For the last many years, one has indulged in watching Sachin Tendulkar’s ‘Desert Storm’, Javed Miandad’s six in the Austral-Asia Cup, Gavaskar’s catches in the Rothmans Cup or Brian Lara smacking Waqar Younis, time and again. Perhaps there is some unknown force that makes cricket lovers recount the unforgettable moments. Incidentally, all those memories are synonymous with one stadium – The Sharjah Cricket Ground.
Before the India-Australia T20 World Cup game, all those momentous occasions gushed forth while taking a tour through the Sharjah stadium. Initially, the eyes zoomed in on a photo that dates back to somewhere in 1982. It could be one of those meetings held by the head-honchos of all the various Asian Cricket Boards before the formation of ACC in 1983. The nostalgic photo comprises Abdul Rahman Bukathir, the brain behind Sharjah becoming the hub of cricket in the 1980s and 1990s. KS Rungta, Noorani, IS Bindra, SK Wankhede, MA Chidambaram, A Sajjad and a few other notable administrators can also be seen.
As you turned towards the left side of the room, the walls were adorned with a galaxy cricket stars. There is an iconic image of Kapil Dev, the India skipper, and Viv Richards, the West Indies captain, being pictured together during the toss at the Rothmans Cup in 1985. Beside it is a photo of Lara employing the flick shot.
For a second or two, one wondered whether it is related to the same match where Lara took apart Waqar. However, a closer look confirmed that it is from the 1995 Sharjah Champions Trophy. Most likely it is from the Sri Lanka-West Indies encounter, where Hashan Tillakratne reigned supreme with a valiant hundred. One of those occasions when Lara cracked a sparkling 169 and still didn’t hog the limelight.
Surrounding Lara’s photo-frame are a few more legends of the game – Imran Khan, Gavaskar, Zaheer Abbas, Shane Warne and Kapil. All of those memorabilia are from either the inaugural Rothmans Cup or its second edition. Obviously, a few pictures from the ‘Desert Storm’ too adorn the wall. There is one photo each of Mark Waugh and Tendulkar – both from the same tournament in 1998.
The lofted stroke that Tendulkar essayed could be the straight six off Michael Kasprowicz in the final, with the score reading 240. Incidentally, Tendulkar had later noted a couple of shots early on in the innings off Kasprowicz helped him to rediscover his batting rhythm. Wasim Akram (Austral-Asia Cup, 1986) Graham Thorpe (1997-98, Coca Cola Cup), Darren Gough (circa 1999) and Curtly Ambrose loading up (1999-00) also decorate the walls of the room.
The one missing link in the room was Aaqib Javed. The man who gave plenty of heartbreaks to India at this ground. Around 23 years ago, Javed had decimated India in Sharjah with figures of 7 for 37. He even took a hat-trick in that game.
Fast-forward to modern times, and you will observe the IPL and PSL-related pictures. In addition to 100s of photos, there are signed bats as well. One of them is the 1996 World Cup winning squad’s signed willow. Probably, those signatures were taken when Sri Lanka played a tournament, in Sharjah, at the fag end of that year. Other signature cricket bats include, England’s tour of the UAE in 2015, Australia’s tour in 2009 and West Indies’ trip to the same region in 2016.
For around half an hour, it was about transporting yourself back to a bygone era. As the writer took a seat in the press box, it was time to close the eyes and envisage Tendulkar’s believe-it-or-not knock and Miandad’s never-to-be-forgotten six.
Another update regarding Indian cricket:
Rohit Sharma says the Indian team doesn’t want to take an undercooked Mohammed Shami to Australia. The question is, can the veteran turn the clock back. It’s perhaps prudent for the team to look beyond him@atreyom ✍️#INDVSNZ #mohammedshami https://t.co/U3xALe8Bz7
— RevSportz Global (@RevSportzGlobal) October 15, 2024
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