DELHI'S APALLING PERFORMANCE IN 2024-25 RANJI TROPHY CONTINUES UNABATED

By Qaiser Mohammad Ali, Patriot News, New Delhi (Published on November 14, 2024)

As the Delhi cricket team's miserable performance in the RanjiTrophy cricket continues for sixth straight year, the selection committee, in a kneejerk reaction, changed the captain midway (after four matches). Were the selectors under any kind of pressure? Now, Delhi's qualification for quarterfinals hangs by the thread.

Was the change effected with an eye on the upcoming DDCA elections? Why was Yash Dhull, who was removed from captaincy after just one match last year (shocking defeat to minnows Pondicherry) so that he could concentrate on his batting, has again been tasked with vice-captaincy? The questions are many. But the Delhi & District Cricket Association seems fully focussed on the next month's AGM and apex council elections.

Click here to read my story -- tinyurl.com/fz6s44xv

Say It Again, The Bat Is A Lonely Hunter

How brothers Sarfaraz Khan and Musheer fought darkness and came around to be regarded among Indian cricket’s brightest talents

Sarfaraz Khan.
Photos: Emmanual Karbahri (Outlook)

By Qaiser Mohammad Ali

(This story was first published in Outook magazine dated June 1, 2020)

New Delhi: Depression, the blight that has its talons sunk across the world, can melt the doughtiest of persons. Only a few emerge stronger, but it takes mental toughness and doggedness. Sarfaraz Khan and younger brother Musheer, the young cricketers of Mumbai, seem to have those qualities in abundance. They not only overcame a tormenting 2019 but notched up career best performances in the season that ended in March.”

Even as Sarfaraz was serving a oneyear cooling-off period in 2018-19 season to qualify to represent Mumbai again on his return from Uttar Pradesh after five years, the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) banned Musheer for three years for indiscipline. As the blues slowly consumed Musheer, their father-cum-coach Naushad too succumbed to depression. 

The three faced a bleak future in cricket—the only thing the family lives for. But, guided by a doting Naushad and some psychiatric therapy, how the two boys have returned with stronger resolve and renewed vigour! 

From left: Sarfaraz Khan, his younger brother
Musheer, father Naushad, and third brother Moeen.

They scored runs and dismissed batsmen almost at will, playing with steely determination. Hard-hitting middle order batsman Sarfaraz, 22, finished the Ranji Trophy tournament with the highest average in India -- 154.66 -- while plundering 928 runs in six matches, comprising a fabulous, unbeaten triple and a double century.

Sarfaraz, who had hammered a record 439 for Rizvi Springfield in a Harris Shield inter-school match in 2009, chipped in with cameos for the Mumbai under-23 team for the CK Nayudu Trophy.“He has had an outstanding season. There’s no doubt about it. His comeback was due to his mental toughness and he has worked hard at his cricketing skills as well. His father, too, has worked hard. Both Sarfaraz and Musheer are talented,” former India and Mumbai captain Dilip Vengsarkar tells Outlook.

In 2015, a year after a good performance at the under-19 World Cup and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) buying him for Rs. 50 lakh, Naushad had taken a transfer for Sarfaraz, still a minor, to Uttar Pradesh due to lack of opportunities in Mumbai. But the stint in Uttar Pradesh was unsatisfactory. 

Form deserted him too and a serious knee injury just before 2017 IPL added to his misery. The consolation: RCB kept faith in Sarfaraz and retained him for Rs.1.75 crore at the January 2018 auction. Finally, a wiser Naushad brought Sarfaraz back to Mumbai in 2018, but he had to sit out the cooling-off period to be eligible to play in 2019-20.

The Sarfaraz of 2020 is vastly different from the one of 2015. A natural strokeplayer, he has learned to curb his instincts in red-ball cricket and justified selectors’ decision to pick him with three centuries, including a brilliant triple century against Uttar Pradesh – 301 not out (391 balls, 30x4, 8x6). His stupendous Ranji sequence reads: 8, 71 n.o., 36, 301 n.o., 226 n.o., 78, 25, 177, and 6 -- 928 runs at a stratospheric average of 154.66.

Former India wicket-keeper Kiran More was impressed too. “Sarfaraz is an exceptional talent. This season is a game changer for him. He has gone through hell, so he’ll now be prepared to take on any challenge…. He’s definitely India material,” More tells Outlook.

Naushad, who motivates his sons by reading couplets from famous ghazals, says the turnaround is due to a change in Sarfaraz’s approach. “For example, he used to dread getting out in the slips. Now he doesn’t, as he chooses his strokes and tries to play the ball along the ground,” he says.

