Cricketing memories and friendships

Bangladesh's resounding and very well-deserved victory over England at Mirpur on October 30th brought back many personal cricketing memories to me, stretching right back to 1971.

In 1971, when I was heading Oxfam's Refugee Relief Programme in the border areas of India, a number of us joined many in the UK, including some Labour Members of Parliament, urging the British Government to cancel the 3 test series with Pakistan but our request went unheeded. One Member of Parliament, Michael Barnes, who had visited the refugee camps in India in 1971, was one of those who demanded that the British government cancel the tour by the Pakistan cricket team. For his support in those dark days, the Government of Bangladesh awarded him the 'Friends of Liberation War Honour' in 2012.

In early March 1972, by which time all refugee relief activities had been closed down, the Oxfam staff of my relief office, most of them refugees themselves or Calcutta-based Bengalis from Bangladesh, challenged the staff of CARITAS Calcutta to a game of cricket. Only two members of the Oxfam team were Honorary Bangladeshis (English), Jeremy Swainson and myself. CARITAS batted first and when Oxfam batted the very keen Bangladeshis fell like a pack of cards, possibly because they had partaken of Golden Eagle beverage at the innings changeover! It was left-to the cautious and sober Honorary Bangladeshis to win the day. Perhaps the first win in a foreign country by a Bangladesh cricket team!

From 1972 to 1983, I was based in Delhi for Oxfam and I had the good fortune of being able to enjoy many seasons of club cricket with the British High Commission Cricket Club (BHCCC). Matches against good Delhi-based club sides were regularly arranged and wonderful weekend trips away from Delhi were very popular. One off matches were arranged with visiting teams like the Guardian XI from London or the Hyderabad Blues from Hyderabad, the latter being led by the former Indian test player, M.L.Jaisimha, and for whom the Nawab of Pataudi and Abbas Ali Baig sometimes played. Abbas Ali Baig often played as a member of the BHCCC over the years I was in Delhi, opening the batting with panache and smoothly pocketing slip catches too.

One season, 1975-76, the Guardian newspaper sent out a cricket team with two or three MCC Young Professionals. The BHCCC played them at the Test Match ground in Delhi and we won by 10 wkts scoring 154. Our skipper then, John Rickard, who had in earlier years played for the Hampshire second XI, got 109 not out, and me, admiring the batting from the other end and the sixes he hit, 26 not out! It was the first cricket match attended by our elder son, then, aged 8 months.

In Delhi there were two matches always played with great compassion. One was against Roshanara Club, a beautiful club in Old Delhi established in 1922. The other was (and probably still is) the Chanakyapuri Ashes played against the Australian High Commission and usually played at the Roshanara Club ground as well. In Delhi we always enjoyed playing against Mohan Meakin's Brewery and, of course, the accompanying liquid refreshment. On more than one occasion, the then test player, Madan Lal, opened the bowling against me!

Another connection with the Roshanara Club ground is that we were asked to play cricket in two films. 'The Sea Wolves', a war time film based on a true story gave us the opportunity to be in the background of scenes with famous actors such as Gregory Peck, David Niven, Roger Moore and Trevor Howard. A wonderful day's cricket. The other was 'Gandhi' where we enacted a regimental cricket match in 1915. We wore baggy cricketing trousers and had to have 'military' haircuts. I can be seen fielding the ball…

The weekend trips out of town were wonderful. We would play two matches at Dehra Doon; one against the Indian Military Academy and the other against the Doon School and overnight we would stay at the Savoy Hotel in Mussoorie. We also played against one of the schools on the gravel 'flats' at Nainital and against the Military School at Chail in Himalchal Pradesh at the highest cricket ground in the world about 7,400 feet above sea level. One time 'cloud stopped play!' Another weekend outing would take us to Ajmer in Rajasthan and the prestigious Mayo College. Some members would make side trips to Jaipur and Jodhpur to make the time even more memorable.

Of course I was lucky to be able to witness a few England cricket tours of India including the one when Boycott was sent home in disgrace for going off and playing golf in Calcutta instead of going to the cricket ground. Of course, officially, he went home because of fatigue but later on it was learnt that he had been busy organizing a rebel tour of South Africa.

The one England tour of India I remember for personal reasons is that of 1976-77 which was managed by Ken Barrington. In the late 1950s I prided myself to be a silky smooth left-handed bat but I suffered a serious accident playing soccer, developed uncontrollable double vision and could not play cricket at all. In winter months I had been coached at Alf Gover's Indoor Cricket School in Wandsworth, London, and sometimes Ken Barrington coached me. When he did not see me at the school, he enquired and was told about my accident. He phoned my mother and said that he wanted me to come to the cricket school and see if by changing my stance I could see better and play again. In the end he gave me about 10 hours of coaching free of charge and taught me how to bat right-handed. In Delhi, so many years later, I was able to thank him profusely and he laughed heartily when I told him that my fellow cricketers always ask me why I am leading with the wrong foot! What a wonderful and generous man.

So, the most wonderful day in the history of Bangladesh's Test Cricket awakened in me so many cricketing memories. Thank you Mushfiqur and your wonderful team for your success and giving us so much enjoyment and excitement. It was a privilege to meet you and some members of your team at the British High Commissioner's reception last week.