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[dhruvdeepak]

http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/india/content/current/story/251193.html

Budhi Kunderan dies at the age of 66

Cricinfo staff

June 23, 2006

Budhi Kunderan, the former Indian wicketkeeper, has died at the age of 66. He was suffering from lung cancer.

An aggressive but unorthodox batsman who was highly skilled with the gloves, Kunderan made his Test debut against Australia in 1959-60 without having played a single first-class match. Incidentally, he even opened the bowling for India in a Test in England in 1967 when India's fast bowling reserves were at a bare minimum. In all, Kunderan played 18 Tests and scored 981 runs at 32.70 with two hundreds and three fifties. Against England in 1963-64, he became the first wicketkeeper in history to pass 500 runs for a Test series.

Disillusioned by the politics in Indian cricket, Kunderan quit the country at the age of 30. In the early 1980s, Kunderan played for Scotland in the Benson and Hedges Cup in England. Kunderan had resided in Scotland since the turn of the 1970s.

© Cricinfo

[dhruvdeepak]

Rahul Bhattacharya Interview -

http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/india/content/current/story/251194.html

Budhi Kunderan, the former Indian wicketkeeper, passed away recently at the age of 66. Cricinfo looks back at a selection of memories from Kunderan, who spoke to Rahul Bhattacharya two years ago about cricket, rivalries, politics and matters of the heart.

Cricket's been my love. It's been my life. It's how I met my wife.

I read somewhere that I was a product of India's mass-coaching scheme. I have never been coached in my life. We learned our cricket by watching the big cricketers play in the maidans. We learned by making mistakes.

I always wanted to score as quick as possible. I always wanted to entertain the crowds. I always played as I played in the maidan. I was a confident young man.

My father didn't like me playing cricket. Without telling him, my mother altered his trousers and shirt and gave me my first whites. I scored 219 in my first time on a cricket pitch. My father saw my picture in the papers the next day.

The first Test I played, I had to borrow gloves from Naren Tamhane, who I replaced. I didn't have a proper pair of my own. All five days of that match I slept in the open in Bombay's Azad maidan, because the neighbours at home would make too much noise.

The second Test I played, I scored about 16 runs in the first over, opening the batting. The Australian commentator Michael Charlton came to me and said `Do you realise you're playing Test cricket?'

Cricket's taught me that life is a team game. To survive in life, you've got to back each other, you've got to help each other; it's a give and take.

I credit Lala Amarnath with building the bright young team of the sixties. He wasn't the type of selector who would go for only the `correct' players.

Salim Durani was a great, great cricketer. He could have been the greatest allrounder we ever produced. But he wasn't a very stable person. And a little lazy.

Pataudi, in my view, wasn't a players' captain. He was aloof and domineering. I think Jaisimha was very unlucky not to become Indian captain.

Farokh Engineer and I had a healthy rivalry. We had a similar attitude to life, to cricket, and we shared rooms on tours. But I average one point more than him. That means something to me.

I've even opened the bowling and batting in a Test match. When the captain asked me `What do you bowl?' I said `I don't know.'

Chandrasekhar was the hardest spinner I kept to, especially on wet wickets. Bedi had a beautiful action. But no one can really compare to Vinoo Mankad.

I think keepers today are more agile than in my time. Parthiv is a natural keeper, but he has to cool down. Players today, when they catch the ball they react as if they've never caught a ball before.

The best part about touring is making friends. You want to remember. And you want to be remembered. I still get letters from people I've met 40-45 years ago. To me that's what it's all about.

I met my wife on the England tour of 1967. In those days we'd save our allowance of a pound a day so after two weeks we could afford a new bat.

My family is my biggest happiness. My wife is my greatest joy.

I was disgusted with the cricket politics here so I quit at 30. And when my company refused to give me leave to play league cricket in Scotland, I just moved for good. I played for Scotland at 42.

The biggest challenge of my life was establishing myself in a strange country. You land up there with nothing in your pocket and you got to start your life again with a wife and a kid.

I get the feeling this will be my last trip to India. I'm here to say goodbye to my homeland.

I'd like to be remembered as someone who enjoyed his life and his cricket. As an entertainer. As a jolly good fella. `Nice to have a friend like Budhi.' That kind of thing.

[achutank]

my dad whenever he talks about the good glory days of the cricket in  the 50s and 60s, with the packed lunch from homes and the black umbrellas in the stands, always mentions the great kunderan.the crowds loved him. he played for them. i think there is a calypso about him too. what a player they say. sixes on demand and he used to stand up to the stumps for the very first delivery of the match. oh the crowds used to roar with delight when he did that. there a couple of match saving innings in his career. was quite a fighter they say.

the present bunch of whiners can learn a bit of being a man from him.

[k-slice]

from what i know Sunil gavaskar is the only player to have a calypso written about him.

[achutank]

Shashi Tharoor on Budhi Kunderan:

"I remember being taken by my father to my first-ever Test match, in Bombay in late 1963, when a much weaker English side than the present one was touring. I shall never forget the exhilaration of watching India's opening batsman and wicket-keeper, Budhi Kunderan, smite a huge six over midwicket, follow it soon after with another blow that just failed to carry across the rope, and then sky a big shot in a gigantic loop over mid-on. As it spiralled upward, Kunderan began running; when the ball was caught by an English fielder, he hurled his bat in the air, continued running, caught it as it came down, and ran into the pavilion. I was hooked for life."

[k-slice]

and why does what shashi tharoor, someone who was a nobody till yesterday, say affesct you oh mighty dink warrior?

[achutank]

and why does what shashi tharoor, someone who was a nobody till yesterday, say affesct you oh mighty dink warrior?

hark sir, tread lightly. you know not what you spake. this aforsesaid gentleman has the priviledge of writing a volume, accepted by many for its sparkling wit and diverse comment. the issue though sir kslice is not who said what, but the recollection of a golden oldie of times ancient when cricket were played by fair knights to the roar of the serf.

like you sir do too to the roar of the surf.

[k-slice]

dudeliness,
i am sure there aremany more volumes written about this godly personality. feel free to quote those . your dads memory for one. me, but a humble servant of good reading , would rather have an insight from your dads views rather than from mr tharoor. but since you have already posted the patriarchs views might you consider posting what kofi annan has to say? jokes apart maybe what players of his era have to say about him? he was one much before my time hence it is but your posts that might bring the sunshine out and get the surf rolling in my quest of cathing a good wave of knowledge without which i will surely be lesser for it.

[Blwe_torch]

my humble homage to the lively old man of Indian cricket..............long live Budhi Kunderan!
The rare cricketer ....who openned both bowling and batting for India....and also kept wickets!!
Find out another one like this in the whole world........if you can!