Sarfaraz, rather nonchalantly, describes his game thus: “While playing red ball cricket I try to be patient. If you stay at the pitch, you would know what shots to play. I play my natural game in white ball cricket. But, even in longer versions, after completing a century I switch to my natural game. Simple.”

It was, of course, not simple -- not just for injury-hit Sarfaraz, but also for Musheer and Naushad. The MCA had handed its under-16 captain Musheer, who was yet to turn 14, a three-year ban for ‘indiscipline’ during a Vijay Merchant Trophy match against UP in January 2019. “I expected a lot from my sons, that’s why I went into depression. When Sarfaraz came back from UP, I got depressed as I wondered about his career after his cooling-off period -- will Mumbai pick him again?” confesses an emotional Naushad.

Sarfaraz slew all doubts with his prolific bat. The icing on the cake was left-arm spinner Musheer capturing 30 wickets at a miserly average of 9.36 in the under-16 Vijay Merchant Trophy on his comeback after his ban was reduced to 11 months following an apology. The diminutive tweaker, who turned 15 on February 27, bagged two 10-wicket match hauls -- one in the final against Punjab--in four matches to propel Mumbai to the title triumph. Overall, he captured three five-wicket hauls, and scored 125 runs. In the under-19 Cooch Behar Trophy, he scored 84 runs and took a solitary wicket in two matches, as Mumbai lost to Vidarbha in semis in which he scored a fine 57.

During their period of crisis last year, Naushad, a former cricketer, took his sons to play matches in Bangalore, Hyderabad, Moradabad, Meerut, Mau and Azamgarh, to keep their hands in. “It was a tough period, but a popular couplet of Nida Fazli inspired me: Safar mein dhoop toh hogi jo chal sako to chalo, sabhi hain bheed mein, tum bhi nikal sako to chalo, yahan kisi ko koi rasta nahi deta, mujhe girake agar tum sambhal sako to chalo (there will be heat and roadblocks in the journey; you venture out if you can withstand these hurdles),” he recites.

Both Sarfaraz and Musheer had to seek psychiatric help. In 2011, when a Mumbai school wrongfully, and unsuccessfully, accused Sarfaraz of age manipulation, he slipped into depression, and Naushad had taken him to a psychiatrist. Last year, Musheer also saw a psychiatrist in Mumbai, before coming out stronger. “Depression is the single largest illness in the world that hits every social stratum. We’ve to recognise mental health in sports to help athletes bounce back,” Dr Samir Parikh of Delhi’s Fortis Healthcare tells Outlook.

About his last year’s cooling-off period, Sarfaraz says, “I knew the opportunity would come, and for that I’d have to be prepared. During that period, I got to understand and know myself.” Their troubles now a distant cloud, Sarfaraz and Musheer are well on their way.

(I wrote this story after the end of the 2019-20 Indian domestic cricket season, which was a very successful one for Sarfaraz Khan and his younger brother Musheer, a promising left-arm spinner)

BCCI budgets Rs. 330.32 crore to fight IPL fixing-betting case in Supreme Court (Exclusive)

By Qaiser Mohammad Ali (Mail Today) 

New Delhi, December 23, 2014: Jittery BCCI mandarins seem to have anticipated that the ongoing high-profile 2013 IPL betting-fixing case in the Supreme Court would drag on for a long period and that’s probably why it has earmarked a fund just to meet the expenses, including a huge lawyers’ bill.
 
The BCCI, the richest cricket board in the world, has set aside an exigency fund of Rs. 330.32 crore, specifically to meet the expenses of this case. This amount, according to a top BCCI source, is part of Rs. 1,150.67 crore that the BCCI has invested in Fixed Deposits (FDs) in banks.
 
If BCCI officials had indeed anticipated a long drawn battle in the complicated case, in which a lot is at stake for sidelined president N. Srinivasan, his son-in-law Gurunath Meiyappan, and IPL franchises — Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals, they were not off target.
 
“That is why the Board has kept aside a specific fund for the ongoing case in the Supreme Court. If all of this Rs. 330.32 crore is not utilised, the leftover amount will be used for some other meaningful purpose,” the source told Mail Today. “So, after Rs. 330.32 crore is taken out of the total of Rs. 1,150.67 crore invested in the FDs, the Board is actually left with only Rs. 785 crore,” he stressed, hinting at a none-too-happy situation so far funds are concerned.
 
