WAZIR ALI, the genuine leader who gave India her first-ever victory.

 

Wazir Ali led India to her first-ever international victory. He led India in two unofficial Tests against Ryder’s Australia in 1935-36. Thereafter it was realized by the collective wisdom of our national selectors that he could not be relied upon to lead India again. The national selectors were Duleepsinhji, Iftikar Ali Khan Pataudi and HD Kanga.

 

Whereas Pavri and Baloo were the products of inter-community cricket, men of the stature of Deodhar and CK Nayudu; Mohammed Nissar and Wazir Ali acted as the bridge between inter-community (Pentangular) and inter-state (Ranji Trophy) championships.

 

Wazir Ali's life was a picture of pathos. The prolific performer for India went over to Pakistan after the partition and died in penury. It is indeed a sad commentary on the cricket administration of both India and Pakistan that they did precious little for a person who was a pillar of strength to the pre-partitioned national team in the 1930s.

 

The man took nothing out of the game he loved the most. Not an extra paise came into his pocket from cricket. By virtue of his deeds he gave plenty to the cause of cricket in India. Yet when the time came for him to bid adieu from active service we could not repay an iota in gratitude. Not that it mattered to him. For he was too upright, too self-respecting to crave for pecuniary benefits, posts and awards.

 

Wazir Ali and his younger brother Nazir Ali were pioneers in one respect. The Ali brothers were the first family members to have played Test cricket together for India. In the inaugural Test at Lord's in 1932 they made their debut and played once more in 1932-33. Nazir also played county cricket for Sussex in 1927 and was indeed fortunate to have received the patronage of the maharaja of Patiala to study engineering in England.

 

Wazir, however, was totally engrossed with cricket. Opinions vary between Jalandhar and Karachi as his birthplace but there is no dispute that he learnt his cricket in the rugged atmosphere of the Patiala palace. Strong of physique and possessing an equable temperament, he was a man for the big occasion. A distinguished personality in his own right. An independent mind that took no part in provincial or communal factionalism. He was way above petty matters.

 

He was one of the few Test cricketers of the 1930s who belonged to no group in particular, although certain sections wanted him to be their leader. Once when certain players stayed out in protest unless Wazir Ali was given the India captaincy ahead of CK Nayudu, Wazir Ali himself was no party to it. He gladly played under CK Nayudu whenever selected.

 

But CK Nayudu himself could not reciprocate as magnanimously. CK and his group declined to play under the leadership of Wazir Ali at Lahore and at Madras against Jack Ryder's Australians in 1935-36. More on the two unofficial Tests later, except to add that Wazir defeated the Aussies on both occasions. The first-ever international victory at cricket for India.

 

Wazir Ali had no time for frills or bickering; none at all for groupism. He played his cricket for India by virtue of his walloping bat. Made runs against all oppositions and under every kind of condition. No crisis overwhelmed him; no opposition overawed him. Reticent and reserved, he preferred to let his bat do the talking. As it should be for all sportsmen.

 

As in death so in life, Wazir Ali never received the recognition he deserved. During his playing days his presence and performance were taken for granted. Mainly because he was a non-controversial man. A man who hated to draw attention to himself. His strong-silent nature was his strength, but in a world of frivolous values it became a distinct weakness.

 

Made his first class debut for the Muslims in 1923 and made an immediate impact with his wide repertoire of powerful strokes. Against Gilligan's M.C.C. team of 1926, Wazir Ali made two centuries.

 

Later in the Quadrangular and the Pentangular championships his prolific prowess fetched no less than 5 centuries. In the 1938-39 Ranji Trophy final against Bengal, the eventual champion, he made a grand 222 not out for Southern Punjab thereby becoming the first double centurion in Ranji Trophy.

 

Impeccably dressed on and off the field, he was universally admired for his sartorial elegance. He was among the first to use a handkerchief as a scarf giving him a dashing appearance. A precursor to the ‘stylish 1960s’ made attractive by the suave presence of  ML Jaisimha, Salim Durani, Tiger Pataudi, Farokh Engineer and Budhi Kunderan.

 

Even the stiff upper lip of Douglas Jardine moved in his praise as a player and a person. Legendary Aussie cricketer Charlie Macartney praised his leadership qualities. Dignified and pleasant, Wazir Ali was a very popular man among the cricketing fraternity of the 1930s. He was as adept at playing the flute. A man of dimensions.

