Former top-notch wicket-keeper Syed Kirmani exposes BCCI’s double standards

With befitting fanfare, Syed Kirmani’s autobiography titled Stumped – Life Behind and Beyond the Twenty-two yards, was launched in Hyderabad at a glittering ceremony on Sunday. As reported in these columns, there were several top sports personalities present on the occasion. They included the latest hero of Indian cricket, Mohammed Siraj.

Wicket keepers are a flamboyant bunch, and Kirmani was among the most colourful players in his heyday. As a gloveman, he was excellent. He was honoured with the Best Wicketkeeper award after India had chalked up a historic victory in the Prudential World Cup in 1983. Additionally, Kirmani was a reliable lower-order batsman. He was involved in an unbroken 126-run stand for the ninth wicket with Kapil Dev against Zimbabwe in the same World Cup tournament. During his career, he equaled the world record of six victims in one single innings.

But despite his superb game, he sometimes received shabby treatment from various powerful officials within the BCCI. In his book, he has laid bare all the incidents that occurred and the uphill struggles that he had to face in the course of his career.

The narration of his life’s story begins with his early experiences in cricket after his father was transferred from Hyderabad to Bangalore (now Bengaluru). As a little boy, he had no gloves, so he would take bricks from a construction site near their playfield and use them as gloves. It was the most unusual way of keeping wickets, but it is a wonder that Kirmani was able to catch the ball with bricks.

Excelled at various games

Coming from a sports-loving family, it was but natural that he began playing a variety of sports. While studying in St. Germain’s School in Bengaluru, his PT teacher urged him to take up boxing, and he excelled at it. But it was his cricketing skills that progressed best. He became so successful that SBI offered him a job when he was not ready for it. He did not have to look for a job. It came to him.

Kirmani has written about his progress from the junior level to the Ranji Trophy and then finally to the international level. In 1976, he made his Test debut against New Zealand and gave an outstanding performance. In the second Test, he took six catches and equaled the world record. He also scored two Test hundreds and bailed India out on several occasions.

Kirmani’s playing record

Kirmani played 88 Tests and 49 ODI matches. In Test cricket, he took 160 catches and executed 38 stumpings to give him 198 victims in total. It was a pity that the BCCI selectors did not give him one more Test match in which he would have been likely to take his tally of victims past 200. But he was dropped from the team when he was fit enough to play in many more matches.

The description that Kirmani has given about his last few days can make the reader feel despondent. Unfortunately, a cricketer of his stature and accomplishments was treated in the way he was by some important people in the BCCI.

Not given a worthy farewell

The worst incident happened at the very end when he was not given a worthwhile benefit match. Kirmani’s preferred occasion for arranging his benefit match was the last battle of a Test series between India and New Zealand in Mumbai.

Kirmani has written that he approached Raj Singh Dungarpur, a powerful man in Mumbai cricket who was the President of the Cricket Club of India and the Chairman of the BCCI selectors. But Raj Singh offered Kirmani only Rs 25 lakhs. Kirmani was taken aback because other Indian players had been guaranteed Rs 1 crore.

Raj Singh then went on to explain to Kirmani that there would be a meagre crowd for an India vs New Zealand match, and that was why he could not guarantee more than 25 lakhs. Kirmani tried to convince Raj Singh that there would be a sell-out crowd because it was the last match of the series, but to no avail.

Having no choice, Kirmani agreed. But as he had predicted, there was a huge crowd every day, and the match gained massive profits through advertisements. Eventually, Kirmani’s share of the income was increased from 25 lakhs to 30 lakhs. It was a minor increase, but he had to be happy with that amount.

At the end of the chapter, Kirmani has written: “I felt hurt, but I thank the Almighty for whatever has been bestowed on me. I have kept no grudges against anybody, and I live with no regrets. I have always heartily accepted whatever was given to me. I am a contented person and live my life with the same ethos.” Kirmani has written those words like a true sportsman who respects everyone and has self-control over himself, both in victory as well as defeat.