The source further disclosed: “The BCCI currently has $18.5million approximately (Rs. 116.90 crore) Exchange Earners' Foreign Currency Account (EEFC) while there is Rs. 134 crore in the various savings accounts.”
 
The Supreme Court case, being fought on a PIL filed by unrecognised Cricket Association of Bihar (CAB), has now gone on for almost one-and- a-half years. However, the arguments by the parties are now over and the two-member bench, comprising Justices T.S. Thakur and Fakkir Mohamed Ibrahim Kalifulla, has reserved the judgement, which is expected to be delivered early next month when the court reopens after the winter vacation.
 
The BCCI/Srinivasan have hired the services of some of the top-of-the-line lawyers like Kapil Sibal and C.A. Sundram, and the Board realised that it would particularly need a large fund to meet their lawyers’ fees and related sundry expenses, like travelling etc. This case and other court battles, besides a spate of tax demands running into hundreds of crores of rupees and arbitration proceedings against several clients, has forced the BCCI on the back foot and juggle its funds.
 
This is corroborated by BCCI’s decision to break many of its Fixed Deposit Receipts (FDRs) prematurely during financial year 2012-13 to meet various pressing fund requirements. It encashed 17 FDRs, ranging between periods of 181 days to one year, which were worth Rs. 130 crore.
 
More recently, the standing committee of finance (2014-15) of the 16th Lok Sabha, in its 31-page report, which mostly deals with the BCCI/IPL’s commercial aspect, came down heavily on tax authorities for being “very lenient” on the Board.
 
In some cases, the probe by the tax authorities, including the Enforcement Directorate, continues. “The committee are, however, not satisfied with the progress of investigations in the matter, as already much time has passed without any outcome by way of penal action in these cases. The committee, therefore, would like the government to conclude the investigations in the matter expeditiously and apprise the committee of the outcome thereof,” wrote M. Veerappa Moily, chairperson of the committee on finance.
 
(This story was first published in Mail Today newspaper on December 23, 2014)

NEUTRAL VENUES FOR RANJI TROPHY KNOCK- OUT GAMES FROM 2013-14 SEASON

By Qaiser Mohammad Ali in New Delhi

March 27, 2013: THERE is a very strong possibility that the seven knock-out matches of the 2013- 14 Ranji Trophy season would be played on neutral, or identified, venues.

For this purpose, 10 venues would be identified based on their performances (pitches and other aspects) in the league phase of the tournament. Out of those, seven would host the four quarter- final matches, two semi- finals and the final of the national championship. No venue would host more than one knock- out match.

This was a view that gained currency both in the captains and coaches conclave held on March 5 and again at a meeting of the Anil Kumble-headed technical committee in Mumbai on March 15.

The working committee of the Board of Control for Cricket in India ( BCCI) discussed the issue at its meeting on March 15.

“The issue of the identified venues, as we are calling them, was discussed at the last working committee meet and got the approval of the house. It was left to the technical committee, and also the programme and fixtures committee, to finally chalk out a suitable schedule,” a top BCCI official told MAIL TODAY.

“A total of 10 venues would be identified during the league phase of Ranji Trophy, based on factors like pitches and ground conditions etc., and seven out of them would host matches,” he said.

North zone, however, may not get to host any knock- out match mainly due to weather conditions and poor visibility during winter. “The December- January period is most affected by fog and lack of proper sunshine, and sun also sets sooner during this time than in summer. So, north may not host any knock- out matches,” he said.

The Ranji Trophy points system, which underwent a change this season, may be slightly tweaked to provide more encouragement to teams to go for wins.

“In the present structure, teams that take a first innings lead but still lose get no points. It has now been suggested that they should get three points, so that they are encouraged to compete better,” said a member of the technical committee.

The gap between matches was the other major issue the committee discussed on March 15. 

From next season, the second half of the tournament may have four- day gaps instead of three. The panel will finalise its recommendations next month, before sending them to the working committee.

(This story first appeared in Mail Today)

DETERMINED SEHWAG SLOGS IT OUT IN HIS COMEBACK BID

By Qaiser Mohammad Ali in New Delhi

March 26, 2013: GOING by his daily practice regime, Virender Sehwag seems more determined than ever before in his bid to stage a comeback to the Indian team.

An intensely focused Sehwag is slugging it out in the field these days, running and polishing his batting, and, at times, spending up to one-and- a-half hours in the state- of- the- art gymnasium in the basement of his Hauz Khas home to improve his fitness.

Sehwag is also practising at his alma mater, Jamia Millia Islamia, where Delhi Daredevils are having a camp these days.