 

On the 1932 tour of England he lived up to the reputation that had preceded him to England. Scored 1725 runs at an impressive average of 33.82 with 6 centuries. In the only Test of the series he was the most consistent batsman with scores of 31 and 39. He and his captain C.K.Nayudu were going great guns at 102 for 2 in reply to England's 259. Just as it looked that India would gain the first innings lead, a disputed decision had Wazir out lbw and the Indians collapsed for 189.

 

In the 1932-33 series at home against Jardine's M.C.C. team he had mixed success. But, by the time Jack Ryder's Australians arrived for an unofficial Test series, Wazir was in his elements. The first two Tests were lost when the selectors decided to give Wazir an opportunity to lead India for the first time.

 

Wazir Ali – so long a brilliant and bold leader for the Muslims, whom he had led to 5 championship titles – had Ryder’s men on the run. This was the match at Lahore which C.K.Nayudu and his men avoided. But far from being distracted, Wazir Ali  led from the front with scores of 76 and 92 and won the Test.

 

The next Test at Madras was won as well by Wazir's men. Thus from zero-two down, the Indians had drawn parity. Wazir's magnificent marshalling of his young team paid rich dividends. He handled the great duo of Nissar and Amar Singh as no one had done before or after him. But true to the scenario of our land the dynamic skipper Wazir Ali was never again asked to lead the national team!

 

Wazir was disgusted with the way the dreadful 1936 tour of England took place and it reflected on his performance. On his return he played first-class cricket in style and splendor till 1940 but by then he had voluntarily relinquished his desire to play in international matches.

 

Wazir Ali opted for Pakistan following the aftermath that heralded our independence. But there he died a disillusioned man in 1950 at just 47 in despair and deprivation. Even the pride of watching his son wear the Pakistan colours was denied to him by fate. The 18 year old student Khalid Wazir played for Pakistan in England in 1954.

 

The stylish, dignified man who never held any rancour against anybody left us in eternal debt. His memory remains a constant reminder of our insensitivity and ingratitude to our former cricketers.

 

Those who have great faith in statistical figures - I personally have very little - would do well to know that India’s most successful captain ever was the one and only Wazir Ali. He led his country in two unofficial tests against Ryder’s Australia in early 1936 and won both. Absolutely 100% win-loss record. Statistically, apart from Ravi Shastri (one win out of one), no other Indian captain is in close range of Wazir Ali.

 

Although Wazir Ali’s two victories had come in unofficial tests, we must be honest enough to admit that Jack Ryder’s Australians were far superior to some of the Test oppositions of the last two decades, whom we keep thrashing with gay delight. And most importantly, many prominent Indian players stayed away from Wazir Ali’s Indian national team because of provincial and communal considerations.

 

Unfortunately the Indian media never acknowledged the undoubted skills of Wazir Ali, the batsman, and more so Wazir Ali, the leader of men. Has any of our cricket historians ever highlighted the fantastic Ali family of three Test cricketers?

 

Let us not forget that the first man who gave India a taste of international cricket victory was a leader who answered to the name of Wazir Ali.

 

VINOO MANKAD, the one and only : India's greatest ever all-rounder

 To have seen him at cricket was to see a master craftsman in motion. A Michaelangelo at work. Some cricketers rise above their contemporaries by the sheer weight of their performance and then there are others who achieve fame through the image they create on the minds of men.

 Vinod Mankad, christened Mulvantrai Himmatlal way back at Jamnagar in 1917, belonged to both the groups. If his phenomenal performance graph evoked admiration, the image of the short, strong man carrying all on his broad shoulders etched an impression that would last a lifetime and more.

 From mid-1930s to mid-1950s his career spanned. At that time not many Indian cricketers had the spirit or the means to spend every moment at cricket. They would concentrate hard during the short season and then be forced to rust away in search of pecuniary gains in other walks of life.

 But Vinoo Mankad was a non-conformist in this respect. His burning ambition to be the best in the world was fuelled by Nawanagar State’s princely patronage and by the coaching of Albert Wensley of Sussex.He relentlessly pursued the goal without the slightest hint of deviation. He played cricket round the year. He knew no other career; nor was he interested.

