Sir  Learie  Constantine

At Eden the other day when Carlos Brathwaite was plundering the England attack with those towering sixes, one could see the ghost of Learie Constantine hovering around him.The power and precision-timing of Brathwaite’s bat merely exemplified the spirit of the man who was among the first to entertain the cricket world with incredible and uninhibited stroke-play.

At the turn of the 19^th century, WG Grace had laid the foundation of classical cricket technique. Ranji had revealed the artistry of the Orient with his wrist-work. Trumper had shown the fearlessness of youth. Jack Hobbs his technical perfection under all conditions, even on the ‘stickiest’ of pitches. But with the arrival of Constantine from the Caribbean a novel dimension was added to the repertoire of cricket: entertaining cricket without a bother for the morrow.

The West Indies squad for the world T20 championship seemed to reflect the varied charms of the master entertainer, Learie Constantine. Gayle’s big-hitting with gay abandon, Russel’s boundless energy, Bravo’s variety in bowling, Samuel’s cool planning, skipper Sammy’s perpetual smile were all reminiscent of the man. Constantine represented not a region, but a race. He represented not an era but an aeon that went beyond a century. Constantine’s charisma has rubbed off on his cricketing grand-children and great-grand-children.

His ebony complexion and curly hair reflected the soul of his land. Life was short and was to be enjoyed. Live life to the full: sports and spirits; dance and drums. Enjoyment and entertainment are to complement each other. The spontaneous effort was all that mattered. The outcome, even if successful, was totally secondary to the creative urge. The result was less important than the means. Constantine took his front-foot wide outside the off-stump and swatted the ball over the mid-wicket fence! Sacrilegious in the 1920s. The coach shouted, “Look where your feet are.” A broad grin emerged, “Sir, look at the ball, forget the feet.”

He was indeed a revolutionary in the ethos of the time. The contemporary Englishmen depended on well-tested conventional techniques and strategies. The South Africans were in the Brit mould. The Aussies were a little different. They relied on orthodox ideas but were distinctly more aggressive. But with the arrival of the coloured West Indian, the whole perspective of cricket underwent a radical change. The transformation was the signature tune of Learie Constantine.

When not swatting the ball, he would hurl thunderbolts at the batters and laugh at the latter’s discomfiture. If the batter was a dear friend, then he would get more bouncers and guffaws from his friend ‘Conny’. Once, Wally Hammond had a taste of the chilling fury of his close pal. A well-directed, menacing bouncer split open Hammond’s chin, the mark of which was to last a lifetime.

Constantine had the uncanny habit of sweeping the ball behind the wicket-keeper. If it took his fancy he would bowl spin off a long run-up or bowl pace from a few strides. For providing unalloyed excitement, Learie Constantine had very few parallels. Sir Don rated him to be the most enterprising of cricketers.

Learie Constantine is dead and buried. Long gone into the sands of time. But the spirit of the radical lives on. Every Caribbean cricketer is born with a big enough drop of Constantine’s blood. The crimson with an electric hue.

Physical power he possessed in abundance. The lithe elastic body carried a bundle of energy. Seemed to be in a state of perpetual motion. Even after the end of the run-up, Constantine would scamper to field the ball wherever it was. With every movement, he appeared to be accumulating energy. Once Constantine actually caught Andy Sandham off his own bowling when the defensive prod had popped the ball just about three yards down the pitch!

 Muscular yet supremely supple, he released the ball at fearsome pace yet never lost his cool. Highly respected not only for his brilliant mind, but more so for his magnanimous nature. No opponent has ever been so revered, except perhaps his own protégés like Frank Worrell and Gary Sobers.

Although the Trinidadian was ever ready to laugh at his own follies and failures, he was till the last day a rebel in approach. This was the difference between him and the other great pioneers of the game. Constantine would never seek self-glory or self-publicity. Would never disrespect others. Would be the first to stick his neck out, especially on race-relations and other social issues. Learie Constantine completed his bar-at law and later became the high commissioner of Trinidad in Britain. An exemplary role model from all angles. Unfortunately today in the world of cheap publicity, his happens to be a long-forgotten name.

