got a no for an answer. 

(This story was published in OUTLOOK magazine, Issue dated June 6, 2016)

THE AJY SHIRKE INTERVIEW

 

New BCCI secretary says the Board could lose up to 70% revenue if Lodha Committee recommendations are implemented

 

By Qaiser Mohammad Ali, Outlookindia.com

 

Maharasthra Cricket Association president Ajay Shirke is also a business tycoon who alternates between Pune and London. As BCCI treasurer he resigned at the height of the 2013 IPL betting-fixing scandal as he disagreed with then president N. Srinivasan on some issues. An extremely suave and articulate person, Shirke is also known for speaking his mind, as does during an interview with Qaiser Mohammad Ali. Excerpts:

Why has BCCI come to a stage where is facing so much humiliation?

This stage has obviously come due to the original IPL match-fixing scandal and the resultant approach of some BCCI officials. In fact, the Lodha Committee’s judgement has come because of a petition filed by the BCCI [in Supreme Court against a Bombay High Court order of 2013 that dismissed a Board-appointed probe panel for IPL scandal as unconstitutional]. In a way we’ve brought it upon ourselves. That’s why, if you now put things together, we made a very big mistake at that point in time.

So, are the BCCI and its officials to be blamed for the present situation?

BCCI officials have to be blamed. Not the current ones but who were there during that time [in 2013]. This was a direction in which I saw things were going, there was no point fighting with the [BCCI] president who had appointed me and so I chose to leave.

Will this litigation impact players, especially members of the national team?

Some of them may. Some [litigation] are there and some litigations are impending. Now, STAR India Ltd. has given the Board a notice, following the Lodha Committee recommendations, that they might not honour the contract with the BCCI because of the proposed restrictions on advertisements [during live telecast of matches].

But the court is yet to come out with the final order?

Correct. But if the court says fully implement the recommendations then where will be the money to pay to cricketers? So, it’ll affect cricketers in a big way, also ex-cricketers and everyone else. By making a recommendation like that would cut the Board’s revenue by about 68% to about 70%. So, how will we run the various healthcare scheme, the pension scheme, the benefit scheme? Where will the money come from? Ultimately cricketers, their families…everyone will be affected. And again one has to ask the question in all humility: How does chopping off advertising make BCCI a better organisation?

Why do you think the courts seem to have become a bit tough on the BCCI?

During the period of protracted legal process, there was a time when Mr. N.Srinivasan was there, then he didn’t resign, then he stepped aside, then Dalmiya came in, and all the other things happened. A lot of Lodha Committee report is down to perception and not fact. For instance, how is the management going to improve by removing Maharashtra, Vidharba, Baroda and Saurashtra?

How do you visualise the outcome of this case and what it could lead to?

The outcome of any court case cannot be predicted because the court will have several ways to arrive at a conclusion. They may be based on legal, moral, ethical; so many angles can be given to it. And who would’ve thought except a few of us that making this extended and protracted litigation and, at the same time, getting a hammering in the media every day will get an order against us in a petition that the Board itself filed.  

Will the BCCI change forever, then? 

If change means the full implementation of the Lodha Committee recommendations then it’ll be anybody’s guess what will happen to the BCCI. First, you will get new members who’ll have no history or connection to the sport. There is a big fallacy in this.  

How do you see the impact of Manohar’s departure from the BCCI at this juncture?

It’s a big loss to us but the Board is capable of finding a way and it has always found a solution from within itself.