From Nawanagar to Gujarat to Bombay to Bengal to Lancashire to Rajasthan wherever he went he tucked his bat and his bowling skills in those powerful palms of his. During the Indian summers he would be playing as a professional for Haslingden in the Lancashire League in UK. He was certainly the first of the true professionals that India has had.

 Beginning from his debut season in Ranji Trophy in 1936-37 as well as against his first international opposition – Tennyson's MCC team in 1937-38 – he made a lasting impression. Then came the World War II and with it some vital years of his salad days were lost. However not one to be discomfited by misfortunes, Mankad actually used the period to hone his undoubted talents still further.

The 1946 tour of England was to mark his debut on the official Test scene. He took the opportunity with a bear-hug. Wherever in the batting order he was asked to bat at, however much the bowling he was asked to do, Mankad thrived with his customary tenacity.

From the very beginning his sound cricketing brain convinced him that he would be both the war-head as well as the work-horse. It was the ideal situation that this man of unbounded courage, phenomenal skill and unfaltering stamina yearned for. He would have laughed at the modern nonsensical idea of ‘taking rest’ during one’s short prime span of youth.

 Mankad wasted no time on frills; none whatsoever on frivolities. If cricket was to be his life he would love to be a part of it every minute of his existence. So it was to be for him. He must have batted in every position from number 1 to number 11 for India. And in bowling whether India was defending or attacking he was sure to be in the thick of action.

 In England in 1946 he achieved the 'double' (1000 runs and 100 wickets), a dream for any all-rounder. The magnificence of the debutant would be best understood when we find that since Learie Constantine in 1928 no other overseas all-rounder had achieved the enviable piece of statistic. Even the cynical English critics had little alternative but to praise the new star as the English batsmen wended their way to doom. Former England captain Arthur Gilligan rated Vinoo Mankad at par with the legendary left-arm spinners Wilfred Rhodes, Colin Blythe and Headley Verity. Wisden acknowledged his greatness by naming him as one of the ‘Cricketers of the Year’ in 1947.

 Mankad did not make the cricket pundits gape at his action. No, no, he was not bothered by artistry. His arm came round; not in the classically straight mould. His curve was not of whispers and gossips; his trajectory was of business. It was clinically clean, surgically pin-pointed in the accuracy. Little wonder that even at a time when close-catching was not India's forte, this marvel of a left-arm orthodox spinner had the subtlety to take no less than 162 Test Match wickets in only 44 Tests spanning over 12 years. At a time when Bradman, Harvey, Barnes, Hammond, Hutton, Compton, Weekes, Worrel, Hanif and Sutcliffe and other greats were at the other end.

 Not one to relax and ruminate over his effective bowling, Mankad's batting flowered simultaneously. A rarity again: most all-rounders – except of course Keith Miller and Garfield Sobers – first make their mark in one discipline before they embark on a broader horizon. Not so Mankad. To him both batting and bowling received equal importance because he wanted no rest!

 In the following tour of Australia in 1947-48, he scored two Test centuries against Bradman's all-conquering Australian attack which comprised Miller, Lindwall, Johnston, Toshack and McCool. Here in Australia he was promoted to open to confront the world’s best fast bowling attack of Keith Miller and Ray Lindwall whereas in England he was usually way down the order.

 Such was his application and willingness to learn that he did not bat an eye-lid as his skills with the bat opened the eyes of his onlookers, wide in admiration and awe. One moment he was lifting the fast bowlers and at the next moment he would be stoutly defending against the spinners, as the situation warranted. Batting right-handed, Mankad was an exemplary cutter of the ball and would play the lifted shots with measured precision.

 In only 23 Tests he reached his 1000 runs and 100 wickets in Test cricket. The quickest to reach the 'double' among the premier all-rounders in Test cricket till Ian Botham was to surpass him much later in 21 Tests. Most certainly Mankad was one of the greatest of all-rounders that the game has ever known.

 India recorded her first Test victory against England (then MCC) at Chepauk in 1951-52 under Vijay Hazare. Roy and Umrigar scored centuries and laid the foundation. But still, obviously enough, to win a Test match the team had to get the opposition out twice. Here again it was none but Mankad who made the task easy for India by dismissing 7 batters. Mankad was always at the centre of every battle.

