Nathu Ram 'Nat' Puri has been has been Indian cricket's trusted friend in England for the last four decades. The 75 year old construction and manufacturing baron, born in Punjab, has hosted Indian teams in Nottingham for years, but is now forced to keep his distance from them, like all other fans, due to anti-corruption laws and more stringent rules regarding player movements. He recounts his experiences to Sandeep Dwivedi of the Indian Express.

"Not too far back, I used to sit with the players in the dressing room. Now, I can't go anywhere near them. During the 1974 tour, when India was all out for 42, I offered the players incentive to play well -- 25 pounds for a ton and 5 pounds for wickets. Even when Tendulkar scored 91 in 2007 and India won, I ordered a dozen bottles of champagne," says Puri.

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