Madhav Apte: victim of awful discrimination

 We all agree that selection of teams is a subjective process depending upon various factors. But when whimsical selections and omissions are made, serious followers are bound to ask questions.

 In India we have had some very strange decisions taken over the years. Once prompting even the cool, level-headed Mohinder Amarnath to lament, “They are jokers.” He meant it in all seriousness and with due  consideration. And Indian cricket lovers all over the country lapped up the sentiments. Still they remember that direct accusation camouflaged in euphemistic words.

 We have seen how very deserving players have been completely ignored. Men like Padmakar Shivalkar and Rajinder Goel were overlooked. At least they are still thankfully acknowledged quite often but the same sentiments do not follow other very deserving non-Test men like AG Ram Singh, BB Nimbalkar, Sudhakar Adhikari, Shyam Sundar Mitra and PK Beliappa among others.

 We have forgotten the lion-hearted contribution of a pace bowler of Abdul Ismail’s calibre. The man who helped Bombay to dominate Indian cricket in the 1960s and 1970s. Why was left-arm medium pacer Premangshu Chatterjee overlooked? The actual reason has never been divulged publicly. Had medium pacer Anup Ghatak not been from unfancied Assam, he would have been praised by the media. His peers rated him very highly.

 There is another category of victims in Indian cricket. Those who did get a few chances but were omitted for failing to grab those few opportunities. In this group fall men like Milkha Singh, Ambar Roy, Squadron Leader Apurva Sengupta, Ramesh Saxena, Vaman Kumar among others. True they had their initial opportunities, but were sidelined for diverse reasons and completely forgotten later.

 But there is another category still. The most unfortunate ones. Men who were omitted despite doing wonders! In this group the two most prominent names are Shute Banerjee (1911-1980) and Madhav Apte (1932 - 2019).

 They belong to different eras; different provinces; different backgrounds; different communities; different specializations. But they shared the same disastrous fate: omitted after having done well enough to merit further considerations.

 Even today the same pattern continues unabated. Although the post 1970 players are not under this series of mine, we ought to remember the names of players like Kenia Jayantilal, Amol Muzumder, Subrata Banerjee, Karan Nair, Vivek Razdan among others who belong to one of the above three categories.

 Why were they victims of injustice have never been officially disclosed. No one found any time for them! Even today rarely would they be discussed and dissected. Disgusting, depressing indeed.

 Today we shall follow the career of an outstanding opening batsman in the 1950s, who was laid low despite phenomenal success. He was Madhav Apte

 Why was Madhav Apte discarded from the India team at just 23 when he was at the height of his success? He was certainly a victim. But why was he so? Was it because of his caste? Community? Province? Was it because of his wealthy background? Was it because of his education and sophistication? Apte’s issue has never been discussed threadbare by any one in Indian cricket. Were people trying to hide something or someone? What went wrong with Madhav Apte still remains a mystery.

 

20 year old Madhav Apte, scion of a textile industrialist family, made his Test debut on his home soil at his favourite venue, Brabourne Stadium in 1952. He tackled the venomous Fazal Mahmood – one of the greatest medium-pacers ever – who had just taken 12 wickets in the previous Test to give India an innings defeat. Debutant opener revealed remarkable maturity scoring 30 and 10 not out. In the following Test he got a neat 42, the 2^nd highest scorer for India and was promptly dropped from the team for the next Test!

 

 Luckily he was selected for the tour of West Indies the following month, January 1953. Apte returned from West Indies in 1953 in all glory. He was among the most prominent batter on the tour with 460 runs including 3 fifties and a highest score of 163 not out with an average of above 50. His scores in the 5 Tests were 64, 52, 64, 9, 0, 163*, 30, 30, 15 and 33.

 

 He matched Manjrekar, Umrigar and Roy stroke for stroke; run for run. It seemed from afar that India had found an ideal opening partner for Pankaj Roy. But, believe it or not, Madhav Apte’s name was never to be found in the India XI again!