 Vinoo Mankad is one of the few cricketers who can claim to have had a Test Match named after them. At Lord's in 1952 he opened India's batting and scored 72 and then bowled a marathon spell of 73 overs taking 5 wickets for 136 runs. As if this was not enough to whet his appetite for cricket, he went back to the crease to smack an innings of 184 glorious runs. Then when England batted for an 8-wicket victory he still found the stamina and the spirit to bowl another 24 overs! Most certainly the best individual performance for a losing side.

 Today when one hears of players of inconsequential effort feeling tired, one is best left to smirk. This particular Test has gone down in the annals of Test cricket as the 'Mankad Test' to perpetuate the memory of a man who knew no fatigue, no frills, no frustrations. To him cricket was motivation enough and playing for the honour of the motherland was the breath of life itself.

 Lest we forget he also happened to hold the world Test record for the 1st wicket for more than 50 years. In association with Pankaj Roy against New Zealand this premier all-rounder achieved the fabulous partnership landmark of 413 runs. Mankad’s contribution was 231.

  In an eventful Test career, Vinoo Mankad scored 2109 runs with 5 centuries, including two double, at an average of 31.47. His first class career spanned from 1935 to 1963 resulting in 11,544 runs at 34.87 and 776 wickets at 24.60.

 Knowledgeable, he used his intelligence and applied himself accordingly. He asked even the opposition for guidance! He knew the art of application. His cricket was built on the rock solid foundation of basics. No diversion seeped in to weaken the firm edifice. With this attitude he won the hearts of hardened men; the plaudits of cynical critics; the respect of his mates and opponents.

 Vinoo Mankad was a cricketer’s cricketer. A perfectionist in every department of the game. He was the man who pioneered the voodoo associated with Indian spinners along with the advent of Ghulam Ahmed and Subhash Gupte.

 Mankad has always been associated with strange happenings on and off the field. On the tour of Australia in 1947-48 Mankad was at the nucleus of a major storm. In the Sydney Test match Aussie opener Bill Brown was repeatedly leaving the non-striker’s crease before the ball was delivered. Bowler Mankad noticed the misdemeanor, did not waste time and calmly removed the bails before delivering the ball. The umpire had no hesitation in raising his finger.

 Although there was widespread criticism, Sir Don, the Aussie captain, defended Mankad as the latter had warned Brown earlier in the Australian XI match and more so because Mankad’s action was as per the laws of cricket. Ever since then this way of dismissal has been unofficially hailed as “Mankaded’.

 The ‘Mankad Test’ at Lord’s in 1952 has been mentioned. What needs to be mentioned now is the scene behind that great feat. India had a disastrous start to the series in the first Test at Headingley where they lost 4 wickets for zero runs on the board. Seeing this Pankaj Gupta, the manager, was fuming because the petty-minded national selectors had omitted Mankad from the touring team! At the time Mankad was the best all-rounder in the world. India’s national selectors at the time were CK Nayudu, HN Contractor and M Dutta Ray.

 Gupta, as the manager of the Indian cricket team to England in 1952, sent a telegram to the BCCI as a formality and without waiting for their reply selected Vinoo Mankad, who at the time was playing in the Lancashire League to play the 2^nd Test at Lord’s! Mankad went on to display one of the greatest-ever individual all-round performances in the history of cricket.

 Without the intervention of the mercurial manager Pankaj Gupta, Vinoo Mankad – among the greatest all-rounders in the world – would not have played the Test and it is highly doubtful whether he would ever have played for India again.

 The incident requires further elaboration. Mankad had just helped India to gain her first-ever Test match victory at Chepauk in early 1952 and then left for Lancashire to fulfil his professional commitment. In the meantime in India the national selectors were to meet to select the India team to tour UK in April 1952. The selectors suddenly decided that a trial match would be held and that every probable player would have to play to be eligible for selection.

 Vinoo Mankad , the premier all-rounder in the world, informed the selectors that he was already in UK and might kindly be permitted to miss the trial match for otherwise he would have to pay his to and fro air-passage from his own pocket. His request was turned down! The trio including CK Nayudu gave the impression that the team would be chosen on the basis of that match only! Unfortunately CK Nayudu’s ego decided that the world’s best all-rounder would have to prove his merit in that particular ‘trial’ match!

