“The magic of the matches”

I enjoyed the cricket article on Nari Contractor and Dicky Rutnagur ("The magic of the matches,” Parsiana, June 21, 2009) — the first, my hero; the second, a good friend. I did not know that families in the Caribbean named their sons Nari and Nari Contractor! Congrats to Arnavaz Mama for a well-researched feature.

In Sydney, Zubin is the name of choice. Funnily enough, in 1984 when Zubin Mehta visited us again he very proudly told members of his orchestra, the Israel Philharmonic, that these people have actually named their son after me!

In another humorous incident, when he had come over for lunch to our place and when our little Zubin was naughty and was scolded, he heard his name being spoken aloud and remarked to other guests that no one had reprimanded him like this in years!

During Zubin Mehta’s concert tour of Sydney last July I told him that the name Zubin has replaced Rusi, Jehangir and Soli as the most popular Parsi name. Then I mentioned the article written by me on a Sydney Zoroastrian cricket match titled "Sydney’s Seven Zubins” (Parsiana, May 21, 2007). He was highly amused — especially when I narrated to him the dilemma of the captain. When he told a fielder, "Zubin, bowl,” seven Zubins would march towards him!

But there is hardly a Nari in Sydney. Perhaps they roam about mostly in the Caribbean clubs, singing the calypso song, "Day-o, day-o, daylight comes and I want to go home!”

KERSI MEHER-HOMJI

Sydney, Australia

kersi5@bigpond.com