Gimi's observations

"The cricket stadium at Mohali is lovely. Acting as observer for the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for the second test between England and India at Mohali in Punjab from March 9-13, 2006 was a rewarding and enriching experience,” says Nagpur’s Shiraz Gimi who is the joint secretary of the Vidarbha Cricket Association (VCA) and president of the Nagpur Parsi Gymkhana.

Seeking to ensure that cricket administrators too take guard correctly in the conduct of a match, the observer’s duties encompass a sweep beyond and behind the boundaries on the field. "I had to look diligently into a variety of things – ground conditions, rollers, super soppers (for mopping up operations in case of rain), cricket ball library, facilities in the players’ dressing rooms and for the third umpire and match referee, presence of an ambulance with stretchers on wheels, the set-up for the award ceremony, etc,” Gimi elaborates. Crowd control measures, arrangements for press, TV and radio, distribution of complimentary tickets as per BCCI guidelines, etc, all come within the observer’s purview, states Rusi Godha, joint secretary of the Nagpur Parsi Gymkhana.

Shiraz Gimi: BCCI observer for Mohali test

The observer’s report is to be submitted to the BCCI within a specified time frame, Gimi explains. "I was given a choice between the Test match at Mohali or Bombay. I chose Mohali,” he says. "Gimi is a well-known sports administrator for the city (Nagpur) with a distinguished record of serving the game for more than two decades. One of the most visible faces in the city’s sporting fraternity, Gimi was a pioneer in introducing night cricket in the city. For someone who has worked selflessly over the years for the cause of Vi-darbha cricket, Gimi’s appointment has been widely hailed by his colleagues in the VCA,” wrote the sports reporter of The Hitavada, Nagpur in his dispatch of March 3, 2006.

The VCA is building a new stadium a little beyond the airport in Nagpur, around 16 km from the city center. The present one is old, having been built in stages from the 1930s. The Billimoria Pavilion, built by the Billimoria brothers, was the first to be constructed and is still in use, Gimi states. Well-known construction giants Shapoorji Pallonji and Company are the contractors and the expected completion date is December 2007, Gimi informs Parsiana. With a capacity of around 40,000, the stadium will have a modern Club House with all facilities.

On almost all counts, barring a couple of minor ones, the arrangements at Mohali are excellent and there is much one can learn and replicate, declares Gimi. With the observer’s job being mostly out of the media limelight, television cameras briefly zoomed in on Gimi as he was on a terrace behind a sightscreen, pointing out to local officials that the movement of people there was disturbing the bats-man’s concentration. "TV is such a powerful medium,” he laughs. Gimi has long years of service with the well-known Bapunas of Nagpur and is Group vice president.

Actively encouraging participation in a variety of sports, the Nagpur Parsi Gymkhana takes part in the Guzder League matches (conducted by the VCA). The Guzder League is one of the oldest leagues in India, Gimi says. The Parsi Gymkhana conducts the Dadi Balsara Indoor Sports incorporating table tennis, badminton, chess, carom and draughts. The Banoo Bapuna Memorial Bridge Tournament, one of the premier tournaments of central India, is organized annually with the assistance of the Vidarbha Bridge Association, Gimi says.