 Pankaj Gupta , the ebullient manager of India teams, especially of hockey, had no time for petty jealousies based on provincialism, communalism and egoism that was apparent in the logic of the national selectors. Gupta had handled Dhyan Chand’s men to three Olympic ‘golds’, where he encouraged Christians, Hindus, Sikhs, Muslims, agnostics and atheists to consider themselves as ‘Indians first, Indians last’. He had no time for petty-minded men and their media supporters. It was only because of Pankaj Gupta that Vinoo Mankad got his rightful place in the India team.

 The best all-rounder in the world had to fight the petty-mindedness of former Indian cricketers throughout his life. So very ahead was he than most of his peers that invariably he became a lonely soul in the national side. On and off the field, Vinoo Mankad received very little support from his own mates. He remained a singular man in a plural game.

 His iconic stature has finally been rewarded by ICC by naming him in the very exclusive ‘Hall of Fame’.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Inter-community cricket & the princely patrons

 The inter-community cricket tournament, later popularly known as Pentangular, began in 1892 at Bombay as Presidency matches with the Parsees playing the Europeans.

 

In 1907 the tourney became a Triangular contest with the Hindus joining. In 1912 arrived the Muslims and converted the tournament into a Quadrangular affair and finally in 1937 a combined team from other communities were considered as the fifth team – The Rest – to convert the inter-community cricket championship as the Pentangular. The Ranji Trophy began in 1934 but was initially upstaged by the Pentangular.

 

The communal nature of the tournament had upset MK Gandhi and he wanted an end to it. The maharaja of Patiala and the maharaja of Nawanagar too refused to release their players for the communal tournaments.

 

At the time the sports journalists had the knowledge as well as the courage to speak their minds. Brilliant commentator from Bombay AFS Talyarkhan was all along vehemently against the idea of the communal nature of the tournament. So were the open-minded, brave journalists like JK Moitra from Bombay and from Calcutta, Berry Sarbadhikari and Rakhal Bhattacharya. Their concerted effort echoed the sentiments of the political arena.

 

The very popular Pentangular tournament, which vied with the Ranji Trophy championship as the premier domestic cricket tournament of India, vanished into thin air by 1945. Thankfully the inter-state title for the Ranji Trophy, which had begun in 1933-34, became the focal point for all concerned.

 

The inter-community cricket championship was undoubtedly the seed from which emerged the huge oak of Indian cricket. Apart from producing excellent players, this era also enabled the Indian princely States to focus on sporting activities.

 

Patiala

The House of Patiala was a great benefactor of Indian sport. In the 1880s the maharaja of Patiala Rajendra Singh began to promote wrestling, hockey and cricket in his territory. His son Bhupinder Singh was the first to conceive of an all-India team touring abroad.

 

Undoubtedly Bhupinder Singh, was the numero uno among the patrons of Indian cricket. In 1911 he sponsored the first-ever fully representative India team to England to gain experience. Patiala’s team was not restricted to any community or province. That would go completely against the grain of this generous visionary.

 

He invited players from all over India. In 1911 the Patiala All-India team comprising cricketers from all over the country went to UK and earned wide acclaim. The Hindu ‘Harijan’ Palvankar Baloo came into international limelight on this tour. Apart from Baloo, Bombay’s Parsee cricketers KM Mistry and JS Warden revealed the inherent talents of Indian cricketers.

 

In an amazing incident in 1926 Bhupinder Singh represented his club Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) against an All-India team at Bombay! The MCC captain Arthur Gilligan selected the maharaja of Patiala to play for MCC by virtue of being a member of MCC. This was the match where Prof Deodhar displayed his remarkable fight against the colonial masters.

 

This match later came to be recognized as the first unofficial test between India and England (then MCC). Thus the proud and patriotic maharaja of Patiala has an ironical record of playing an unofficial test against his own nation!

 

He was the man who donated the Ranji Trophy, the symbol of India’s premier cricket championship. The House of Patiala’s contributions to Indian sports are too numerous to be mentioned here.

 

Bhupinder’s son Yadavendra Singh went a step ahead of his father. He represented India in an official Test and was an immediate success. There is a mistaken notion that the first-ever ‘royal personality’ to represent India in official Test cricket was Iftiqar Ali Khan, the senior Nawab of Pataudi. The credit goes to the impeccable credentials of the yuvraj of Patiala, Yadavendra Singh.

