It was so good to read about Budhi Kunderan being back in Bombay, though it was sad to read that this would be his last visit to India. Having settled in Scotland and being retired now, one can understand that it is not easy to travel long distances in spite of the enormous progress in the Aviation Industry in terms of flight, fares, comfort, time taken, etc. Budhi belonged to that generation of Indian cricket that in my humble view is the Golden Age of Indian cricket. I suppose, to a teenager growing up with stars in his eyes, the heroes of the day will always remain heroes forever and Budhi certainly was one of them.
What a golden period it was in Indian cricket in the 1960s! The dashing Nawab of Pataudi had taken over as the captain of the team at the tender age of 21 after the unfortunate injury to his captain. Under him, the team underwent a change of image from being dull pushovers to those who could look anybody in the eye and play some fabulous cricket. Pataudi himself with the peak of his cap pulled rakishly over his damaged right eye had with him dashers like M.L. Jaisimha, Farokh Engineer, Salim Durrani, Budhi Kunderan, Chandu Borde and Hanumant Singh. It was a team of handsome men and even today, to talk to the then teenaged girls of that time and see their faces soften at the memory of these good lookers in creams is a sight to behold.
There was the spin combination coming to the fore too, in Prasanna, Bedi, Venkatraghvan and Chandrasekhar who also fascinated all those who watched them with their incredible skill and the cunning with which they got the batsmen out. To watch them in the nets was a delight and an education in itself, for these were no ordinary nets where the bowlers just rolled their arms over and the batsmen had a slog. The new-ball bowlers like Ramakant Desai, Rusi Surti and Abid Ali may not have been express, but bowling a little less than 22 yards, they were not afraid to let go more than the odd bouncer even if it was to the captain Pataudi and seniors like Chandu Borde. Then the laughter at the end of a good session left all those watching like yours truly also leave with a big grin on their faces. Why even as I write this, there is a silly smile on my face just thinking back at those wonderful days.
The BCCI tried its best to control the guys after playing hours but it was a losing battle. There were escapades that were recounted with great hilarity and apart from the odd one, nothing ever became public. What was clear was that those guys played some hard cricket and then partied hard later. The results on the field were not exactly brilliant, but really who gave a damn for these were some real special guys who the public longed to be near to.
I have been out of town for most of the time since I returned from Australia and even this is being written from out of town, so am not sure if I will be able to meet Budhi before he goes away, but if he does read this, all I will add is, “Thank you for the excitement you and your generation brought to me when I was growing up and wanting to be a cricketer”. I hope Budhi will change his mind about this being his last visit to India — for he may not know it but there are several more like me who are nostalgic about that Golden Age in Indian cricket and want the Kunderans, Engineers, Abid Alis to keep coming back.
In another sport, there is someone who brings to hockey the same kind of flavor and flair that Pataudi and his team of the 60s did and is perhaps paying the price for it and that person is none other than the irrepressible Dhanraj Pillay. His game is the same dashing one of Pataudi & Co and brings in spectators to watch this mercurial player, but just like those players did not really care two hoots about the administration, then so does Dhanraj not really worry too much about officialdom. He has got into so many scraps with authority that perhaps there is never a big hockey event complete unless there is some news on Dhanraj.
Whether he was not wanted by some section of the team or whether he felt he himself was not yet fully fit is not clear, but the fact is that the Indian hockey team has left for the Olympic qualifier event without him. Dhanraj is utterly dedicated to Indian hockey and if he felt he was not fully fit for such an important tournament then he needs to be complimented for his honesty in putting Indian hockey first and not just going on a free trip overseas. Indian cricket could do with such honesty for claims are made by players or their behalf by their people that they are fit when they are not. There are innumerable instances of these to fill more than one column, so suffice it to say that the BCCI must follow the Australian method with those who have been unfit with injury.
In Australia, even proven match-winners like Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath have to play in a first-class or a one-day interstate game to show that they are fully fit. It’s not just playing the game but the days after to see how their bodies, especially the injured parts, have responded to the rigours of a proper game that is taken into account before they are then considered for the national team. In Warne’s case, there was no injury but he was coming into big-time cricket after a 12-month ban and so the selectors wanted to see how he would cope with such a long lay-off. There was great media-hype about his return which was for a second XI and it was only after he played a first-class game, bowled plenty of overs, took some wickets, that was he picked to be part of the Australian team that will play Tests in Sri Lanka after the limited-overs series is over.
Glenn McGrath claimed he was fit to play Tests but in spite of his terrific record, the selectors did not consider him as he had not played any matches after his injury where they could see how he bowled and how his injury reacted to bowling in match conditions. He may well be bowling without a problem in the nets, but as far as the selectors are concerned, they wanted him to prove his fitness in a match and not just in the nets, never mind if he has got over 400 wickets in Test cricket.
The BCCI will hopefully tell its selectors to do what the Australian selectors do and to see the injured player in a proper game and not go by what the player himself says or a certificate he gets from a doctor. In a country where there is fake stamp paper, what price a fitness certificate?
One of the reasons that the Australians are world champions is because the best of their players cannot take their places for granted in the team. They have to perform consistently and meet the required fitness standards and only then can they get the pleasure of wearing the baggy green cap.
The BCCI, which is moving in a more professional direction, will do well to impose the same standards for their players so that they continue to do well for India rather than stick to their places because of some performance in the past.