 

At a time when Indian fielding was not of the top order, Madhav Apte at cover point was an exception. Neat of movement, he relied on anticipation and an unerring throw. Every inch a cricketer he was. He was an asset to the strong Bombay side of the 1950s. He had everything going in his favour. Generous and studious, no one could fault the gentleman on any account.

 

Then why did he change State and come to Bengal? Why did he go back to Bombay again after just a season? Today after so many decades these questions are still unanswered. One of the confounding mysteries of Indian cricket is Madhav Apte’s cricket career.

 

Although never confirmed, in cricket circles it was said in hush-hush tones that some of our national selectors had asked him for bribes! Yes, you read right. The Apte family was extremely wealthy and very successful in the textile industry. The concerned selectors thought that since he was so very successful, his family would be too willing to part with money for his future.

 

 But they were wrong. Madhav Apte’s father, an erudite man of high principles, categorically refused any such nonsense. He was supposed to have confided, “If my son needs to pay money to play cricket for India, then he need not play at all.” Thus India lost a quality performer because of the greed of some of our national selectors. Of course, these issues can never be confirmed but neither was it ever contradicted!

 

Without casting any aspersions on anybody, out of curiosity we might wish to know the names of men who helped to select him as well of those who thought his performances did not merit further opportunities. When Madhav Apte was chosen in 1952-53 against Pakistan and West Indies, the national selection committee consisted of HN Contractor, C Ramaswamy and Manindra Dutta Ray.

 

Following season in 1953-54 India played no official Tests. In the only unofficial Test against Silver Jubilee Overseas Cricketers (SJOC) that he was chosen, he scored 30 and was involved in a century partnership with Vijay Manjrekar. When Apte was omitted in 1954-55 the selectors happened to be HN Contractor, Lala Amarnath, C Ramaswami and Manindra Dutta Ray.

 

Madhav Apte had a very successful career away from cricket. But cricket was his first love. He was generous to a fault whenever a young cricketer would need any help. He was a liberal soul who made no distinction between people on the basis of their caste, colour, creed, race or province. A gem of a man.

 

Later he became the president of CCI in his hometown of Mumbai. Left behind fond memories to all those fortunate enough to meet him. Once in the 1980s eminent sports writer Rajan Bala wanted to write on him and accordingly met Madhav Apte with a request for interview.

 

Instead of mentioning the gory details of those horrible days of the 1950s, the sophisticated gentleman Madhav Apte merely said, “Let bygones be bygones. I do not want to look into the past. It was only my personal loss. Rather let’s look at the progress of young Indians today and in future. That would be a national gain.” Only a highly magnanimous soul can relate in this fashion.

 

I received a call from Mumbai one January morning in 2015. From the other end a distinguished voice – sophisticated and cultured – asked, “May I speak to Mr Raju Mukherji?” Answered in the affirmative and asked, “Sir, may I know your name, please?”

The voice replied, “Mr Mukherji, you would not know me, I happen to be the president of CCI. My name is Madhav Apte.”

I almost stammered, “Sir, are you the former India cricketer?”

He was extremely courteous, “Well, yes. But let’s forget that part. I just read your book on Eden Gardens. Sachin Bajaj gave me your phone number. I am calling you to request that you do a similar book on CCI.” Then softly added, “I shall not take ‘no’ for an answer.”

“Sir, very grateful to you for enjoying the book and for the offer. To be honest, my knowledge of CCI and Brabourne Stadium is very limited. Only theoretical. I do not think I shall be able to do justice to the proposed book.”

He was prim and proper, “Fair enough. Should you change your mind, do give me a call. All the best. Keep writing.”

“Sir, I wish to write on your cricket career. Would you please spare some time for me?”

His sophisticated voice was crystal clear, “Don’t write on me now. Please let me die a peaceful death!”

I could only mumble, “Sir, I promise the tribute shall wait.”

Within a few years he was no more.

 For the information of my dear readers, Madhavrao Laxmanrao Apte’s Test career was terminated by our selectors when his Test batting average was a phenomenal 49.27, far higher than most batters around the world. Perhaps he was omitted for ‘not failing’!

 This is my tribute to a great soul.