As India prepares to face England at the Cricket World Cup in Lucknow, those who have witnessed the various stages of the game’s evolution in Uttar Pradesh look back and to the future
These are exciting times for cricket in Uttar Pradesh. A state as large in both area and population can never be short on talent, but it has often been a cricketing backwater in comparison to Mumbai, Delhi, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.
Not any longer. With the relatively new stadium in Lucknow hosting five World Cup games – including India’s clash against holders England on Sunday – an IPL team representing the city and the state, and a new venue coming up in the Prime Minister’s parliamentary constituency of Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh has become a big player in Indian cricket.
Despite having an incredible talent pool, they have won the Ranji Trophy only once. But things are changing. The state now has an IPL franchise in Lucknow Super Giants. The Green Park in Kanpur is not the only international cricket stadium in the state. Lucknow is back on the cricket map. With a new cricket stadium being built in Varanasi, the sporting infrastructure is on a boom in the state.
As Lucknow gears up for its most-anticipated cricketing fixture in recent memory, The Indian Express talks to a few individuals who have seen the sport grow in the state over the years to become one of its hotbeds.
Imran and Javed wowed
Ashok Bambi, a former Ranji Trophy cricketer who was the local team manager of the Pakistan cricket team, narrates a story about how the Lucknow crowd and the city left Imran Khan and Javed Miandad in awe.
“It was in 1989 when Pakistan played Sri Lanka in a Nehru Cup match. It was a thriller which Pakistan won by six runs, with Imran playing a masterclass (84 not out). After the toss, Imran and Javed Miandad (who didn’t play that match due to a back spasm) were talking to me. About 99 per cent of the crowd was supporting Pakistan and the stadium was full of Pakistan flags. Imran turned towards me and said ‘Bambi saab, itna support Lahore- Karachi mey nahi milta (We never got such support even in Lahore and Karachi). Miandad jumped in to say ‘Imran, hum Lucknow ko apna home venue bana sakte hai (We can make Lucknow our home venue),” recalls Bambi.
“Imran was intrigued by the support and next day, was hell-bent on experiencing Lucknow. He wanted to see the Shia culture. Security was a massive issue. We finally managed to get three cars. We roamed around all the historical places in Lucknow, he tried the famous galouti kebab and on our way back to the hotel, kept praising the city,” adds Bambi.
Bambi was also the local manager of the Indian team that played a Test in Lucknow against Sri Lanka in 1994. He recalls that more than Sachin Tendulkar’s century and Anil Kumble’s 10-wicket haul, the match was remembered for Navjot Singh Sidhu’s six-hitting.
“Sidhu scored a century and hit five or six sixes against Muthiah Muralitharan. The match ended in three days and Sri Lanka captain Arjuna Ranatunga was fuming about a few umpiring decisions,” laughs Bambi.
The last time an England team came to Lucknow was in 1993 under the captaincy of Graham Gooch to play a three-day practice game against Board President XI.
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“It was so cold that I remember England coach Keith Fletcher shivering. He termed Lucknow’s winter harsher than that in the UK. The match was a trial for Vinod Kambli and Nayan Mongia before the Test series. Kambli retired hurt after being hit on the wrist, while Mongia scored a fifty. Kambli went on to make his Test debut in that series.”
Breaking Mumbai monopoly
Gyanendra Pandey, a former India cricketer and Uttar Pradesh captain, says there is so much talent in the state that it can easily field three teams in the Ranji Trophy.
Pandey, a veteran of 117 first-class matches, bases his opinion on the number of cricketers from the state who have played for the country over the last two decades. Pandey was one of the first from the UP’s golden generation who broke into the Indian side. He was followed by Mohammed Kaif, Suresh Raina, Piyush Chawla, RP Singh, Parveen Kumar, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Kuldeep Yadav and Rinku Singh.
