My tribute to my Lulu-da

Former Bengal captain, BCCI talent scout and junior national selector, PC Poddar left us on 29^th December, 2022. For over two decades he represented Bengal and Rajasthan as well as East and Central zonal teams.

For Board President’s XI, his century against Mike Smith’s MCC in 1963-64 pitch-forked him into India Test side. But not in the playing XI. The brilliant fielder had to remain content as the 12^th man in all the 5 Tests as other batters came in and went out of the XI!

In the only occasion he wore the India colours was against Sri Lanka (then Ceylon), he scored 30 plus only to find himself relegated to the sidelines forever. Those days Sri Lanka was not a full-fledged Test side, hence the match  was considered an unofficial test.

Extremely bright and well-informed, Poddar – Lulu-da to us, his neighbours – was an extremely good student of the game and well versed in the laws of cricket. At times, his views were very non-conventional. Once when he was at the end of his long club-cricket career, he wore white shorts while batting at a club match at Eden Gardens! He told the umpires to show him the law where it was written that every player must be in trousers! None could convince the very senior man about traditions and conventions of cricket.

He had little time for sensitivity and sentiments. He was a hard-core pragmatic who had the courage to get into serious disputes with all and sundry. Once in a Duleep Trophy tie, when the West Zone fielders were trying to disturb his concentration by making exclamatory sighs and muffled comments, he suddenly stopped batting and asked the umpire, “What’s this ‘bheu, bheu’ (barking)? Some dog hiding somewhere?”  Saying this he went around the close-in fielders searching for a dog (!) saying, “Mein kutta sey bahut darta hoon!” The game had to be stopped for about two minutes to calm him down! Pioneer of ‘reverse sledging’?

Those days in the mid-1970s, the one-day Deodhar Trophy matches were held a day prior to the 3-day Duleep Trophy matches. He knew that I wasn’t too keen to play the one-day matches. So Lulu-da encouraged, “Raju, don’t worry. The one-dayer is only a practice-match for the real Duleep Trophy match next day!”  Quixotic ideas, indeed, he had.

His cricket was based on the firm principle of sound forward defensive technique and eternal temperament. He would play forward to almost every ball! Against bumpers, he possessed the excellent technique of either ‘ducking’ or ‘weaving away’.

His favourite strokes were the off-side front-foot drives with the cover-drive predominating. Also executed a rasping square-cut. On the leg side he would normally just place. Basically a grafter, his presence in the batting-order always acted as a discouragement to the opponents. The fact remains that he was a very successful Ranji Trophy batter. Scored runs against the best of oppositions and bowlers. He was comfortable against both pace and spin.

We lived in neighbouring lanes. Every morning he would go for his early morning run and free-hand physical exercises. Not many players would do so in the 1950s. All the effort bore fruit as he developed himself into an excellent fielder at cover.

According to Prakash Chandra Poddar, his father was vehemently against him playing cricket. So one day, the gentleman was supposed to have shouted at him, “Prakash, if you wish to play cricket then you have to leave my house. No more bat-ball nonsense. Concentrate on your business.” Lulu-da, trust him, immediately left his paternal property, continued playing cricket and went on to become a highly successful businessman! No half measures with PC Poddar around.

Lulu-da always prided in saying, “I must be the first from the Marwari community to play cricket seriously. Cricket is the ideal sport for us: slow and steady; accumulation of runs; no body-contact involved and one can plan over a span of time!”

He continued, “In my days the Marwaris did not play because there were no monetary returns from cricket. But now with the phenomenal amount of money floating around, I am sure many Marwaris will play serious cricket in future!” The visionary was of course speaking for all communities of Indians of the future.

Very wealthy, he could afford the best brand of automobiles. But he would prefer to travel only in public transport, favourite being the slow and steady trams! He looked smart in suits and jackets. But that would be very rare. Normally he would wear shin-length (!), white pyjamas and half-sleeved white cotton shirts. And carry an umbrella at times or a muffler or perhaps a hand-towel depending upon the season. Lessons in practicality at its best.

People joked about his dress-sense but not me. I realized that he was just being his own self. An intelligent man of astounding self- confidence. He developed a close affinity to me perhaps because of the routine apparel that I wore at the time, “Raju, if you are wearing a long kurta, why are you wearing denim jeans with it? No, no, you must wear either pyjamas or still better dhoties. Good to see that you are sensible enough to carry an umbrella.” Thankfully I had the intelligence to nod graciously and acknowledge his excellent guidance.

As BCCI talent scouts, Lulu-da and this writer were the first to identify the exceptional talents of a man from Jharkhand (then Bihar) and inform BCCI about him. Lulu-da always maintained, “I wonder what the zonal and national selectors were doing all these years,” whenever the late arrival of one MSD was discussed.

Extremely proper, spotlessly clean and duty-conscious, he had very orthodox religious habits. It was a lesson to see him seek divine blessings by placing his cricket bat at Maa Durga’s feet at the Puja Mandap on every Bijoya Dasami.

Began his career for Bengal with two consecutive centuries in the late 1950s. After a few seasons had a tiff with Bengal and went across to Rajasthan. After a few seasons had a tiff with Rajasthan and came back to Bengal! After a bottle of beer, he once exclaimed, “I am too tactless, too talkative, too straight for a Marwari. I think Bengal has spoilt me!”

He was a character, if ever there was one. On receiving the first pension cheque from the BCCI, he told me, “Raju, I went to my father’s portrait and showed him the cheque!”

“You really did?” I was aghast.

“Yes, why not? To me he is there looking at his maverick Prakash!” Lulu-da, that was a brilliant lesson to me. Brought back memories of Swami Vivekananda and the Maharaja of Khetri.

Thanks to you, my Lulu-da, I really enjoyed your fantastic company on and off the field. So much to learn from. So much to appreciate. And so much of originality…! May God keep blessing you.