KRIS – Hello viewers.  Today we have a very special guest in our program, non other than S.M H .Kirmani.  Welcome to our show, Kiri.

KIRI – Thanks Cheeka.  Thanks a lot.

KRIS – For your information, Kiri took the highest number of victims in the 1983 World Cup and he got an award also for that.  Could you tell us something about that, Kiri.

KIRI – Yes, Cheeka.  I didn’t know that I took the highest number of catches, and stumpings put together…was the highest in the Prudential World Cup Tournament, until the statisticians pointed that out after we won the World Cup.

KRIS – You received a special award from Godfrey Evans. 

KIRI – Yes, this was given to me by Godfrey Evans. The best, the world has ever seen…

KRIS – Wicket keeping…

KIRI – That’s right.  So it was a very special award.  I don’t think any World Cup was constituted such an award like the wicket keeper’s award was given, except the 1983 World Cup.

KRIS – Oh! That is something fantastic…

KIRI – In none of the World Cups…the wicket keeper award was given

KRIS – I think, I am for that award because…unfortunately wicket keeping is a thankless job, I am sure viewers will accept with me that ultimate the keeper, poor fellow, he has to sit up and stand up to every ball and they don’t get their actual view.  Which among these victims…ok, we are talking about most of the victims…which is the best victims…that is still fresh in your memory.

KIRI – Cheeka, not to start with…not many things stick into this I don’t make it a habit to remember about what I have done…nevertheless, I think I very distinctly remember…the Semi Finals catch.  We were together…David Gower

KRIS – correct, correct, correct…Jimmy Amarnath…

KIRI – That was one and the stumping of Joel Garner…Andy Roberts in the first encounter …Ravi Shastri…Then the finals…Faud Bachus.  If you remember, I cannot forget that catch because there are two things coinciding on that…after taking the catch; I saw you jumping on my foot, trying to congratulate me…I didn’t know that your spike had poked me because we were so excited about it.  It is only after we won the World Cup, when I removed the shoe there was blood on my socks…

KRIS – Sorry KIRI about it …I apologize for it..

KIRI – No no…..you could have dug it right through my foot as long as we won the World Cup!!!!

KRIS – Now Kiri…I know how we won the World Cup…but, one thing I would like to ask you…only you can answer this question…during the knock of 175 of Kapil Dev, you played a very big part with him, right.  How did you feel…ok we were 78 for 5…after sometime you walked into bat…you went after Roger went in to bat?! 

KIRI - No…17 for 5 when I walked in…

KRIS -  You walked in when it was 17 for 5

KIRI – Yeah! I walked in when its was 17 for 5

KRIS – Oh! Gosh! I thought Kapil walked in when it was 17 for 5

KIRI – No, I walked in at 17 for 5…anyway, probably the statistics could correct us about the past.

KRIS – Tell us about the knock and about your fielding.

KIRI – I think when I went…I always had…that I must put the best foot forward and do my best…whatever may be the situation…circumstance…I never got nervous. never was panicky…probably that’s my system…so I went up to the wicket, the score was showing 17 for 5…or it could be something else..probably…but all I told Kapil was “Caps you play your natural game.  That’s it. And I’ll do my best to give you the maximum support…and that’s it! and after that it was Deepavali.

KRIS – Deepavali!

KIRI – It was Kirmani!  Duma…Dama…Dumil..Dum…Dama…Dumil…and everything was in the meet of the bat…either it was a four or a six…beating the fielders right throughout

KRIS – Did you keep on telling Kapil to control himself or something like that

KIRI – No, no….that was it…it was in the beginning, was the only thing

KRIS – Because…he had got a lot of wickets, even when hitting, did you go and advice Kapil Dev…no relax…

KIRI – No..no…no…I never interrupt in between a natural player when he is playing and I just keep quiet there

KRIS – And what did Kapil have to tell you for this?

KIRI – Nothing…even Kapil had nothing to say

KRIS – I see…he was going berserk on the bowlers...and the bowlers…you know…were looking just left, right and centre..where it was going they didn’t know

KRIS – I think you had 119 runs partnership

KIRI – We had nearly 200 runs…he was 175 and I was 30+…or something like that…I am not 100% on my statistics.