“There is no dearth of talent in UP. We have won the Ranji Trophy, we are always a good team. I won’t be exaggerating if I say that we can easily line up three different playing XIs in the Ranji Trophy,” the former all-rounder says.
“The problem with UP cricket was its infrastructure. Earlier, Green Park was the only place where you had all the facilities and with such a big state, it was not enough. Now things are changing, we have a world-class stadium in my city (Lucknow). One is under construction in Varanasi. There’s one in Greater Noida as well. Cricket will definitely improve,” he adds.
Pandey’s fondest cricketing memory is of Uttar Pradesh defeating Mumbai at the Wankhede Stadium.
“Wo match kranti le ke aaya tha UP cricket mey (That match brought change in Uttar Pradesh cricket). Our mentality was changed. We used to be scared of Mumbai but after that win, the tables turned. We ended Mumbai’s monopoly against us. (Ashish Winston) Zaidi bagged six wickets in the first innings, and Obaid Kamal got five in the second. I scored a century in the first innings and hit the winning run in the second. Best day of my cricketing career, bigger than my international debut,” says Pandey.
“We lost the Ranji final against Karnataka. I led Central Zone to the Duleep and Deodhar Trophy titles. The performances earned me an India call,” he adds.
Rinku, badshah of Aligarh
Rinku Singh is not yet a finished product in international cricket, but has shown glimpses of his potential in Ireland and at the Asian Games.
During the IPL, he grabbed headlines by hitting five sixes in a row in the final over to win a game. Till then, he was known only for playing cameos, but that knock brought the Aligarh lad overnight stardom. Rinku’s breakout season with Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) has earned him recognition as one of the best finishers in T20 cricket.
He says the biggest takeaway from his career is that one should never give up on their dreams.
“Sapne sach hote hai (Dreams do come true). But for that, one should never give up. There is no shortcut in life and cricket. If you love cricket, keep on hustling. The rewards will come.”
Archana Devi learns from Kuldeep
Archana Devi was in tears following the inaugural Women’s Premier League (WPL) auction earlier this year. Despite playing a key role in India’s U-19 World Cup triumph, she went unsold.
“I felt bad. Most of my teammates got picked but I wasn’t,” says Archana, who is currently in Vadodara, playing in the Senior Women’s T20 Trophy.
“My coach, Kapil (Pandey) sir, gave me the example of Kuldeep (Yadav) bhaiya. I have seen Kuldeep bhaiya from close range when he was trying to make a comeback to the India team after injury. He used to work so hard. He is an inspiration,” she says.
Archana credits Kuldeep for motivating her. “Archana tumhe bhi India ke liye khelna hai (Archana, you also have to play for India), he told me once and I just nodded. I also want to play for India. There will be turbulence but I think I can deal with it,” she says.
Archana also seeks inspiration from her mother Savitri Devi, who lost her husband to cancer and a son to a snakebite, and was called a ‘daayan’ (witch).
“When my mother sent me to an all-girls boarding school, my relatives said that she had sent me on the wrong path,” she says.
At 20, Archana had already experienced a lot in life and as her coach Kapil Pandey says “Her upbringing has made her mentally tough. She will be playing for India in a year’s time.” according to the reports published in indianexpress.com .
Tanya Singh, a first from Lucknow
Mohammed Asif Khan, a cricket coach at the KD Singh Babu Stadium, is swamped by more than 100 kids. After dividing them into four units, he turns his attention towards Tanya Singh, a 16-year-old left-arm seamer who became the first woman cricketer in the stadium’s 70-year history to be picked for Uttar Pradesh, at the U-19 level.
Tanya, who idolises Mitchell Starc, hails from Varanasi but moved to Lucknow with her mother and elder sister earlier this year after being spotted by Asif at a school tournament.
“You don’t generally see a left-arm seamer in women’s cricket. When I saw her, I immediately spoke to her father. On my insistence, the family has moved to Lucknow and now are living on rent. Her father is a truck driver in the Indian Army,” says Asif.