Cricket-wise he came under the guidance of English coaches as a youngster in Trinidad. But he went far beyond conventional thinking and classical techniques. He adapted the game to his genes. A very high back-lift and a complete follow-through of the bat between the shoulder blades. Jumped out, even to pace bowlers, to lift the ball high, wide and handsome.

Between the wickets no leopard could out-run the born athlete. He was without a trace of doubt the best fielder of his generation and beyond. From 75 yards his unerring throw would be on top of the bails. Incredible catches he took through sheer athleticism.

The typical West Indies mould developed with the arrival of Constantine. He was a child of nature. Gave full vent to his feelings. No inhibitions, no anxiety, no theory ever bothered him. Today’s West Indies cricketers follow the pattern set by him in 1920s. It is in their genes. The spirit of adventure is what sets the West Indies cricketers apart from all others. They are spontaneous, highly spirited, fun loving, born entertainers.

Constantine is still rated to be the best-ever performer in the Lancashire Leagues, the precursor to the over-limit format. Not only because he was very successful but because his presence would guarantee entertainment for the spectators. His sole intent was for the benefit of the audience.

Following his tenets, West Indians in the following generations have proved themselves to be among the most prominent entertainers. Time and again they dominated the world cricket scenario, particularly in the 1970s and 1980s, but their real appeal lay in their entertainment value in all formats of the game.

West Indies cricket has suffered for over the last two decades for various reasons. Now with the new-found successes – men’s team, women’s team and u19 team – it may appear that a turnaround is just round the corner. Whether West Indies as a team is successful or not, there is no semblance of doubt that individually the Caribbean cricketers are still the most entertaining and exciting of all.

The West Indies team may not be able to replicate its earlier successes but the entertainment value of the Caribbean cricketer will never falter. The spirit of Constantine is still in full flow in their veins. The charisma of Sir Learie Constantine (knighted in 1962) has gone beyond boundaries, has traversed a century. He stands supreme among the great entertainers of the cricketing pantheon. Sir Learie is the fount from which spring the enterprise, the excitement and the entertainment value of the Caribbean cricketers.


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 On Dhirubhai Ambani’s patriotism in the cause of cricket

Dhirubhai Ambani has just been posthumously honoured by the Government of India with the coveted award of Padma Vibhushan for his unparalleled contribution to the Indian industrial environment. The sheer magnitude of Dhirubhai’s achievement in the industrial sector has dwarfed many of his other stupendous work in the interest of Indian society. One of his magnificent achievements is in the arena of cricket. Sadly the issue has never been highlighted in our country. His yeoman contribution to cricket has never been acknowledged and recognized.

Dhirubhai Ambani happens to be among the eminent pioneers who gave cricket in India a new and novel dimension. He exemplified the spirit of patriotism in no uncertain manner on a monsoon morn in Mumbai way back in1983. He picked up the phone receiver and gave his assent as the voice from the prime minister’s office informed him to meet the prime minister within a couple of days.

The visionary industrialist did not have a single query. Nor did he want to know the reason for the urgency. Dhirubhai wasted no time. Next day he was at Mrs Indira Gandhi’s chamber at 10 Janpath in New Delhi to keep his appointment as desired by the prime minister herself.

NKP Salve, the president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India, was also asked by the PMO to be present in the room at the appointed hour. Salve happened to be a cabinet minister at the time and was very highly rated for his integrity as a lawyer as well as a politician.

Prime minister Mrs Gandhi kept the usual pleasantries short, as was her style, and went straight into the principal issue. She asked Dhirubhai whether the latter would be keen to sponsor a world cricket championship on Indian soil. Dhirubhai Ambani, God bless him, did not hesitate for a moment. Instantly he realized that the image and prestige of his nation was at stake. He nodded and uttered, “Madam, yes, I would be too happy to give a blank cheque to cover the entire cost of the tournament since it is for a national cause.”

He did not betray any emotion. He asked no questions. He sought no clarifications. The grand ol’ man immediately grasped that the money was to be spent to uphold India’s honour. For him that was enough reason. He offered a blank cheque. Yes, that was Dhirubhai Ambani. This is a glorious example of how politicians and industrialists can come forward for the cause of the country through the popular medium of sports.

