'My Omission Has Been Indian Cricket's Loss'

Chepauk in Chennai has been witness to several stunning cricketingperformances from Indians as well as foreigners. It's here that one of the mostfascinating exhibitions of leg-spin bowling was seen in 1988.

Even though the pitch was tailor made for spinners, it called for specialtalent to run through a batting line-up as strong as the one at Vivian Richards'command. Narendra Hirwani, the bespectacled leggie, had it in abundance.

He made the calypso charmers hop and dance and left them singing a differenttune altogether. Not just once but twice in the match -- 8 for 61 and 8 for 75.And that too on his maiden appearance in the heavyweight division of cricket. Ano mean feat by any count. Only Bob Massie had tasted such sweet success on Testdebut. The Aussie did it at Lord's in 1972-73.

No one expected Hirwani to come up with such startling performances every nowand then. But nobody had imagined that this gifted cricketer from Indore wouldsink into oblivion so soon after such a good start. Barring the1989 home seriesagainst the Kiwis, in which he took 20 wickets at 19.50, all subsequent displaysby Hirwani have proved to be anti-climax.

No doubt leg-spinners can be a luxury at times and they shouldn't always bejudged by statistics alone. But so consistent has been Hirwani's failure thatyou can't help mentioning them in his case. In the West Indies in 1989 heclaimed 6 wickets at 57.50 in 3 Tests. In 3 Tests each in New Zealand andEngland the following year he bagged 6 wickets at 51.50 and 9 wickets 65.44respectively. He was taken to Australia in 1991-92 but wasn't played in any ofthe five Tests.

In no time he was replaced by Anil Kumble when India embarked on its firstever tour to South Africa in 1992-93 after the rainbow nation was readmitted tothe international fold. Kumble bowled well on hard and bouncy wickets and won richpraise from those whose comments count.

The Karnatakaleggie cemented his place in the team by playing a key role in India's 3-0series win against England in 1993 and shut the door on Hirwani. In a way,Kumble's rise coincided with the decline in Hirwani's success, if not class.

Hirwani made several comebacks but never performed extraordinarily. However, only17 Tests and 66 wickets at 30.11 don't do any justice to an exceptionallytalented leggie like Hirwani.

Today Hirwani's dream, nay world, lies shattered. Continual"injustice" and "suffering" and "deliberateefforts" by the bigwigs of Indian cricket not to "recognise" hisgenius and give him his due have made him a bitter, "disillusioned"man. He believes there's a "conspiracy" to keep him"constantly" out of the team.

A simple, cheerful soul, Hirwani has now begun calling a spade a bloodyshovel. He spares none, not even Saurav Ganguly and John Wright. In thefollowing interview, he opens up, bares his heart and gives vent to hissuppressed feelings. Excerpts:

You are getting a bit long in the tooth. Do you still have hopes ofdonning the national colours again?

Yes, I'm still hopeful. What matters is your performance, not your age. Ofcourse, I've reached the stage of my career where I've to take a finaldecision. If I am to play for the country again it has to happen within the next two years. So I'll wait for another twoyears and then call it quits. But considering the talent that I have, I think theloss is not actually mine but Indian cricket's.

I was so disappointed when we let England off the hook in the recent series.They're not an awe-inspiring side and yet we could beat them in one Test only.Our spinners failed to exploit the wickets and expose the Englishmen's weaknessagainst slow bowling.

We played poor cricket. If they had played me in the side, I'd have flummoxedthe English batsmen repeatedly. How could we allow them to leave the Indianshores without surrendering the series 3-0 to us? All things considered, I've afeeling that it's not India but England which actually won the rubber. It's ahuge achievement for Nasser Hussain and Co.

You came agonisingly close to making yet another comeback againstAustralia last year when Kumble was out of the team, nursing his shoulder injury.What went wrong in the end?

It was a farce and the dramatis personae comprised all the leading"players"of Indian cricket. How else can I describe it? After all, it wasn't withoutreason that they had suddenly summoned me to the conditioning camp in Chennai.They had taken into account my skills, my reputation and my ability to bowlsuccessfully against the famed Australian batsmen.

Remember, I wasn't even among the probables in the first place. And I hadn'tdone anything startling with the ball either. No, they didn't invite me for apicnic with the stars of Indian cricket. They knew what I was capable of whenarmed with a ball. So there I was, bowling against the likes of Sachin Tendulkar,Rahul Dravid,DSaurav Ganguly and others for hours on end.

How did they react to your bowling?

They were simply mesmerised and couldn't help marvelling at my bowling. Therewere many spinners, including Sairaj Bahutule, bowling against Tendulkar but Iwas the only one who troubled him. He praised my bowling and told me Ishould be playing in the first Test in Mumbai.

Coming as it did from the world's best batsman who had devastated Shane Warne,among others, I even rang up my wife in the evening, saying I was actually goingto play in the Test series.

What did John Wright say?

