MUMBAI, Nov 11: The threat of unscheduled rains looked like casting a wet blanket on the 1996-97 Ceat Award presentation ceremony in the hallowed precincts of the Brabourne Stadium. But in the end, the lightning that streaked across the Mumbai skies on Monday night seemed like mere celestial flash bulbs. It was a sight for the Gods and a night to remember. A galaxy of cricketing greats applauded India's Venkatesh Prasad and Pakistan's Wasim Akram -- Ceat's International cricketer of the year and captain of the International team of the year respectively -- as they received the symbol of supremacy from Mr Harsh Goenka, executive vice-chairman of the RPG Group.

``I hope the next time it will be the team of the year award,'' Prasad replied when Master of Ceremonies Henry Blofeld wished him and said that he hoped he would be able to repeat the feat. The reply came straight from the heart of an unassuming man and the audience rose to cheer his thought in a moment of individual triumph.

Prasad emerged as the 1996-97 cricketer of the year with 55 wickets from 15 Tests and 48 wickets from 30 One-Day Internationals. And with five five-wicket in an innings and a ten-wicket match haul, he was truly India's most potent bowling force.

Prasad was profusely thankful to his family, friends, team-mates and countrymen in his acceptance speech. Looking at his wife Jayanti, he said that he was especially grateful to her for her support and inspiration: ``She keeps praying to God everytime I come on to bowl. Especially when we play Sri Lanka, I don't know why,'' he revealed amid laughter.

The Ceat Awards were adjudicated by cricketing greats -- Ian Chappell, Clive Lloyd and Sunil Gavaskar. Both Chappell -- busy up with media commitments back home -- and Lloyd could not be present on the occasion. However, Chappell summed up Prasad's art brilliantly in an audio-visual message: ``What I like about Prasad is the thought that goes into his bowling -- the leg cutter, the change of pace... He has truly earned the award.''

Chappell lauded the award-winning Pakistan team's by saying: ``Under pressure, Pakistan took the aggressive option rather than the conservative option. They played like a team and fought like a team.''

Akram sensibly chose not to single out any team member for special mention . ``It has been a team effort,'' he opined.

As a prelude to the awards presentation, an audio-visual took the gathering down memory lane capturing the heroes and the heroics which enriched Indian cricket in the last 50 years. Many of the giants were in the audience and the nostalgia of the night became heady when some of them recalled their halcyon days.

Mushtaq Ali, one of the oldest surviving Indian Test cricketer at 84, was emphatic when Blofeld asked him if the Indian team experienced any of the infamous Bodyline tactics when they faced England. ``I'm not against the Bodyline attack of the bowlers. That's the bowlers' prerogative. The batsman has a bat to counter such tactics,'' he said.

The grand old man was equally forthright when he opined that on that 1937 tour of England it was Vijay Merchant who should have led the country. ``The captaincy should not have gone to Nawab of Patuadi (sr), as he was not a fit man. It spoiled our chances,'' he opined.

Polly Umrigar, probably the only captain in cricketing history to have resigned his post on not getting the team he wanted, explained his bold decision: ``I feel the captain should get the team he wants. Otherwise don't blame him if the team fails.''

One of the genuine all-rounders of the game, Umrigar said that players like Bapu Nadkarni, Salim Durrani and himself would have been well-suited to the demands of the limited-overs game. ``But the one-dayers don't have the richness of the conventional game...Test matches are better.''

Nari Contractor gave a graphic, ball-by-ball account of the tragic over which almost took his life during the 1962 series in the Caribbean Isles.``It was a practice match against Barbados and not a Test match as is widely believed. Sir Frank Worrell, the West Indies skipper, had advised us during a get-together, a day prior to the match to take care against a bowler named Charlie Griffith because he is a `chucker'.

``I opened the innings with (Dilip) Sardesai and since only one over was remaining for lunch I decided to take strike. We were expecting some fireworks. Surprisingly, Wes Hall didn't bowl the first over, Griffith bowled. As we walked back for lunch, Sardesai commented, `He's (Griffith) absolutely mediocre.'

``After lunch, Sardesai got out to Hall and here I was facing Griffith for the second time. The first and second ball just blurred past me. The third ball I played and Conrad Hunte, who was fielding at forward short leg, like a bloody fool took the catch on the half-volley. Had he taken the catch, he would have saved my Test career,'' he added in a lighter vein.

``The following ball, I went back and turned my head. The ball struck me at a 90 degree angle. I repeat that I didn't duck into the bouncer as the photograph released by the West Indian Cricket Board gives one the impression. That photo is actually taken when I am on the way down after being hit.''

Gulabrai Ramchand recalled the time when India had lost four wickets without a run on the board. ``All of us were padded up in the dressing room. I was to bat at No 9 and even I was padded up,'' he said.

Dilip Vengsarkar, the last of the India captains to speak, said that despite getting three hundreds at Lord's he felt that it was only the second best. ``I would have been happier to get those three hundreds here at the Brabourne Stadium, which to me is the best venue in the world.''

Spectacular fireworks that lit up the skies brought the memorable evening to a close even as the battery of photographers clicked Prasad and Akram with their symbol of success.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.