KRIS – anyway, I think that was a great partnership…a very crucial partnership

KIRI – I never saw a blistering knock like that from Kapil Dev bat after that.

KRIS – That was an extraordinary performance.  I don’t know the about the knock very  distinctly…Now in my opinion…frankly viewers…he is been the best keeper…I am not trying to flatter  Kirmani…or I am not trying to say because he was my colleague in the Indian team..…the truth is not many people realize that he has kept up to spinners like B.S.Chandrashekar, Prasanna, Venkatraghavan and Bishan Singh Bedi…So keeping for spinners is more difficult than for Medium pacers…Am I right Kiri?

KIRI – Yes, that’s where a wicket keeper’s ability is charged.  Keeping behind to any pace bowlers is a lot easier…you put on the gloves and you can also collect the fastest bowlers in the world.  When you stand up, that is when you get a fraction of a second to co-ordinate between the bounce of the pitch, the spin of the bowler and the mistake of the batsman, your movements, your anticipation…all put together is a fraction of a second.

KRIS – A guy like B.S.Chandrashekar must have been a very difficult guy to keep to ..right..he is so unorthodox, erratic, but how is it you kept well to him.

KIRI – I think I was fortunate to have been in Bangalore and I was taken unofficially by my coach K.K.Dharapore..He spotted the natural ability in me and took me on to the Ranji Trophy Match where B.S Chandra used to..where all state team players used to…. practice..that’s the time when I started, you won’t believe Cheeka… right from above my left knee to this portion and inside of my ribs… used to be blue and black when I started keeping to Chandra taking his leg side collections you know and then gradually I got used to it and then everything was coming into my gloves instead of on my ribs or on my thighs, so he was the most difficult bowler I have ever kept… and then that gave me my confidence… actually Chandra was the one who used to bowl pretty erratically particularly his faster ones you know…. it could be a short pitched one or it could be a wild yorker on the leg side or on the off side or at center.

KRIS – About your batting Kiri, you have always done well when India needed most and as a night watchman, you had a 100 in test cricket;  then how is it that you played some unorthodox shots, but you have never been scared against any kind of bowling right?

KIRI – Well, as I had mentioned earlier I never put myself into any pressure. My only thought was to give and do your best Kiri, that’s it.  And why I was called unorthodox was I have never tried to copy anybody. I was my natural self. Like you have always been your natural self.  Nobody can copy Cheeka…

KRIS – Arere…(smiling!)

KIRI – Honestly…Nobody…Natural  person.  Nobody…because our styles are  natural player’s style, it is totally different.  Even my wicket keeping, if you look at any wicket keeper …who’s technically sound like Alan Mark, Bob Taylor, these were the most technically sound wicket keepers in the world…..right? To that extent a little bit of Rodney Marsh also, but if you look at my wicket keeping style, I have never been a copy book like.  I was never.

KRIS – Which is the best tour you have enjoyed Kiri?  So many tours you have played but of which country you like playing the most?  Which is the tour you have enjoyed the most?

KIRI – I think the best tour by far could be the World Cup.

KRIS – Ok ..

KIRI – …Winning the World Cup.  Away from that, the Australian tours have always been the most enjoyable ones and the West Indies. 

KRIS – Now before the World Cup 1983, you were Vice captain to the West Indies.  How was that?

KIRI – Well, I have accepted whatever came by my way.  Many felt that being a senior cricketer before the Captain was announced for the tour, and when Sunny was not available as a captain to that tour, they were thinking of a different captain.  So the contenders were Dilip Vengsarkar, Syed Kirmani from the seniors and probably Madan Lal was discussed…from the point of captaincy…right..and  eventually it went on to Kapil Dev..right…then they brought me in as a Vice captain..

KRIS – Great feeling then…

KIRI – Absolutely…absolutely you know…it was one step below the captain line...but nevertheless…I have always taken everything in my stride… never fretted…never frowned….and this is I think the best thing the God has ever given me in my system I suppose and to take everything with a smile and not to crib and talk about it and do your best whoever is the captain. I have played under junior most state level guys, whoever captains (the side)

KRIS – You were doing very well with the bat also…there were times when a lot of people were  talking that you might make a come back…but did you ever hope….that you still had a hope at all.