He said: "Why has this player been kept out of the team allthese years. He's such a good bowler." And Wright should have known. Not onlyhad he seen me baffle Tendulkar and others in the camp, but he himself had fallenprey to me on several occasions during his own playing days.

What about Saurav Ganguly?

He assured me well before the team was announced that I was playing all thethree Tests. He was so impressed. In fact, all those who faced me in the camphad only good words for me. They said: "Very well bowled, Hiru, youshould be in the team."

So you went to Mumbai for the first Test in a cheerful mood?

Yes. I was in a state of ecstasy since the coach, the captain and evenTendulkar were backing me to the hilt. I told myself that a captain should belike Ganguly, who seemed to have more confidence in my capability. He wasencouraging enough to assure me in advance about my inclusion in the playing XI.

His attitude made me completely tension-free and I began looking forward toplaying all the three Tests. But I didn't know I had been only flattering myselfto be deceived.

What were your feelings when you came to know minutes before the Test wasto commence that you had been left out of the playing XI?

I couldn't believe it. I was shell-shocked. Ironically, during the teammeeting it was I who advised the other spinners how to bowl. After HarbhajanSingh was hit all over the ground by the Aussies because he was not bowling inthe rough, Wright made a rough on one of the practice wickets and told Harbhajanand the rest of us to bowl exactly there.

I was the most spot-on. Everybody is aware, including Wright, of my abilityto bowl right on the spot. (Nayan Mongia admitted during the recent DuleepTrophy match between Central Zone and West Zone at Rajkot, that "asusual" Hirwani was "sharp" on the spot.) Wright seemed to realisethat he had made a mistake by not playing me. He came to me and said:"Hiru, you are playing the next Test."

But there was no place for you in the second Test either?

Yes. Not even after I took 8 wickets in the Board President's XI versusAustralia game on a flat wicket in Delhi. Here, too, they didn't give me thebest bowler's award but to the one who had taken 5 wickets. I've nothingagainst that bowler or any other player for that matter. But it seems to methere're certain forces out to persecute me one way or the other.

I tend to believe that the selectors, including the captain and the coach,committed four mistakes and made a laughing stock of themselves.

• Theyincluded me in the Test squad, created waves and triggered a lot of publicexpectations.
• They didn't play me in the Mumbai Test.
• They picked me inthe Board President's XI against Australia and I responded by taking 8 wicketsin that match in Delhi.
• They overlooked my performance and did not includeme in the team for the remaining two Tests either.

It's altogether a different story that Harbhajan reaped a richharvest in Kolkata and Chennai. Of course, I told him later that he was luckythat "others" were bowling with him. He wouldn't have taken as many wicketshad I played in the series.

Ganguly also played in that Delhi match. Didn't he say anything about the"special" treatment meted out after he had promised you the moon?

Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Why, he was even unable to look me into the eye.Wright did say a token "sorry" afterwards. But I told the Kiwi, in Ganguly's presence, what I thought of him."All of you are the same." You can confirm this with him."You've come from another country. You know nothing about India and Indians.Please don't trust others or believe in what they say about me. You just watchme in action and have trust in whatever I say. You give me only one chance. I'llprove my ability and take more than five wickets," I told him. He didn'tsay anything and kept nodding his head.

Wright isn't the only person who selects the Indian team. There're othersalso?

I know. But he could have used his influence, especially after he wasso happy with my bowling. The fact is he has become like the rest of theIndians. He's also concerned about his chair. Had he been honest and true to hisword, he would have played me. But why he should speak for a poor chaplike Hirwani. It's better to speak for others and make firmer his position inIndian cricket. What will he gain by speaking for me?

Aren't you afraid that such outbursts of anger may spoil any chances youmay still have of representing India again?

I don't care. I've endured a lot, suffered a lot, and I can't any more. Howlong can one tolerate unjustified atrocity and torture? I must let the worldknow what exactly is happening to me and how I'm being taken for a ride. If Idon't speak for myself, who will? I'm disillusioned with the mediaas well. They, too, seem to take sides and hardly or never portray the true picture.

You tell me what my crime is. Since they can't find fault in my bowling, theykeep harping about my so-called bad fielding. I'm not that poor a fielder as I'm made out tobe. In fact, I'm at least safer, if not sharp and spectacular, than many in thepresent Indian team! I've seen so many players in the Indian team who supportyou less but never miss any opportunity to criticise. The seniors inparticular should encourage and support the less experienced in all possibleways.

Why do you think you are being treated like this?

I don't know. Maybe because I'm too simple and haven't mastered the PRskills. Perhaps I don't have a good face. Maybe because I come from a seeminglypoor cricketing state with no godfather to speak of. I'm convinced that these factorsare more important in Indian cricket today than your expertise.

I don't know how to flatter those who matter in Indian cricket and seem to believe that cricket is played only inMumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, Kolkata and Delhi. Why don't our selectors play twoleg-spinners on a regular basis?