He is practicing with white Kookaburra balls as the same brand is being used for both the T20 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, which began on March 18, and the IPL, starting on April 3.

Sources close to Sehwag, ignored for the last two Tests of the series against Australia, say he is practicing daily and with “a clear mind-set” as to which areas of his batting he has to improve.

 “Viru is very clear in his mind as to what he’s trying to do and achieve. He has a point of view, and he’s trying to consolidate his strong points and improve upon what he sees as the weak areas,” coach Ajay Verma, who has been assisting Sehwag by providing him bowlers and space at his academy, told MAIL TODAY.

Sehwag, 34, faces up to 300 throw- downs in one session and bats up to one hour in a single net session, besides trying to improve his running between the wickets with specific drills.

Amar Nath Sharma, Sehwags coach since his school days, says hed do well to draw inspiration from the hard work he did in the 2007 summer after being dropped from the Test team for the first time on performance.

“I’ve never seen anyone practice as hard as Viru did in two months that summer. If he catches the same lai aur taal (rhythm) again, nothing like it,” Sharma told MAIL TODAY. “But he’s a few years older now and will have to work harder as competition is tougher now and there are at least three players vying for each spot.”

Sehwag can also draw inspiration from year 2008, when he staged a roaring comeback after missing 10 Tests in 2007. It turned out to be the best calendar year of his career as he amassed 1,462 runs at 56.23 in 14 Tests.

“If India ignore him for the South Africa tour in November- December, it’ll be very difficult for the team,” warns Sharma. “Viru is an attacking batsman and he would be needed against their strong pace attack.”

But before that tour, India will play an ODI tri- series in the West Indies from June 28, also involving Sri Lanka, and Sehwag will naturally try to retain his ODI spot by performing well for Delhi Daredevils in the IPL, beginning on April 3.

HARBHAJAN SINGH CAN PLAY ROLE OF MENTOR, SAYS FORMER INDIA TEST OFF-SPINNER ARSHAD AYUB

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

By Qaiser Mohammad Ali in Hyderabad

March 7, 2013: AFTER the two successive Test wins over Australia, former India off- spinner Arshad Ayub wants the hosts not to get complacent and target a 4- 0 series whitewash.

That would avenge the similar scoreline inflicted on India Down Under in 2011- 12.

 “It’s (4- 0) possible. We must strive for that and look in that direction very seriously,” Ayub told MAIL TODAY on Wednesday. (As it turned out, India defeated Australia 4-0 – a historic whitewash)

 “Most of the time when we got out [abroad], they look at that [clean sweep]. Give nothing to them, put the pressure on. I would encourage the team to make sure that they dont get any leverage and try and whitewash them,” he said.

Ayub, who played 13 Tests and 32 ODIs in 1980s with reasonable success, was particularly happy with the spinners and felt that Harbhajan Singh still has a lot more to offer, as a mentor.

“Anil Kumble played an excellent mentors role when Harbhajan was coming in. It was always between Harbhajan and Anil; when the pressure was there, both used to perform well. Also, Zaheer Khan was playing the role of mentor to young fast bowlers,” said the former manager of the Indian team.

“Harbhajan can now play Kumbles role as he knows how to go through pressure, and how to come out of it. It’s the mind-set that plays the major role in international cricket,” he emphasised.

Ayub feels Harbhajan the bowler can still contribute a lot. “ Although he hasn’t taken many wickets [ in the two Tests], hes got a lot to offer. If he looks at some pointers himself, he’d probably know where he can improve now. It’s a learning curve for everyone. As far as spinners are concerned, I think hes still young,” he said about the 32- year- old off- spinner.

“He fields well, runs well, and bats decently. I think he’s got a few more years to give to India.” Overall, says Ayub, the spinners have performed well in the two Tests, bagging 34 of the 39 wickets to fall.

“Spinners have been the strong point for India. There’s definitely an improvement here. R Ashwin bowled a really good line in this particular series, something that I didn’t see in the England series,” he said.

Ayub suggested that India may consider picking an additional spinner in place of a pacer. Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Harbhajan played both Tests while Pragyan Ojha has sat out.

“In India, you’re going to win matches on spin bowling. So, you must have that option of having a genuine spinner.”

(This story first appeared in Mail Today)

Wadekar wants BCCI to celebrate 40th annivarsary of 1971 Test triumph

(EXCLUSIVE)

By Qaiser Mohammad Ali

New Delhi: In the euphoria that engulfed the country after the memorable World Cup triumph and the start of the Indian Premier League (IPL) soon after that in April, millions of Indian cricket fans forgot about the 40^th anniversary of the national team’s momentous first Test series win abroad.