 

The tall, strong and handsome Sikh possessed a heart as big as his frame. Never took advantage of his royal status. Never craved for power.  Knew not pettiness.  In an age when ‘royalty’ was expected to lead on and off the field, Yadavendra Singh readily offered his services to play a Test match under the leadership of the ‘commoner’, CK Nayudu.

 

Yadavendra used the bat as a scimitar whenever he found the time for cricket from his busy schedule of Patiala State duties. After the Tests at Bombay Gymkhana and Eden Gardens, where the Indian batting had not fared too well, the selectors opted for Yadavendra at Chepauk.

 

In those days the Madras Cricket Club saw to it that the pitch had a rich layer of grass to make the contest between bat and ball even. The opposition was England at Chepauk in February 1934. With Douglas Jardine as the opposition skipper, no player – royalty or commoner – could expect any mercy.

 

In the first innings, debutant Yadavendra notched an uncharacteristic, sedate 24 to Vijay Merchant’s 26. But in the second outing the young prince was at his attacking best against the likes of Verity, Clark and Nichols. His ferocious hook to the left of the leg-umpire had even the tough Jardine nod in approval. His magnificent 60 was India’s highest score in the innings. The athleticism of the yuvraj came to the fore as he snapped both the catches that came his way.

 

As it transpired, this Test was both his debut and swan-song. He was a certainty for India’s following tour to England in 1936. But Yadavendra, now the monarch of Patiala, could not find the time from his pressing duties. Cricket’s loss was Patiala’s gain.

 

Despite such magnanimous contributions to Indian cricket, neither father nor son ever jockeyed for posts in the hierarchy of Indian cricket. Ironically neither was ever a president of BCCI. They all along stayed away from its musty corridors.

 

 They were among the wealthiest and the most influential of the royal families, yet they never bothered to dominate the BCCI. They helped Indian cricket like no other, yet they never stayed back to enjoy the benefits. They let the petty and the corrupt to crawl in the stench. Patiala’s contribution to Indian cricket has been forgotten because they never bothered about publicity or power.

 

Cooch-Behar

In the capital city of British Empire – Calcutta – it was left to the maharaja of Cooch Behar, Nripendra Narayan Bhup Bahadur, to be the chief patron of cricket around the time when the maharaja of Patiala, Rajendra Singh was vigorously promoting the game in north India in the 1890s.

 

Apart from providing fabulous cricket facilities both at Calcutta and at Cooch Behar in north Bengal, he even brought over coaches from abroad to train the young Indians at cricket. His son Prince Hitendra Narayan played for Somerset in the English county championship in 1910. Nripendra Narayan’s extremely popular grandson Jagaddipendra Narayan, nicknamed “Bhaya”, led Bengal in the Ranji Trophy in the 1940s.

 

The influence of cricket in the eastern part of the country, then undivided Bengal, extended to places as far as Natore, Narayanganj, Mymensingh, Bikrampur, Dacca, Rangpur (now all in Bangladesh), Cooch Behar in North Bengal and Jorhat in upper Assam. In fact, the first-ever organized cricket tournament in the world for school children was held at Mymensingh (now in Bangladesh) in the 1880s.

 

Natore

Cricket by the turn of the 20^th century was becoming very popular with the princely states. The Indian rajas and nawabs realized that cricket did make an immediate impact in their relationship with the colonial British rulers.

 

If Patiala and Cooch Behar were the pioneers, the native states of Holkar, Nawanagar, Baroda, Cochin and Travancore among others were not far behind. They raised their own teams, got coaches from abroad and also recruited players from England and Australia to strengthen their teams.

 

However the Maharaja of Natore (now in Bangladesh) was a glorious exception. Maharaja Jagadindra Nath Roy of Natore would not even visualize having anything to do with talents borrowed from abroad. His team had only Indians playing. The magnanimous patron would have Indians coming from all over the country and from all communities.

 

What a visionary he was. Most of the top cricketers of India who went to UK in 1911with Patiala’s all-India team were from the Natore XI.  Natore’s ground was in the Picnic Garden area on the eastern periphery of Calcutta. Once Ranjitsinhji played here for the visiting Jamnagar side, while Palvankar Baloo was with Natore XI.

 

Once at a match an opposing captain leading Calcutta Cricket Club (CCC) asked maharaja Jagadindra the number of pros in his side implying that there was no credit in beating CCC with hired players. The maharaja promptly replied that since he himself did nothing else but play cricket, apart from he there was no other pro in his team.