But we are going ahead of the actual story. The story begins at Lord’s. June 25, 1983 to be precise. India had reached the Prudential World Cup final against all odds. “Kapil’s Devils” were to play the defending champions, the rampaging West Indies at the Lord’s.

A few days prior to the final, just after India had defeated the hosts England in the semi-final, the BCCI president NKP Salve requested the authorities at the Lord’s for 2 tickets for the final. The tickets were requested for Siddhartha Shankar Ray and his wife Maya. SS Ray, a former Calcutta University Cricket Blue, was at the time the Indian High Commissioner to USA.

Surprisingly the authorities at the Lord’s turned down the request of the BCCI president. Even priced tickets were not made available. For Salve, the epitome of gentlemanliness, this was an embarrassing scenario. The president of one of the finalist teams could not offer just two tickets to an Indian ambassador. NKP Salve, man of high integrity and self-respect, decided there and then that he would not take this insult to his country lying down.

When India won the coveted trophy, the president of BCCI NKP Salve lost no time and brought the winning team over to New Delhi from Heathrow to meet the prime minister. After the reception was over, Salve made a beeline for Mrs Gandhi and told her of the humiliation that he had to face in London over those two tickets.

Mrs Gandhi asked Salve what he had contemplated to avenge the insult. Salve, the outstanding lawyer and clever politician, had a mind of his own. He devised that he would try to get the world cup out of the clutches of England who had monopolized hosting quadrennial tournament since 1975.

Within the course of the next few months the BCCI was keeping themselves prepared to take on the challenges of the major cricketing powers of the time, England and Australia. It was decided that at the next meeting of the ICC, where the dates of the following world cup in England would be decided, the BCCI would offer double the guarantee money to all the participating teams. On the day of the meeting at Lord’s, true to form, the plan was executed to perfection.

At the ICC meeting held at the Lord’s to confirm England as host, the eloquence of NKP Salve had the influential lobbies scurrying for cover. In a magnanimous gesture, the BCCI president doubled the guarantee money if the tournament was held in India and then, for good measure, made some more concessions for the benefit of the players and their families. All reservations about playing the world cup on Indian soil evaporated into thin air in next to no time.

 The ultimate decision of the meeting heralded that the 1987 edition of the world cup would be held in India. In another master-stroke of diplomacy, the statesman in NKP Salve asked Pakistan to be a co-host. The 1987 world cup was the first world cup in cricket to vanquish the monopoly of England as the permanent venue. Since then the world cup championship keeps moving around the globe by rotation as it should be in a democratic scenario.

The spirit displayed by Dhirubhai Ambani, NKP Salve and Mrs Gandhi has been forgotten in this land of ours. They showed the way how politicians, professionals and industrialists can help to shape the world through the medium of sports.

But the juggernaut, massive and strong, was too good to last. Mrs Gandhi was assassinated in October 1984. The country was in turmoil. The world cup was only of secondary importance. Obviously enough, there were far more important jobs awaiting attention.

But Salve had other ideas. He approached Dhirubhai to find out if he was still willing to sponsor the world cup. Salve’s apprehension can well be imagined. Indira Gandhi was no more. The nation was staring at a crisis after a crisis. But the industrialist from Mumbai said, “Nothing doing, the show must go on. I will not go back on my word.” As promised, the blank cheque from Dhirubhai Ambani remained with BCCI’s Salve.

Rajiv Gandhi took over from his late mother. Salve kept his unwavering focus. On his part, the patriot Dhirubhai, who had no interest in sports, sent his younger son Anil to get involved with the staging of the world cup. In one grand gesture of magnanimity, Anil Ambani had all the cricket boards salivating.

Anil offered complimentary hospitality to all the office bearers of the respective cricket boards. This was purposely done just to add salt to England’s wound. People who had denied India just two tickets were granted full hospitality throughout the course of the championship! It was an exemplary Gandhian master-stroke by the Reliance owner.

 The trio –Salve, Ambani and Gandhi – was magnificent in handling the global event. The Reliance Cup was an outstanding success in terms of media coverage, sponsorship and crowd participation. Just goes to show that with the right people in right places, India can move the world. Dhirubhai Ambani deserves our salute for his superlative, patriotic gesture.