Others could miss April 19, 1971 -- the day India sealed a 1-0 series win over the formidable West Indies in the Caribbean -- but not Ajit Wadekar, captain of the team that included Sunil Gavaskar, Dilip Sardesai, Srinivas Vekataraghavan, and Bishan Singh Bedi among other stalwarts.

With the 40^th anniversary approaching, Wadekar wrote to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to organise a felicitation function with two purposes in mind. Apart from seeking recognition for his team, his other idea was that youngsters in the Indian team should know about their illustrious seniors who walked the same path years ago.

“Basically, the idea was for recognition and nothing else... no one is asking for donation or financial help etc. It was for felicitation of the team, so that people know at least about that historic series,” Wadekar, 70, told Mail Today.

“Today’s youngsters don’t seem to have time because they are playing so much of cricket. Most of those, who are playing for India now, were not even born then. So, if the 1971 team is felicitated they would have an idea about that team and the series. It just occurred to me... But I never got any response from them (BCCI),” the left-handed batsman said.

Just for the comparison, sports ministers MS Gill and Ajay Maken felicitated the football teams of the 1956 Olympics and 1960 Olympics respectively.

Wadekar had written to the board president Shashank Manohar soon after the World Cup win on April 2 in Mumbai.

But the BCCI, which on Tuesday organised a function in Mumbai to felicitate Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s world champions, has still not replied to Wadekar. When contacted on Thursday, the top board officials’ response was lukewarm.

“I haven’t thought about it. I will have to talk to my colleagues. Maybe, we will discuss this at a working committee meeting,” Manohar told Mail Today.

BCCI secretary N Srinivasan said he had no idea about the proposal. “I haven’t seen the letter. I will have to check up,” he said.

Wadekar said he will not write to the board again. “I don’t think I will be writing to him (Manohar) again to remind him,” he said.

The man who played 37 Tests, however, pointed out the three successive Test series triumphs under his leadership. Soon after the win in the five-Test series in the West Indies, India registered a historic series victory over in England in 1971 and then a 2-1 verdict in a five-Test series against England in India in 1972-73.

The success in the West Indies, which had the likes of captain Gary Sobers, Clive Lloyd, Rohan Kanhai and David Holford, simply stood out. For India, the main performers were Gavaksar (774 at 154.80), who was playing his maiden series, late Sardesai (642 at 80.25), Vekataraghavan (41 wickets) and Bedi (33 wickets).

Similarly, the 1-0 win in the three-Test series against Ray Illingworth’s English side was no less creditable, points out Wadekar.

“I think that was a momentous chapter in the Indian cricket history. At that time there were no ratings, but England was considered the number one team. They were really the champions. On their own soil they were supposed to be difficult to beat,” he emphasised.

The architects of India’s win were late Eknath Solkar (210 runs), Wadekar (204), Venkataraghavan (13 wickets), BS Chandrasekhar (13) and Bedi (11).

Wadekar says the win was the greatest source of happiness for him. “Of course, it was the biggest thrill that I got in my career. That was the best moment of my life. My players also feel the same,” he said.

(This story was first published in Mail Today newspaper on June 3, 2011)

Bhandari’s each wicket is worth Rs.1,000, says DDCA

By Qaiser Mohammad Ali

New Delhi: The Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) has decided to present former India pacer Amit Bhandari a cheque of Rs.3.14 lakh for taking 314 wickets in first-class matches while representing Delhi and other teams.

This figure has been calculated at the rate of Rs 1,000 per wicket that Bhandari has captured for Delhi, India A, the Board President’s XI and North Zone between 1997-98 and 2007-08. The 32-year-old bowler, who played two One-day Internationals, announced his retirement on Monday.

“We took the decision to honour Bhandari at an executive committee meeting on Tuesday,” DDCA general secretary SP Bansal told Mail Today.

“We will also honour the four Delhi players who were part of the Indian team that won the World Cup recently,” he said.

The Delhi government has already announced Rs 1 crore each for Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Ashish Nehra, and Virat Kohli as well as Rs 2 crore for captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

It is learnt that the association would most likely honour the four players, and also a few top women players of the city, at its annual function in July at the conclusion of the DDCA league and the hot weather tournament.

Bansal said that an 11-member ad hoc has been constituted, as per instructions from a lower court, to conduct the rest of the DDCA league and handle other cricketing-related issues.

