MUMBAI, January 22: Ever since Mohinder Amarnath dubbed the National selection committee as a bunch of jokers, the tag has stuck on successive selection committees. But the clowning glory for the five wise men who preside over the national cricket team's destiny came last night when an electorate comprising past and present players voted Rahul Dravid the Pantaloon Cricketer of the Year (1996-97).A total of 169 first-class cricketers drawn from the length and breadth of the country were asked to nominate their choice of which 121 responded. Dravid garnered 62 votes to beat the likes of other frontrunners like Sachin Tendulkar, Mohammad Azharuddin, Saurav Ganguly and Anil Kumble.
The cricketers' choice mocked at the selectors' blunder of excluding the talented Karnataka batsman from the One-Day Internatonals squad. "He (Dravid) deserves the award," remarked former Test star Mushtaq Ali, who alongwith Lala Amarnath, Vijay Hazare and C S Nayudu were felicitated during the award presentation ceremony
yesterday.
"He (Dravid) is a great batsman. To say that he can't bat in one-dayers is totally wrong. A good batsman like Rahul, can adjust to both forms of the game," opined the 83-year-old Mushtaq Ali, keeping in with the mood of the gathering of former India stars, who expressed their displeasure in Dravid's exclusion from the team.
"He is a tremendously talented cricketer whose career could last as long as Sachin Tendulkar's. It is unfortunate that he doesn't figure in the team," observed former Indian captain Ajit Wadekar.
"The award to Rahul David is a slap on the selectors' face," retorted one former Mumbai captain, echoing a popular sentiment of the night.
The centre of attraction, however, shouldered arms when queried about his non-inclusion from the team. "I am here to collect an award not to comment on selection matters," replied Dravid after receiving the award from two of India's legends -- Sunil Gavaskar and Kapil Dev.
"I am not relating the two things at all. This award is an honour initself and I look at it in that sense and not worry what is happening in my career at this point of time," explained the 24-year-old Dravid.
Thrilled at being chosen by the past and present cricketers, Dravid expressed his regard for the seniors saying, "Any player will tell you can cheat yourself but not the ones who have played at the highest level. I am greatly honoured by being picked by them for this award."
He said the Titan Cup title triumph, his innings of 148 at Johannesburg and his hundred in the Independence Cup at Chennai as "the high moments" of the 1996-97 period.
"But more than anything I learnt to be a better cricketer and a better person. This factor gives me great pride," he added.
On India's record winning chase at Dhaka, Dravid said: "It was a great moment for Indian cricket. When you are chasing 314, which has been never done before, nine out of ten times you would say it's improbable. But India did it -- one of ten -- and that is what mattered. It was a great job indeed. I am
very happy for the lads."
Dravid felt that it would have been great to be part of that historic chase. But as he added: "...the important thing is that Indian won and not whether I was there or not."
The Dhaka heroes were aptly rewarded when the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) chief Raj Singh Dungarpur announced an award of Rs 10 lakh for the Indian team. The Indian skipper Mohammad Azharuddin his deputy Ajay Jadeja and Sairaj Bahutule were the only members of the winning unit present besides Anil Kumble during the function.
Dungarpur took the gathering down memory lane when he spoke about the exploits of the four yesteryear heroes, who were conferred with the Lifetime Achievement award on the occasion.
"In India's first Test captain Lala Amarnath, I feel we had one of the best judges of the game," observed Dungarpur.
To describe Mushtaq Ali, he seeked refuge in Sir Neville Cardus' statement: "f Vijay Merchant was the prose of Indian cricket then Mushtaq Ali was the poem."
"If ever
there was an yardstick in Indian batsmanship it was Vijay Hazare," he said.
On CS Nayudu, Dungarpur's comments were: "Always under the shadow of elder brother, the legendary CK Nayudu, he was a supremely athletic cricketer. Never have I seen more vicious googlies, than the ones he used to bowl. Besides, he was one of the best gully fielders too."
He summed up their displays, saying: "I had seen them in their evening of their careers but even then the setting sun had a sparkle in it."
Hordes of autograph seekers and a loud band were the only aberrations of an evening which the past cricketers relished. "These are the only avenues where ex-Test players meet and renew their friendship," opined former Indian swing bowler, Balwinder Singh Sandhu.
A look into the selection process
The Professional Management Group (PMG), who devised the award, nominated five cricketers who logged the most number of points based on their performances during the year (August 1996 to July 1997).
They were ranked
according to the total runs scored, batting average, wickets taken, bowling average and catches held. The Tests and One-Day Internationals (ODIs) played during the period were: Singer Trophy in Sri Lanka, Sahar Cup in Canada, Australia in India, Titan Cup in India, South Africa in India, India in South Africa, Standard Cup in South Africa, India in Zimbabwe, India in West Indies, Indepedence Cup in India and Pepsi Asia Cup in Sri Lanka.
The list of nominees were then given to 169 Indian cricketers at home and abroad, who have represented the country in Tests and ODIs. They then ranked them with respect to their contributions during the stipulated period. The cricketer from the nominees' list who polled the highest number of votes from the Indian cricketers got the award.
Points tallied: Anil Kumble (61), Sachin Tendulkar (56), Mohammad Azharuddin (52), Rahul Dravid and Saurav Ganguly (50 points each)
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
