Why everyone loves Salim Durani

[1983-2011]

Salim Durani will be given the BCCI's Col C K Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award on Tuesday.

Salim 'Daddy' Durani getting the coveted C K Nayudu award from the Board of Control for Cricket in India is one of those decisions that will find few detractors. Enigmatic ” and in several ways incorrigibly, infuriatingly, hopelessly self-indulgent ” he may have been, but he is also a much-loved man in Indian cricket. In more than three decades, I haven't come across anybody who has an ill-word to say about him. Where nuts and bolts existence is concerned, however, this does not mean much. For more than two-thirds of his life, he has struggled to maintain a lifestyle becoming of a stellar cricketer, often with disastrous results. His life skills have been poor to say the least, and while he may have fancied himself as a soldier of fortune, fact remains that either fortune has failed to smile on him often enough or he has spurned it consistently. But he retains his puckish sense of humour. He says he really deserves the Rs 15 lac purse that comes with the award because this can take care of his financial needs for five years at least! Though I saw him first when India played the West Indies at the Brabourne Stadium in 1966-67 (and he made a scintillating half-century with a huge six in one innings) my abiding memory of Durani is from the 1972-73 series against Tony Lewis' England. Already past the mid-thirties in age, Durani had become the toast of the country with his free-stroking batting. He had made a fabulous comeback against all odds with a string of spectacular performances in domestic cricket and when he was dropped for the Mumbai Test, there were protests all over Mumbai saying 'No Durani, No Test'. The Board succumbed to public pressure, Durani played the last Test and hit sixes on demand while scoring 73, which is now part of Indian cricket's folklore. Was he the best all-rounder from India? With Kapil Dev and Vinoo Mankad as rivals, that proposition seems far-fetched. But it is pertinent to remember that Sir Frank Worrell, after watching Durani make 104 against the West Indies at port of Spain in 1961-62, and hooking Hall, Griffith et al 'off his nose', dared to compare him to Garfield Sobers. His career as an international player, however, was chequered. He could be brilliant or ordinary, not so much because of his skills or prevailing conditions, but because of his mercurial temperament. At his best, he was no less than a genius; on several other occasions, he could be maddeningly mediocre, leaving fans, critics and one dare say even opponents - wondering at what might have been. His peak moment came in the Port of Spain Test against the West Indies in 1971 when he dismissed Clive Lloyd and Sobers off successive deliveries. Ajit Wadekar's team went on to register a memorable win in that Test and the course of Indian cricket history had been altered forever. For that one over alone, the BCCI's decision to give him the Nayudu award even if belated is the mot juste.

http://www.mid-day.com/sports/2011/may/310511-Samil-Durani-Much-loved-cricketer-BCCI.htm

[ravishingravi]

He was the Indian version of Afridi. Played for the galleries. My folks believe he could have been one of our greats

[jashan83]

And he was born in Kabul, Afghanistan!!!!!

[Guest Gunner]

He was the Indian version of Afridi. Played for the galleries. My folks believe he could have been one of our greats

MAK Pataudi said it in as many words. This dude went out to bat against hall and Glichrist without a helmet.

[Guest Gunner]

And he was born in Kabul' date=' Afghanistan!!!!![/quote'] Indeed! The only Indian player to have been born in Afghanistan.

[ravishingravi]

I was at a really modest bar about 2 years back. Saw him there. He was apparently a major playboy in his time. Dated parveen Babi I think. Sadly I was the only one who recognised him there.

[Tapioca]

In Sunny Days, Gavaskar tells a story about Durani, when Durani was a big star but Gavaskar was yet to play for India. During a train journey together, Gavaskar didn't have a blanket for the night and Durani readily gave his for him. Later in the night SMG found that the blanket that Durani gave was his only one and he was sleeping huddled to himself to keep away the cold.

[1983-2011]

[Sooda]

I was at a really modest bar about 2 years back. Saw him there. He was apparently a major playboy in his time. Dated parveen Babi I think. Sadly I was the only one who recognised him there.

He acted in a film with Parveen Babi !! Durrani was my dads favourite player when he was a kid. One of those guys who figures do not do justice to his talent or the effect his personality had on the team. This was at a time when Indian cricket was generally considered pretty Dull- The likes of Pataudi, Durrani changed that. The OP says it- crowds at test matches used to chant 'sixer Salim, sixer' and he used to look to sate them by going for sixes. The century at Wi they refer to was at a time the Ind batsmen were cowering versus the pace of Hall and Griffiths and he pretty mcuh single handedly changed the mindset of guys like Umrigar with that knock (The series where Griffiths nearly killed Nari Contractor). More than useful brisk SLA bowler. The balls he got Lloyd and Sobers with were reportedly unplayable. I think was Sunnys debut series. Would have been a half decent ODI cricketer Theres a story about how once Wadekar gave him the ball to bowl after one of the frontline bowlers had a spell and he chucked it back saying 'im not a stock bowler' (or something along those lines)

[Guest Gunner]

He acted in a film with Parveen Babi !! Durrani was my dads favourite player when he was a kid. One of those guys who figures do not do justice to his talent or the effect his personality had on the team. This was at a time when Indian cricket was generally considered pretty Dull- The likes of Pataudi' date=' Durrani changed that. The OP says it- crowds at test matches used to chant 'sixer Salim, sixer' and he used to look to sate them by going for sixes. [b']The century at Wi they refer to was at a time the Ind batsmen were cowering versus the pace of Hall and Griffiths and he pretty mcuh single handedly changed the mindset of guys like Umrigar with that knock (The series where Griffiths nearly killed Nari Contractor). More than useful brisk SLA bowler. The balls he got Lloyd and Sobers with were reportedly unplayable. I think was Sunnys debut series. Would have been a half decent ODI cricketer Theres a story about how once Wadekar gave him the ball to bowl after one of the frontline bowlers had a spell and he chucked it back saying 'im not a stock bowler' (or something along those lines)

You are talking about the 1962 century he made against hall.

[Guest Gunner]

http://www.write2kill.in/first-person/reminiscences/22.html I found this read about Durrani on the net. Very touching.

[Guest Gunner]

Some thing more about Durrani's character:

This was around 1974 or so, and Vishy was already a Test veteran of some six summers, but he was still a boy at heart, polite, humble, his quiet, mischievous sense of humour part of his charm. An apocryphal story of the time had it that he turned up for a game without thigh pads, and was wandering around trying to borrow one from one of the other players, when one of them advised him to ask Salim Durrani. To Vishy's innocent query, Durrani's alleged retort was revealing if completely unhelpful. “Look young man, do you see that huge picture in the dressing room? (He was referring to a blow-up of Wesley Hall). I never wore thigh pads when facing him. Do you expect me to one now?”

http://ramscricket.blogspot.com/2008/10/match-nahin-dekha-to-hum-ko-bahut-dukh.html

[Sooda]

:cantstop: Parveen Babis debut film no less

[Sooda]

You are talking about the 1962 century he made against hall.

yeah. They mention the same one in OP no? :hmmm:

[Guest Gunner]

yeah. They mention the same one in OP no? :hmmm:

Oops, didn't notice it. Apologies.

[Sooda]

Oops' date=' didn't notice it. Apologies.[/quote'] I forgive you for daring to doubt me. Im a nice guy that way.