 

What a fitting rebuff during the heydays of the British Raj. What a marvellous gesture towards sportspeople. This was the kind of respect he had for cricketers. He had the ‘Harijan’ Baloo sit beside him in group photographs. Hundred years ago for a royalty to embrace a ‘commoner’ was not as easy as it may sound today. Natore’s Jagadindra remains among those exceptional patriots who have been ignored by independent India.

 

Ironically in the history of Indian cricket, these genuinely liberated patriots have been totally overlooked and forgotten. The ‘new riche’ of Indian cricket do not know their own heritage, nor are they bothered. That’s the true picture of Indian sport.

 

 

 

 

Birthday wishes to a brave cricketer, Nari Contractor

Nariman Contractor celebrated his 89^th birthday yesterday. Began his first-class cricket career with centuries in each innings for Gujarat emulating the great Australian Arthur Morris.  Coincidentally both were left-handed openers.

Contractor’s courage has hardly ever been acknowledged. In 1959 at Lord’s on an uncertain pitch, a rising delivery from Brian Statham fractured one of his ribs. In excruciating pain the brave man from Bombay fought on and on with only a runner for support. He did not leave the ground. He did not seek sympathy. He painted a superlative innings of 81, which was the highest score of the match. England with the fearsome duo of Trueman and Statham comfortably won by 8 wickets.

In the 2^nd innings too without reclining in a hospice bed, he strode to the crease to save his country from an imminent defeat. He remained not out with a defiant, painstaking (pun intended) 11. Why are our so-called foreign-qualified sports historians shy of mentioning the bravado of the brave Parsee? Are they ignorant of Indian valour on the field of play?

Contractor has always been involved with unusual incidents. Against Richie Benaud’s Aussies at Kanpur in the winter of 1959 he pulled Alan Davidson with impeccable technique with the ball going down. Lo and behold, the ball lodged within the legs of Neil Harvey, who had ducked to take evasive action at square-leg!

Contractor’s magnificent innings of 74 came to an end. But that knock was enough first to erase Australia’s lead and then it proved to be just the tonic Jasu Patel and Polly Umrigar (4 for 27) needed to polish off Australia. Jasu Patel had match figures of 9 for 69 and 5 for 55 giving Ramchand-led India her first-ever victory over the mighty Australians.

Contractor was the captain who led India to victory against Ted Dexter’s team in 1961-62, both at Eden Gardens and at Corporation Stadium, Madras giving India her first-ever series victory over England . He was chosen to lead in the Caribbean in early 1962.

Unfortunately his first tour as captain abroad ended in a most unfortunate manner. At Bridgetown against Barbados a bumper from Charlie Griffith failed to rise and came crashing on his right temple. The skull needed urgent surgery. No player could have played any more cricket.

But the brave warrior was not yet wholly finished. Brave men don’t die. They defy odds. Contractor came back to the cricket field and played first-class cricket with distinction. But the magnanimous man was quick to realize that younger players needed to be encouraged. Promptly he made way for others with all dignity.

After retirement he was involved with cricket in various capacities, the most prominent being the chief west zone BCCI talent scout (known as TRDOs). He left indelible prints with his integrity and sincerity. Just once I met him. It was at one of the Tata offices in Bombay. Makarand Waingankar introduced us. I found him to be delightful company with a generous heart and forthright views.

 His dignified presence captured an 11-year old’s mind on that fateful day of 4^th January 1962 at Calcutta, when he walked out with his team to acknowledge the vociferous cheers of the Eden Gardens cricket lovers over the victory over Dexter’s England. His team repeated what Mehallasha Pavri’s Parsees had done in the 1890s.

 Nariman Contractor remains a most sincere and brave servant of the noble game. May he be with us in style and splendour

 

                                                  First Parsi team to U.K , 1886

Presidency Matches

The seed of cricket was first planted on Indian soil by the Britons. Among the Indians, the Parsees of Bombay were the first to try their hand at the ‘white man’s sport’.

In India the Britons and the Parsees were the first to have cricket clubs, Calcutta Cricket Club (1792) and Orient Cricket Club (1848) respectively. They were the first to play cricket among themselves and the first to promote the game on Indian soil.