“This ad hoc committee will not conduct just the league but all cricket, in consultation with the Cricket Improvement Committee [comprising five eminent former Test players]. We haven’t named anyone to head the ad hoc panel, but we would do it soon,” said Bansal.

The need of an ad hoc panel arose after a Tis Hazari lower court on May 13 restrained the Sports Working Committee (SWC) from performing all its duties till steps were taken to hold the long over-due election to the committee.

The last election to the SWC was held on August 20, 2009, and its one-year tenure expired last year, but the same set of people continued without election being held. The 110-plus clubs vote to elect the SWC.

Bansal said an independent yet-to-be-named retired judge would identify the real voters representing the clubs and prepare a list for the election. “There’s no time frame for this as it depends on the number of objections that are raised while finalising the list. But we would like to go through the election process as soon as possible,” he pointed out.

The court, which empowered the DDCA executive to carry out the duties of the SWC under Article 47 and 48 of the Association until election is held, told the DDCA to write back to it by July 4 about the steps taken for holding the election.

The executive also ratified a nine-member finance committee.

(This story first appeared in Mail Today newspaper on June 2, 2011)

Durrani receives CK Nayudu Award for lifetime achievement

By Qaiser Mohammad Ali

New Delhi: SALIM Aziz Durrani’s selection for the CK Nayudu Award, the highest cricketing accolade of India, has made him nostalgic and brought back memories of his childhood.

As a child, he was attached to the man after whom the award is named — also India’s first Test captain — and used to respectfully call him nana abba ( maternal grandfather). Both families had a close bonding and it continued on Tuesday when Nayudu’s daughter Chandra met up with Durrani.

So, when the Board of Control for Cricket in India ( BCCI) selected the former swashbuckling Test batsman for the 2010 awards last week, Durrani, 76, was simply thrilled as it brought him twin joy.

“The biggest thing for me is that our families had very close ties. My father, Abdul Aziz, played two unofficial ‘ Test’ matches under Nayudu,” Durrani told Mail Today hours before he received the trophy and the ` 15 lakh prize money on Tuesday at the BCCI’s annual awards function in Mumbai.

“I was very young when he [ Nayudu] used to visit us in Jamnagar and I used to call him ‘nana abba’. Some of his family members are still based in Indore and we often meet to continue our family ties,” said the hard- hitting batsman known for hitting sixes on demand of spectators.

Durrani, who played 29 Tests between 1960 and 1973, was the original heartthrob of the masses and he executed those big hits with bats, especially those made in India, that were not of a high quality.

But the Kabul- born batsman tried to play down his achievement. “Everything comes into play — new bats and new talent. In the present team, Virender Sehwag and Virat Kohli, for instance, are very talented. We did not have high quality bats produced in India. At times, we used to get bats from England. The bat does make a difference. I played my first Test with a bat made by Mehtab Sports, which used to supply sports equipment to my school,” he recalled.

Times have changed and third generation Durrani, his grandson Yaseen, now wields bats made with the latest technology.

“He is more interested in academics and is also very good at cricket. Education is very important. If you see, all members of the Indian team are graduates. I have been guiding him and he’s now 18. Hope he also makes a name for himself,” Durrani added. “But it will be his individual decision. I will never impose my choice on him.” Yaseen, son of his Durrani’s niece Fouzia, is a second year Bachelor of Arts student at Ferguson College in Pune.

“He ( Durrani) hopes that Yaseen does something in cricket. My goal is also the same for him, along with excelling in academies,” said Fouzia, who teaches at St. Ann’s Convent in Jamnagar.

Fouzia who, along with Yaseen, attended the function, was thrilled at her uncle getting the award. “It’s nostalgic. It’s a great feeling when a player in his 70s once again comes into the limelight. His grandchild is also attending the function. It’s a wonderful feeling,” she said.

Durrani is living a retired life to the fullest and is content too. He is based in Jamnagar and travels as and when required. He is on the advisory committee of the Rajasthan Cricket Association, which he represented besides Saurashtra and Gujarat in Ranji Trophy.

Bishan Singh Bedi recalled his long association with his senior as well as Indian team rival as both bowled left- arm spin. “ He was quite a genius and I admire his cricketing ability. I always call him uncle and he treated me like his nephew,” he said. “ I met his father in Pakistan when toured in 1978- 79. We called him ‘ masterji’; he opted for Pakistan and coached Javed Miandad.”

(This story first appeared in Mail Today newspaper, New Delhi, on June 1, 2011)