Cricket legends

In the past Parsis were pioneers in the game of cricket in India. Today there is not a single Parsi cricketer in our Indian team. It’s a great pity.

How many of our present day statisticians, cricket lovers and bureaucratic officials know that in 1886 a team of Parsi cricketers created history on the British soil and brought our country’s prestigious name on the map of the cricketing world? Recently, there was a photograph of these 11 Parsi cricketers with their names on view at the unique exhibition at the National Gallery of Modern Art which ended on October 31, 2002.

From the records we learn that in 1886 D. N. Writer claimed eight wickets giving just 35 runs. In their second tour to England in 1888, Dr Pavri managed to capture 170 wickets in 31 matches during that season. In the same team they had two outstanding wicketkeepers, Dinshaw Kanga and Ardeshir Limboowalla who were also first class bowlers. Jehangir Elaichidana claimed all the 11 wickets of the opposite side single-handedly and at the advanced age of 41 years threw a cricket ball to a distance of 105 yds. B. D. Gagrat who was a great cricketing sensation in the 1880s and 90s never missed a single catch in his cricketing career.

DINSHAW D. NATERWALLA