‘Durani would have gone for maximum in IPL now’

Ahmedabad/Mumbai: Salim Durani, who spun a web around the batters with his left-arm spin during his playing days and was known for his hitting prowess, passed away early morning on Sunday at his home in Jamnagar. He was 88 and died of age-related complications. Recalling his batting exploits, Jaypalsinh Jadeja shares, “In 1971, the Ranji centenary match was organized in Jamnagar. Australian cricketers Ross Edwards and Bob Massie too had come. The team also included the legendary Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, Abid Ali, M L Jaisimha, Eknath Solkar, Sunil Gavaskar, among others. But, the spectators had come to see Salim Durani, and the left-handed Durani didn't disappoint. He made 75 in which sixes hit by him sailed out of the ground."Jaypalsinh along with Narendra Raithatha, who were among the few people caring for Durani during his last days, presently provide cricket coaching to youngsters in Jamnagar.Legendary opener Sunil Gavaskar recalled that he was “fortunate” to have made his debut (back in 1971 in the West Indies) comprising a star-studded Indian touring party which had the great all-rounder in it as the side's senior member. Referring to Durani as ‘Salim uncle,’ he told TOI, “One of the greatest-ever and the nicest, nicest, nicest of men. So generous. I was fortunate and blessed to have made my debut in a team like ALW (Ajit Wadekar), MLJ (ML Jaisimha), Prassie(Erapalli Prasanna) Sardee maan (Dilip Sardesai), Salim uncle to name a few.”“He would have gone for maximum at IPL auction today,” Gavaskar added.Former left-arm seamer Karsan Ghavri recalls the massive impact Durani had on cricket fans in those days. He was included in the XI for a Test match against England in Mumbai after being initially omitted from the squad as fans had threatened that they wouldn’t allow the match to go ahead if he wasn’t playing! Incidentally, that turned out to be Durani’s last Test!“In 1972-73, when England came here under Tony Lewis, they were supposed to play a Test at the Brabourne Stadium in Bombay (now Mumbai). That was the first time I saw him play in a Test. Initially, he wasn’t named in the 14 for that Test. However, following massive protests by the cricket-loving public of Bombay, and media pressure (TOI carried a big headline:No Salim Durani, no Test match in Bombay), the BCCI was forced to include him in the squad as the 15th member. Once he was in the 15, he had to be included in the XI! It had to be done, as people had threatened that they would burn down the stadium and the BCCI office if he didn’t play in the match!,”recalled Ghavri. “I saw that match while sitting in the North Stand. He scored 73. He gave tadi (dominated) to the likes of Derek Underwood and Pat Pocock. In that Test, he famously hit sixes wherever the crowd wanted him to hit! This was the level of his popularity,” reminisced Ghavri.Narrating another incident, the former left-arm seamer says, “Those two balls he bowled to dismiss Gary Sobers and Clive Lloyd turned out to be historical deliveries’ in the 1971 victory at Port-of-Spain. Actually he told his roommate Dilip Sardesai the previous innings about his wish to get Sobers out. When Sobers came to bat, Sardesai passed on that message to Wadekar, and suggested he bring Durani on. Wadekar accepted that suggestion, and.... the rest, as they say, is history. If that was not enough, he also hit a hundred against a West Indian attack which included Wes Hall and Charlie Griffith."