There are a few cricket fans who are an eccentric lot but hats off to their enthusiasm and enjoyment of the proceedings. They add an offbeat flavour to the game and some antics are downright hilarious. But if their deeds overstep the limit or break the rules, then such acts must be curbed. However, without fans the game would cease to exist. If nobody watched, the media and sponsors would depart and the game would die out.
Cricket fans of Hyderabad are a fun loving but boisterous lot. When matches used to be played at the Lal Bahadur stadium, no policeman dared to enter the gallery where the students were to be found. The moment a khaki clad keeper of the law was spotted; there would be shouts of Khatmal, Khatmal (bedbugs). This would be followed by a hail of banana skins, orange peels and whatever else the boys could lay their hand on – which would rain down upon the hapless policeman.
On the other hand, some players became huge favourites of the Hyderabad crowd. They included Tony Grieg and Derek Randall of England because they often interacted with the spectators by making friendly gestures and small talk while fielding on the boundary line.
Women can be crazier than men sometimes
This wild enthusiasm for the game doesn’t exist among men alone. Women cricket fans can outdo men at times. One such highly publicised incident occurred in 1960 when a Test match was being played at the Brabourne stadium in Bombay between India and Australia. When Hyderabad’s blue eyed boy Abbas Ali Baig was returning to the pavilion, a woman ran out of the crowd and kissed him on the cheek.
She then ran back into the crowd and disappeared. No one knew who she was or why she did it. Was it a bet with her companions? Was it a publicity stunt? The mystery was never solved.
But Vijay Merchant, a cricketing legend who was then doing the commentary remarked: “Where were these enterprising women when I was scoring centuries?” To this a fellow commentator replied: “You scored too many runs Vijay. They all fell asleep.”
Lala Amarnath’s experience
In 1933 Lala Amarnath became the first Indian batsman to score a Test century and it happened against England. Since it took place when India was still under British rule, Lala’s Test century against England was widely hailed throughout the Indian subcontinent. He received lavish gifts from many people.
But one woman who was the daughter of a wealthy jeweller, landed up at Lala’s hotel with a bagful of diamonds and pleaded with Lala to elope with her. Lala was taken completely by surprise but with some difficulty he managed to extricate himself from that situation.
A pic with Dhoni badly needed
In 2009 a man named Ravindra Kumar Saini, resident of Saharanpur in UP, sold his shop and his business and made a trip to Ranchi. There he lived on the pavements and waited for a chance to meet M S Dhoni. After 35 days he was able to meet Dhoni and had a photo taken with him. But what prompted him to take so much effort? He later told the media that the girl he wanted to marry had laid down the condition that she will marry him only if he gets photographed with Dhoni.
Devdas Gandhi’s night in jail
Another avid cricket fan was Devdas Gandhi, the youngest son of Mahatma Gandhi. He was born in South Africa when his father was working there. After he came to India with his father and family members he became involved with the freedom struggle.
But he also turned into a huge cricket fan. In 1948 when Don Bradman’s Australian team was touring England, Devdas Gandhi too was in the UK and was determined to see Bradman and his teammates in action.
The match he wanted to watch was going to take place in Nottingham and so he made his way to that city. But after arrival, he found to his dismay that all hotels were full. He had no place to stay. But he was undaunted. He approached the warden of the Nottingham jail and cajoled the official to let him stay in his jail for one night at least.
Although surprised, the official was eventually persuaded to agree to this unusual request and thereafter Devdas Gandhi spent one night in the jail before finding a room elsewhere.
Such is the devotion of the fans. For the sake of cricket they are prepared to do anything. Some are willing to live in a jail, some want to elope with their idol and many are willing to skip meals, sleep on the pavements and then shell out money to buy a ticket. Truly, cricket would not survive without the devotion of such ardent fans.
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