Polly Umrigar’s March 28 birth centenary needs to be celebrated by the bodies he served in more than just a few capacities
Polly Umrigar checking a file as Executive Secretary at the then BCCI office at Brabourne Stadium. PIC/MID-DAY ARCHIVES
Polly Umrigar, after whom a gate has been named at the Wankhede Stadium, is remembered each time the BCCI holds its awards function; the Polly Umrigar Award given to the Best Men’s International Cricketer. The former India captain, who served in several capacities, should be all the more remembered now as his birth centenary falls on March 28. Vinoo Mankad, the other cricketing great, who like Umrigar (affectionately nicknamed Polly Kaka) called Mumbai his home, is honoured at adjoining gate of the Wankhede Stadium.
Mankad’s birth centenary was not marked in 2017 despite the BCCI being alerted about it then. BCCI’s reputation of being indifferent and uninclined to celebrate historic occasions will take a further beating if Umrigar is not honoured at the time of his birth centenary. The Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) must celebrate it too.
Before the Sunil Gavaskar era began, Umrigar laid claim to most career Test runs by an Indian player (3631), most centuries (12), most Tests (59). And his 223 against New Zealand in Hyderabad in 1955 made him India’s first double centurion. Umrigar’s association with the game didn’t conclude with the end of his first-class career. He got involved pitch preparation, selecting Mumbai and India teams, managing the India team on the tours of New Zealand and West Indies in 1975-76 as well as the Australia tour of 1977-78. He helped immensely in getting the Wankhede Stadium ready in 1974-75 and apart from preparing pitches for several Test matches there, devoted time in the ground work at Dilip Vengsarkar’s academy at the Oval Maidan and other important grounds. To say he was meticulous is as obvious as saying that he was an asset to any team he played for. I remember entering his living room at his Sportsfield (Worli) home with a copy of his cricketing CV, written in pencil on the table where he wanted to be interviewed.
Over the years, I got to hear some fascinating stories about this six-feet-plus cricket giant, from people who were associated with him and my few conversations with him.
Read on…
>> Hailing from Solapur, Umrigar was coached by Tehmul and Jehangir Nagarvala. In the book Some India Cricketers, former Test batsman Rusi Modi mentioned that Umrigar, who was coached by BE Kapadia at Mumbai’s St Xavier’s College, also excelled in football and hockey. Umrigar once told me that he visited his Solapur school long after his school days only to discover a window that was shattered courtesy his big hit, was in the same state. Did they let the window look the same for posterity, I wondered?
>> At St Xavier’s College, a senior player apprised the college coach of a flaw in Umrigar’s technique. The coach shot back: “Don’t touch him. He’s giving you results. What more do you want to teach him?”
>> In 1999, he authored a For-Private-Circulation-Only book titled Cricket with Polly Umrigar. The 36-page book included batting, bowling, and fielding tips. Physical fitness, captaincy, and equipment were other topics covered in the book. “Captaincy is the highest honour which the game has to bestow and it entails heavy responsibilities,” he wrote.
>> Umrigar captained India in eight Tests. For the ninth — against the West Indies at Chennai — he wanted a batsman to replace the injured Vijay Manjrekar. To his dismay, Umrigar learnt that the then BCCI president Rathibai Patel wanted off-spinner Jasu Patel. Umrigar stuck to his guns and when he discovered he wouldn’t have his way, he resigned as captain. Vinoo Mankad led the team in a series during which India were led by four different captains — Umrigar (first Test), Ghulam Ahmed (second and third), Vinoo Mankad (fourth) and Hemu Adhikari (fifth).
>> Young talented cricketers were always encouraged by Umrigar. He too found encouragement from a great cricketer like West Indies’ George Headley. After smashing a century for All India Universities against the touring West Indians in 1948-49, Headley told him that he has a great future in the game. Umrigar made his India debut that very season.
>> He had a poor England tour of 1952 and Umrigar’s detractors felt he was suspect against fast bowling. Rookie Fred Trueman and old pro Alec Bedser dismissed him often and his highest score in seven innings was just 14. “I said to myself this won’t do. [On the next tour] I got 560 runs in five Tests,” he told me in an interview.
>> Employed by the Associated Cement Companies, Umrigar played for the star-studded side long after he had enough of first-class cricket. A few days after returning from Australia where he managed Bishan Singh Bedi’s team on a long tour, Umrigar turned out for ACC along with Sunil Gavaskar.
>> One would assume that Umrigar would have a smooth passage through the Polly Umrigar Gate. But he, along with fellow India player and Sportsfield Apartments neighbour Bapu Nadkarni, were made to wait like other spectators while attending the India vs England ODI in 2002. Umrigar and Nadkarni were able to enter smoothly only after some journalists told the police that the gate was named after Umrigar.
mid-day’s Deputy Editor Clayton Murzello is a purist with an open stance.
He tweets @ClaytonMurzello. Send your feedback to mailbag@mid-day.com
The views expressed in this column are the individual’s and don’t represent those of the paper.
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