The Colonel receives his just desserts

In a well-attended function at the Ball Room of the Taj Coromandel in Chennai last evening, Lt.Col Hemu Adhikari was bestowed with the Col. CK Nayudu award by the Board President AC Muthiah. Adhikari was the sixth recipient of the award after Lala Amarnath, Mushtaq Ali, Vijay Hazare, KN Prabhu, and Polly Umrigar. The 81-year-old former India captain, gallant middle order bat, electric cover point, selection committee member and astute coach & thinker of the game seemed quite overwhelmed by all the attention.

Former Board President Raj Singh Dungarpur who gave the welcoming speech began by recalling the services of Adhikari's wife, Kamala, who was also present on the occasion. "I wonder what Hemu would have been but for the dedication and support given by Mrs. Adhikari. As they say in military parlance, the man behind the gun is more important than the gun itself.

"If television had captured him in action in those days - and I do not wish to sound one bit exaggerating - Hemu Adhikari would have been compared to a Jonty Rhodes. He patrolled cover point as if he was on the Line of Control with the dedication of a soldier", said Dungarpur who also paid tribute to Adhikari's skills as a coach. "Hemu was the greatest coach Indian cricket history has ever seen. I can see him standing year after year in the heat and humidity of the Cricket Club of India conducting a national camp. Is there anybody who has produced half as many outstanding cricketers as Hemu? The Amarnath brothers, Syed Kirmani, so many were his pupils".

Dungarpur said that Adhikari had never ever asked for recognition and regretted that the BCCI had not taken the initiative to recommend him for the Dronacharya award. He summed up Hemu's many roles succinctly by declaring that "to me in utter humility if I may say so, you have been the most complete cricketer India has produced". Dungarpur also recounted a joke at Adhikari's expense. It seems that as captain of Services, which had never won the Ranji Trophy, Adhikari jocularly asked rival Baroda captain Vijay Hazare to throw the game in Services' favour. "That was the first semblance of matchfixing in India, but Adhikari failed. Services dropped a catch off Hazare. Adhikari said 'Boys I'm sorry, he'll make a 200'. And Hazare did not fail him", said Dungarpur.

In his address, NKP Salve, another former Board President, digressed slightly from the main issue to hold aloft on the current ills plaguing the game. He spoke of a 'crisis in confidence' and said that although the Board cannot be held guilty for the matchfixing scandal, they were in the position of parents who are held responsible for the misdeeds of the children. Salve warned that the Board may even have to compromise the interests of cricket to ensure the wider credibility of the game among the public.

The incumbent Board President, AC Muthiah, fresh from receiving a ringing vote of confidence at the Board's AGM earlier in the day, said in a brief speech that his father, MA Chidambaram, patron and administrator, would have been the happiest man alive had he been around to watch Adhikari receiving the award. Muthiah also assured all present that the Board would spare no effort in rebuilding the lost confidence among the public.

After the award was presented by Muthiah to Adhikari amidst the popping of flashbulbs and TV cameras, the man at the centre of the attention expressed his sincere appreciation and thanks to the BCCI for conferring the honour upon him. Adhikari also spoke about the legend after whom the award was named. "The last match he played was against me. I kept the fielders in but he hit the bowler for four sixes and I had to quickly spread the field. Even if I have 22 fielders, I won't be able to stop you, I told him''.

Kamal Morarka, Board Vice-President from North Zone, presented the vote of thanks. A large number of former cricketers and administrators were present in the audience which also included one former CK Nayudu award winner in the eminent journalist KN Prabhu.