A surprise that BCCI has honoured me: AmarnathVinay Nayudu, TNN 8 December 2009, 01:07am IST
An epitome of courage and conviction, Mohinder Jimmy Amarnath represented India for two glorious decades (1969-1989) wherein he refused to concede to the great fast bowlers of the world. Surviving fiery spells on the field and selection shocks off it, this son of the first post-independence captain of India eventually went on to star in India’s World Cup triumph at the Lord’s in 1983.
On Sunday, the BCCI conferred upon him the Lifetime Achievement award at its annual function. Amarnath spoke to TOI about the honour, his past, present and future, on the occasion. Excerpts...
Your thoughts and feelings on receiving the Lifetime Achievement award?
Nothing really! I am not feeling anything special. Though it’s nice that I am getting something from the BCCI, I have never played for a trophy or medal. I felt I was honoured enough to represent my country. It was perhaps the greatest honour I have experienced. But it is indeed a surprise to receive something like this.
You were known as the ‘King of comebacks’. How did you manage that and what went through your mind every time you were dropped?
It was a tough time, more so when you know that you are better than some of the other guys vying for your place. Yes, it hurt. But, knowing things, I was determined to prove them wrong. It helped me in the sense that I never relaxed or took my place in the side for granted. I didn’t want to look back and fail because the rules then were different for me than what it was for the other players.
You once called the national selection committee a ‘bunch of jokers’. Looking back, do you think you were right in saying that?
Absolutely! I know the truth is often ugly and unpleasant but I didn’t say anything wrong. There was injustice being done to me and things had reached a boiling point. I guess, I said what was right and what I wanted to. I don’t regret it.
Along with Sunil Gavaskar, you were rated as the best player of fast bowling during your time. Was there ever an occasion when you felt intimidated by any fast bowler?
If you think like that then the best thing is to hang up your boots. When you are in the middle of something like that, it is like getting into a battle with fast bowlers. You also go with an aggressive attitude and accept the challenge, or whatever is thrown at you. I’ve always believed that when you stick to your strengths, you make lesser mistakes and don’t think or imagine that somebody is intimidating or is superior to you.
You played several bold and beautiful knocks from Perth to Bridgetown to Lahore. Which are your personal favourites?
I feel, every good knock was very important and very satisfying. It is difficult to pick a particular one. I know there are a few when the bowlers were after me (referring to his centuries and getting hit at Perth and Bridgetown) but when you are playing at that level, you expect these things to happen and you have to be prepared to get hit. That’s how I have played my cricket right from childhood. The good part was that my father made us really rough and tough. Having said that, there have been instances and some fiery spells, like Michael Holding once in Jamaica, but I carry each and every moment of my career with me.
When Clive Lloyd’s West Indies toured India in 1983 you hit a rough patch, scoring five zeroes in six innings. How shocking was that? What went wrong?
Nothing went wrong. I just changed the international code (laughs, referring to his scores of 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 1 in that series) at that time. It was important to start on a high note in every series and for that, one has to do well in the very first game. I don’t know... I didn’t do anything different then, just that I didn’t score runs to start with and the pressure kept adding up. I also got out to a variety of dismissals. Maybe, I was going wrong somewhere and, unfortunately for me, that continued.
The 1983 World Cup victory was a turning point in Indian cricket and you played a crucial role (winning the man-of-the-match awards in both the semi-final and final). Your memories of that triumph?
That was the best time in my career. A year prior to that I was nowhere and also didn’t know if I would be representing the country again, and then I achieved everything in 12 months time. Winning the World Cup is something I will always cherish. The event started like any other tour for us but things clicked at the right time. I feel honoured to be part of that team and I am happy I could contribute in the crucial games.
You played against some of the best fast bowlers in the history of the game. Do you think there are not many genuine pace bowlers in the game today as they were in the 1970s and 80s?
That’s right. During my time, most teams had at least two genuine fast bowlers, if not three or four. Today, the wickets are not definitely as quick as they used to be. They have flattened in most countries, except maybe Australia or South Africa. Earlier, there were no restrictions on the number of bouncers a bowler could bowl, now there is a restriction. Also, now you face one genuine fast bowler in every team but not two, three or four.
There was a time when they kept tossing the Indian captaincy between Sunil Gavaskar and Kapil Dev. Did you ever fancy your chances of leading the country?
I never thought on those lines. I just wanted to be play as long as possible. I just knew that if I had one bad game the selectors would want to drop me, and just that thought kept me on guard always and kept me going. Honestly, captaincy never really bothered me.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/cricket/interviews/A-surprise-that-BCCI-has-honoured-me-Amarnath/articleshow/5312257.cms
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February 07, 2006, 10:38:03 AM