Kaka's roles were stupendous

Mumbai will have a new Ranji Trophy coach this season and the key to success would be how he gets the best out of the available talentMumbai has not exactly given their senior team coaches a long rope The most prominent case of probable regret is Chandrakant Pandits exit despite guiding the team to the final of the national championships in 201617 Pandit was then hired by Vidarbha and has enjoyed smashing success mdash two Ranji Trophy and Irani Cup titles eachAshok Mankad who happened to mentor Pandit at Mafatlal Sports Club was also a victim of the need to change when he was replaced in 2001 after one unsuccessful season post the Ranji Trophy triumph of 2000 Mankad who passed away on this day 11 years ago at the age of 61 played 22 Tests for India without much success 991 runs but he attracted the best accolades for the big runs he scored on the domestic cricket circuit the astute captaincy he displayed while leading Mumbai and his office team and the manner in which he mentored players Some felt he was the shrewdest captain not to have led IndiaThe ones Kaka as he was affectionately known since he was a huge fan of film star Rajesh Khanna taught the finer points of the game to swear by his methods and his people management skills would gain an A grade appraisal in any fieldAs mentioned earlier he didnt glow in glory as a Test player but he helped in the emergence of a host of Mumbaibased India players while being the bulwark of Mumbai batting till the last of his 20 firstclass seasons in 198283Ask Pandit clearly the best domestic cricket coach in India today and hell tell you how Mankad picked him as captain of a starstudded Mafatlal side while traveling in a train to Chennai for the Buchi Babu tournament during the early 1980s Pandit told me yesterday that he was stunned by Kakas decision simply because he was still a teenager and only in his second or third year at MafatlalSandeep Patil was another stalwart who was a beneficiary of Mankads presence in the Mumbai setup Mankad was Patils first Ranji Trophy captain 197576The flamboyant middleorder batsman was ravaged by a personal problem and loss of form during the first half of the 1982 tour of England He had already decided to quit cricket when he received a letter from Mankad who reminded him that people will not remember the runs he scores but the human being in him so he should not worry and carry on Patil scored a hundred in the next Test at Manchester I had the good fortune of interacting with Mankad regularly even before he became Mumbai coach in 1999 His contemporaries and juniors waxed eloquent on his leadership skills but he rarely spoke about himself But on the day before his benefit match in 1995 he told me I assessed myself and realised that I could never emulate my father no matter what I did So I just went out and did my best I fought my own battles He felt there were people who targeted him because they couldnt have a go at his father the legendary former allrounder VinooMankads best series for India was the 196970 home contest against the Australians When fast bowler Graham McKenzie rocked Indias boat to have the hosts reeling at 42 for three at the start of the opening Test in Mumbais Brabourne Stadium Mankad and his skipper MAK Pataudi put on a India v Australia record fourth wicket stand of 146 Ashok Mankad surprisingly walked in at number three He did not display the slightest hint of nerves and impressed everyone with his fine technique wrote Rajan Bala in his book Kiwis and KangaroosMankad was asked to open the innings in the next Test at Kanpur where he scored 64 and 68 And had it not been for a smart catch at leg trap by Doug Walters off Ashley Mallett he would have earned his maiden Test hundred at Delhi He was dismissed for 97 which played a role in India storming back in the series He scored some useful runs in the Trinidad and Georgetown Tests on the 1971 West Indies tour but couldnt cope with the testing conditions during the following series in EnglandI did not have a fixed batting position I never felt important in the side When I was picked in one Test I wondered whether I would be in the side for the next Mankad told meMankad also accepted his failures In the same interview he told me how gutted he was for failing in all three Tests against England in 1971 He also admitted that he let down a lot of people who thought I had more ability In the same breath he emphasised that there was always sincerity in his effortA chunk of his 12980 firstclass runs were scored for Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy but Mankads contribution to city cricket went beyond big runs And although his stint as Mumbai coach could have been more rewarding he infused a lot of good cheer in the Mumbai dressing room We had so many discussions he was so full of humour is what Sachin Tendulkar said on this day 11 years ago Ashok Vinoo Kaka Mankad was a hardnosed cricketer and a lovable offfield character He shouldntbe forgottenmiddays group sports editor Clayton Murzello is a purist with an open stance He tweets ClaytonMurzello Send your feedback to mailbagmiddaycomThe views expressed in this column are the individuals and dont represent those of the paperCatch up on all the latest Crime National International and Hatke news here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates