Should Mumbai cricket return to class?

Dilip Vengsarkarrsquos recent views in this newspaper on how the lack of emphasis on CollegeUniversity cricket is hurting Mumbai cricket attracted much attention amongst the cricketing fraternityOn the day the piece appeared Monday several cricketers recalled their collegiate cricket days and underlined the significance University cricket had on the Indian ecosystem as against the present scenario where several colleges donrsquot encourage cricket too much and yet have a vote when it comes to the Mumbai Cricket Association electionsA conflicting view should always be welcome and former Mumbai captain Shishir Hattangadi who was part of the CollegeUniversity cricket thrust and has seen the contemporary side said on Facebook ldquoUniversities are now for academics gone are the days where cricketers wanted to go to college and pursue cricket If they do enrol itrsquos for academicsrdquoCollegeUniversity cricket has diminished in significance and agegroup cricket has gained prominence to be one of the conveyor belts of talent in Mumbai cricketWhether this shift in emphasis is the real cause for Mumbai cricket experiencing a meltdown on Indiarsquos domestic circuit is something that is open for debate Definitely there are other factors too In my opinion a competitive club cricket structure goes hand in hand with domestic progressVengsarkar pointing to the benefits of collegiate cricket has merit and I canrsquot help reminiscing the time when cricket at that level brought about awareness excitement and even jobs for cricketersProminent coaches became synonymous with the colleges they coached and vice versa Vithal lsquoMarshalrsquo Patil was known as a Dadar Union Sporting Club stalwart who claimed a record 759 wickets in the Kanga League But his association with Podar College as their cricket coach was equally impactful Marshal Patilrsquos nets were intense The several Podar cricketers Irsquove spoken to on my Mumbai cricket podcast have all told me how beneficial the early morning college nets held under the watchful eyes of Patil were to their cricketing development Patil contributed in no small measure by ushering in young Podar players to the Dadar Union fold Same was the case with Hemu Dalvi another departed swing bowling exponent whose Jhunjunwala College wards were given the opportunity to represent big clubs In later years former Test stumper Naren Tamhane guided Rizvi Collegersquos cricket Ajit Wadekar old timers reckon was a finished product thanks to the coaching he received from his Ruia College coach PK lsquoJoersquo KamatAnd how can one not mention that fascinating nugget about the great allrounder Vinoo Mankad being exIndia opener Madhav Aptersquos coach at Elphinstone College and then both of them opening the innings for India at Brabourne Stadium against Pakistan in 1952 In fact Apte who was a legspin bowler was asked if he would open the batting by Mankad at the Elphinstone College nets Mankad coached Elphinstone for a few years from 1948 yes while playing for India for R600 a season according to Apte in his book As Luck Would Have It Who wouldnrsquot want to be a fly on a cricket coffin as Mankad conducted those netsIn my local cricket clippings file there are various reports which reflect the important role college cricket played in a different era in Mumbai cricketBombay University who Vengsarkar feels is not contributing much to city cricket now used to get a chance to field a team in local tournaments Under the headline lsquoLost Ball Fetches 7 Runsrsquo therersquos a report late 1960s which reads ldquoKiran Ashar then a future Mumbai Ranji Trophy wicketkeeperbatsman who opened the innings for Bombay University with skipper Sudhir Naik then a future Mumbai Ranji Trophywinning captain and India opener in their tie against Mahindras in the KC Mahindra Memorial Invitation Shield Cricket Tournament at the Azad Maidan on Saturday shaped well to score in the firstwicket stand of 64 but included in his score was a seven and a six And he did not use any undue force to hit those strokes At the roadend of the Parsi Cyclists ground the PWD contractor has left a big growth of the grass and both Kiranrsquos strokes went in it Twice in 15 minutes the ball was lsquolostrsquo in it On the first occasion the batsmen ran for a seven and the second time the fielder declared the ball lost and the umpire gave six runs to Kiranrdquo In a playtofinish game the toss of the coin decided the winner Mahindras finished with 1627 in response to Bombay Universityrsquos 235 Naik who passed away last April at the age of 78 called right for the result to go in his teamrsquos favourThe University team were not so lucky on November 5 1967 when as defending champions they were tossed out in the Police Shield semifinal by Parsi Gymkhana at the neighbouring PJ Hindu Gymkhana The University XI ended with 2426 with Ramesh Nagdev then a Ranji Trophy player for Gujarat smashing 59 and Ashar getting 90 Earlier Parsi Gymkhana with Test players Nari Contractor and Rusi Surti in their ranks scored 250Apart from skill toughness was also on display in full measure at the CollegeUniversity level In November 1967 Siddharthrsquos Kiran Adhikari was hit by St Xavierrsquos Kailash Gattani on the head at the Bombay Gymkhana during the intercollege semifinal The cut required six stitches after which Adhikari returned to the Bombay Gymkhana and padded up in case he was needed to help Siddharth surpass St Xavierrsquos 186 But Siddharth got home with seven wickets to spare thanks to Asharrsquos 104 not out and skipper Ramesh Manjrekarrsquos unbeaten 44 Adhikari told me on Wednesday that he got a hundred in Siddharthrsquos titlewinning game against Ruia College at the Brabourne Stadium a few days after his injuryTalking about injury Mumbai cricket is wounded And if the revival of CollegeUniversity cricket will make a difference then change must come in soon irrespective of how doomsayers view the coming Ranji Trophy season or how positive the optimists aremiddayrsquos group sports editor Clayton Murzello is a purist with an open stanceHe tweets ClaytonMurzello Send your feedback to mailbagmiddaycomThe views expressed in this column are the individualrsquos and donrsquot represent those of the paper