The Parsees began to play against the Europeans to further their social and commercial interests. In 1877 Parsee CC beat a British side at a ‘friendly’ cricket match in Bombay. This incident happens to be the first instance of the Europeans losing to the local population on the sports field in any discipline on Indian soil. Unfortunately this fact has been conveniently ignored by our sports historians.

The advent of the great Parsee all-rounder Mehellasha Pavri (Tribute Posted Earlier) caused a flutter in the European camp in the late 1880s. His destructive bowling proved to be far too strong for the Bombay-based European expatriates. The Parsees were the first among Indian communities to defeat the colonial rulers regularly on the sports field.

 In 1889-90 a team from England, led by former Test cricketer George Frederick Vernon, arrived in India to play a number matches around the country. The very influential persona of Lord Hawke (Martin Bladen) came as a playing member. At Bombay the visiting Britons met their match as the Parsees humbled them.

These factors combined to make the Europeans in Bombay realize that to develop a meaningful resistance to the Parsee team, they must involve European players based in other Indian cities. The Governor of Bombay, Lord Harris (George Robert Canning) suggested that Europeans from neighbouring regions in the Bombay Presidency should be considered.

Lord Harris was a former Test cricketer of England and a very powerful influence on the corridors of England cricket. For a person of Lord Harris’ stature to acknowledge the undoubted class of the Parsee cricketers was a big leap forward for Indian cricket.

Thus from 1892 the Europeans announced that they would select a combined team with players from all over the Bombay Presidency. To include European players from beyond Mumbai was certainly a major step forward for Indian cricket at the time because it clearly indicated that the Europeans in India had come to respect the Indians' ability at cricket.

Two matches were played every year from 1892 to 1906, one in Mumbai and the other in Poona. These matches came to be known as Presidency Matches and are considered to be the earliest first-class matches played on Indian soil.

For 15 years, the two teams played each other 26 times with four matches being abandoned for either heavy rain or outbreak of plague, which was quite common at the time. The Europeans won 10 and the Parsees 11, with the honours shared in 5 matches.

The first centurion for the Parsees was DD Daruwalla, when he raced to 113 at Poona in 1903-04. However the credit for the only double century in the Presidency matches goes to Dr HD Kanga when in an innings of rare authority he smashed 233 at the Poona Gymkhana ground in 1905-06.

Here it must be recorded that most of the matches were played during the monsoon months. The wet pitches favoured the bowlers and consequently most of the matches ended in low scores. The reason for these cricket matches to be organized in the rainy season is an issue of perpetual conjecture.

Apart from the outstanding all-rounders Mehallasha Pavri and KM Mistry, the Parsee heroes were Rustomji Meherhomjee, a graceful batsman, the fast bowlers Baman Bilimoria, M.D. Bulsara, D.N. Writer and A.H. Mehta and the magnificent all-rounder N.C. Bapasola. BC Machliwalla, KS Kapadia and DD Kanga were consistent contributors as well.

 For the Europeans the prominent performers were John Glennie Grieg, a Jesuit priest, and an army man, Reginald Montagu Poore. Hard-hitting Poore’s 100 not out at Bombay in August 1895 was the first century of Presidency matches. Within months, by early 1896 the brigadier was representing South Africa in Tests against England.

 JG ‘Junglee’ Greig was the cynosure of all eyes with his elegance and consistency both with bat and ball. His was a calming, cultured influence which evoked respect from even his opponents. Reverend Grieg was the first man to highlight the awesome talents of the Hindu ‘Harijan’ cricketer, Palvankar Baloo (Tribute Posted Earlier).

Here it may be of interest to note that the famous England captain of the 1930s Douglas Jardine was born in Bombay in 1900 when his cricket-playing father Malcolm Robert Jardine was the Advocate-General of Bombay Presidency. The senior Jardine (born at Simla in 1870), former county player, represented the Europeans in Presidency matches.

The early Parsee cricket historians, Shorabjee Shapurjee Bengalee, Cawasji Jehangir and J.M. Framjee Patel, and later writers, Mehellasha Pavri and P.N. Polishwala deserve special mention. Without their classic treatises, the early chapters of Indian cricket would never have come to light.

These visionaries were the earliest patrons of Indian cricket. Every Indian cricket lover owes a deep sense of gratitude to the Parsees of Bombay who first planted the seed of the noble sport in the Indian mind.