Photo credits: courtesy ESPN and Alamy
One-eyed Test
Cricketer: ‘Buster’ Nupen
There is a general view that Mansur Ali Khan (the erstwhile junior
Nawab of Pataudi) played cricket with just one eye. This is not entirely the
full picture. Tiger, as he was nicknamed, did have a loss of vision as a result
of a car crash in 1961 while at Oxford University.
Later thankfully his vision, though severely impaired,
returned through complex surgeries. In his autobiography Tiger admitted that initially
he had double vision but gradually the sight improved to an extent. Certain
problems remained but he overcame the great visual handicap in his own
way.
Later through very
determined practice, the immensely talented batter regained his fitness and consequently
his form. He went on to play for India within a year of his injury.
Scored centuries including a double hundred. Fielded
magnificently in the covers. Was certainly among the best in the world. Led the
team with panache. Miraculous recovery of a very courageous gentleman.
As a real leader, he transformed the young Indian cricketing
talents into a fighting unit at a very critical juncture in the 1960s. Communalism
and provincialism never crossed his broad mind. An exemplary gentleman of the
‘old school’.
***
However, one Test player actually played international cricket
with just one eye! A South African Test cricketer by the name of Eiulf Peter ‘Buster’
Nupen. Of Norweigian parentage, ‘Buster’ Nupen played in 17 Tests between 1921
and 1935, capturing 50 wickets. On matting wickets he was considered almost
unplayable such was the ferocity of his off-cutters and pace.
As child of 4 while playing with hammer and nails, a wooden
splinter got lodged in his eye. The most unfortunate accident led to complete
loss of vision in his left eye. A similar permanent damage would have
frustrated any person. But the Norweigian ‘Buster’ Nupen decided to meet the
challenge face to face.
He took to cricket and decided to make himself into a pace
bowler. For the right-handed bowler, the unaffected right-eye posed no problem
in aiming at the batter’s wicket. Picture yourself as a right-handed rifle
shooter. Through sheer intelligent application he developed his bowling style.
Playing on matting wickets in South Africa, Nupen found that
he could bowl fastish off-cutter which would leap at the batter on the matting
pitches. Actually he bowled more of cross-seam (fastish off-break) instead of
off-the-seam cutters.
Another interesting issue happened to be that as stand-in
skipper Buster Nupen led South Africa to a victory over England in the only Test
he captained. Nupen was the highest wicket-taker with 5 and 6 wickets in that
match. The selectors in their wisdom decided not to appoint him as captain
again!
Eiulf Peter ‘Buster’ Nupen would go down in cricket history
as a man who played Test cricket with just one eye. To be an international
sport performer with such a serious, permanent handicap is almost unheard of. Height
of courage and application indeed.
