90-year-old ex-Gujarat cricketer Walter D'souza has a reason to visit CCI

Former Gujarat middle order batsman and offspinner Walter DrsquoSouza being introduced to 201617 Ranji Trophywinning skipper Parthiv Patel by team coach Vijay Patel after Day Four of the Irani Cup against Rest of India at Brabourne Stadium yesterday PicSuresh KarkeraNinetyyearold Walter DrsquoSouzarsquos afternoons are spent resting But he was happy to lose his sleep to be at the Cricket Club of India CCIacircAcircAcircu00c2u0080AcircAcircu00c2u0088yesterdayThe former Gujarat batsman was at the Brabourne Stadium to congratulate the Gujarat players for their recent Ranji Trophy triumph However they were on the field trying to get through the broad blades of Rest of Indiarsquos Cheteshwar Pujara and Wriddhiman Saha in the Irani Cup DrsquoSouza figured in Gujaratrsquos maiden Ranji Trophy final mdash against the formidable Holkar team at Indore mdash in 1951 He and Jyotindra Shodhan 92 are the only surviving members of that team which lost the final by 189 runsWalter DrsquoSouza in the Gujarat playersrsquo enclosure with the Irani Cup in front of him at the Cricket Club of IndiaacircAcircAcircu00c2u0080AcircAcircu00c2u0088yesterdaySpecial inviteeThrough the efforts of former Gujarat Cricket Association Jt Secretary Hitesh Patel an invitation to be with the team was extended to DrsquoSouza by Gujarat coach Vijay Patel Vijay left his seat near the dressing room and arrived at the CCI reception area to receive DrsquoSouza who was accompanied by his daughter Marina Rebello in the posttea session of the matchWith her dad entrenched in cricket talk near the dressing room Marina sat near the card tables watching her first cricket match from close range She also had the pleasure of seeing her father on a television set at the clubIn the playersrsquo enclosure DrsquoSouza chatted with Vijay and Prof Ratnakar Shetty BCCIrsquos General Manager Game Development ldquoIt was a pleasure talking to these gentleman I stressed to Vijay how sportsmanship should be drilled into the youngsters I gave him an example of how I hooked a ball from a Services bowler and was caught at first slip during the semifinal of the 195051 Ranji Trophy at Ahmedabad The umpire had not given me out but I walked I was scolded by one of the Gujarat administrators for walking but I told him I was out and that was the only fair thing to dordquo said DrsquoSouzaThe best part of DrsquoSouzarsquos visit was when he met the Gujarat team on the turf after the dayrsquos play He was introduced to each member of the team and when it came to the captain DrsquoSouza told Parthiv ldquoI told a journalist that you had the guts and ability to win the Ranji Trophy final and you proved me right Well donerdquolsquoFight till the endrsquoDrsquoSouza knew fully well that Gujarat were not favourites to clinch the Irani Cup due to the batting brilliance of Pujara and Saha but he urged the team to fight till the endAnd as he left the hallowed Brabourne Stadium turf for his Khar residence he told Vijay ldquoI am very proud to have played for Gujarat We donrsquot want anything but keep in touchrdquoCome to think of it Gujarat did well yesterday They made an old unheralded probably forgotten cricketer feel like a kid in a candy store