I remember playing alongside Kumble in the rain-affected Cuttack Test againstNew Zealand in 1995-96. In their only innings they made 172 for 8 in 88 overs. Itook 6 wickets, Kumble 1 and Lee Germon was run out. Our selectors continue toprefer mediocres to Hirwani even at the cost of the pride and prestige of Indiancricket.

Even when Kumble was not available for a considerably long time in recentyears, they didn't deem it fit to give me my rightful place in the Indian team.I've already lost so many precious years without any fault of mine.

So how do you expect to stage a comeback in such a scenario?

I've full faith in God. And I've confidence in my own ability. How long canyou ignore class and quality performances? I'll keep playing; and performing. Isay give me one last chance to prove my worth all over again. And if Idon't take 5 wickets, drop me for good. I'll then tell people that I was givenan opportunity but I failed to grab it.

They have given chances to so many players to "pass" the test. I say give me a chance to "fail" the test. But they know that if given a chance, I'll prove how wrong they wereby ignoring me.

If I can take 8 Australian wickets on a deadDelhi pitch, you can imagine what I can do on a turning track. But still theykeep talking about my fielding -- "Yaar, Hirwani bahut kharab fielder hai."Why don't they talk about my bowling? All our past and present players appreciate my bowling.

They tell me how good I am but they don't say the same in public or in the media. Aren't they doing the same withNayan Mongia today? I think it's a sin to keep such an enormously talented wicketkeeper like him out ofthe team. If this isn't 'tanashahi', what else is it?

Here is my open challenge. Play Tendulkar against me anywhere in the world. For there is no better batsman of leg-spin bowling. I'll bowl at him.Telecast it live and let the whole world see how I bowl against the world's best batsman. If you've stillhave doubts about my class, ask Tendulkar. He rates my bowling very highly.

Are you a leggie from the beginning itself? Have you ever tried to bowl something else?

I've always been a leg-spinner. It comes so naturally to me. I didn't try to emulateanyone. Nobody has ever advised or suggested me to change to any other form ofbowling.

You were known for very hard work in your salad days. Exactly how many hours a day did you exercise, play andpractice?

I was mad about cricket. It surprises me today that I used to work in the field and gym for 12 to 15 hours a day. You may not believe but it is truethat I had the skill and stamina to do 10,000 skips without stopping. Youconfirm this with Kapil Dev. I had won a bet with him in New Zealand in 1990 by doing 5000 skips at a stretch.

I've always been very hard-working at whatever I do, save studies in which I was terribly poor. I neveraccept defeat easily. Not even today. So long as there's "jaan" in my body, I'll try my utmost to play for India again.

Let's take a trip down memory lane and recall your heady days. What were your feelings whenyou were selected to represent India in Test cricket? Were you surprised because things began to happen too soon in your career?

I was delighted but not surprised at my selection. I would tire my family, my friends and all those willing to listen to me by saying that I'dplay for the country one day. I was so certain. There were people who laughed me away. But I was very confident.Self-confidence has always been one of my virtues.

I used to tell my coach Sanjay Jagdale that whenever I got to play for the country, I would celebrate the event bytaking at least five wickets. Before taking the field in Cuttack against the Kiwis in 1995-96, I had sent a chit to coach Ajit Wadekar through physio AliIrani.

I had asked him to open it after I reached the ground. When I took 6 wickets, Wadekar told all the members of the team that I had promised inwriting to scalp at least 5 victims in the New Zealand innings. It showed my confidence. I had promised the same number of wickets to my teammates when Iplayed for the Board President's XI against the Aussies last year.

You enjoyed a fairly good series against New Zealand in 1989 but were found wanting in the Caribbean later that year?

A problem had suddenly cropped up in my action after the series against the Kiwis. As if that were not enough, I went to the West Indies carrying aknee injury. But I kept playing regardless for the sake of my team.

One of my teammates even said that I was afraid of losing my place in the side andthat's why I had been playing at the risk of aggravating my knee trouble. It was a silly comment todiscourage a newcomer like me. I underwent an operation on my return from the tour.

You didn't have memorable tours to New Zealand and England in 1990 and, worse still, you didn't get to play a single Test down under in 1991-1992.What exactly happened?

I was selected mainly for the Test series in Australia but instead I was played in a couple of one-dayers in the triangular World Seriestournament featuring Australia, India and West Indies. This is how it goes in Indian cricket. Neither captain Mohammed Azharuddin nor manager Abbas AliBaig bothered to explain why I was being kept out of the Test team.

In those days they hardly used to play me in the one-dayers. But I'll relate an interesting incident. I had a goodrapport with ALi Irani and used to share my feelings with him. I asked him to tell Azharuddin to play me inthe one-dayers.

Once Azharuddin was in Ali Irani's room and the physio asked him to play me inthe one-dayers. He even suggested to send me back if I didn't perform. Azharuddin took thegamble, played me against the West Indies at Melbourne. I responded by taking the vital wickets of Brian Lara and Richie Richardson. We not onlywon the match by 5 wickets but also made it to the finals. It again showed my confidence.