KIRI – Yes, I have always been a very optimistic in my approaches, in my attitude…right…So I was very hopeful though the doors were closed on me in 1986 itself, they had slammed the doors at me..right

KRIS : You felt so, when you were dropped in 1986.

KIRI: …I felt so…I was at my pinnacle of my career…obviously it gave me a feeling that they were all tired of seeing me around…

KRIS – Who is that “they”?

KIRI – Well, the knowledgeable ones will know when I say “they”.

KRIS – Ok

KIRI – Who…who could be at the helm of affairs when the selections take place?  You see from all corners I was cornered. Right? Without being prejudiced about anybody…,  and I was victimized…didn’t  bother me…but that disappointment…I’ll be a hypocrite if I don’t say that I was not hurt and disappointed…its all part of the game…in that way it didn’t deter my spirits…I went on and on and on… and 1993 it gave me a feeling that I was talking to a wall…when I say “talking to a wall” my performance was all going waste…in every season…I was performing as a batsman, my gloves ware snatched from my State itself..didnt bother me…right…ok…then again I went into the Railways, to stage a come back from the railways…and I was told..”oh you are going to the Railways, let me see how you will play for the country from there…Can you believe this! Can you believe this Cheeka…

KRIS – Really?

KIRI – Yes

KRIS – Hi…you tried your hand in Movies also…so how was it acting in movies? How was it?

KIRI – (Laughing…) It just coincided…it just coincided…when we won the World Cup..ok…by that time Sandeep had already done his movie…Sandeep Patil…right…so, I came on to the balcony with the cigar in my mouth, then I was holding it like Clint  East wood…Clint Eastwod you know…he has a typical way of holding the cigar in his mouth…so I came with the cigar on the balcony and the Producers and the Directors of Sandeep Patel’s movie called “Abe Ajnabee Tae” were watching that…( this I came to know later) …right…when we came back to Bombay after the World Cup, Sandeep said man why don’t you act in my movie.  I said listen, I don’t want to be a scene in the movie getting hammered by you…Ha…Ha…Ha

KRIS – Ha…Ha…Ha…and then you went and acted as a villain!

KIRI – They projected me as a villan…Shakthi Kapoor was the villan of the movie…they gave me a role where I was the don of the under world

KRIS – Ha….Ha…Ha…

KIRI – Listen, listen…ha..ha…ha..Don of the under world who protects good guys…

KRIS – Robinhood!

KIRI –Something like that…ha….ha…ha…I just accepted it, just to see how my head looks on the screen...ha…ha….ha

KRIS – How did you enjoy it?

KIRI – Enjoyed it immensely Cheeka.  I can tell you that acting is not an easy job..It’s a very very hard job…It’s only those gifted guys who you see on the screen.  You and I cannot develop that…impossible…and there is a lot of hard work in that

KRIS – Could you tell us some funny incident in the World Cup 1983…off the field?

KIRI – Cheeka, there are a quite few incidents which took place during every tour actually, but if my memory serves me right I can very distinctly remember about…we had Man Singh as our Manager…a great guy… So, he was giving me catching practice…at the Lords…So, after taking the ball and throwing back to him and he was catching the ball here and the ball was hitting in there…ha…ha…ha…

KRIS – Ha…ha…ha…

KIRI – Right…once, twice I was throwing at him and and the ball was hitting him here…I thought am I throwing the ball very fast…So Man looked left, right, he came close to me and said.“Bap, gola bara bar dhick nahi raha” ha”…ha…ha…

KRIS – ha…ha…ha…

KIRI – He had soda glasses..it had tremendous power…

KRIS – Actually Man must be watching this programme!

KIRI – Man, please excuse me..it’s all in the lighter side of it Man. It is just one of those incidents, but I am sure you will accept….wonderful manager

KRIS – Good time you had.. fantastic manager

KIRI – Yes, yes…that was one of the incidents which just came into my mind and I thought I would express it to the viewers and I am sure they would have enjoyed it.

KRIS – Sure, they would have enjoyed it…Anyway Kiri, lovely to have you with us in our show...

KIRI – Thank you so much

KRIS – You have any good message for the viewers!

KIRI – Yes, surely I hope the viewers are enjoying our conversation… and I hope they have enjoyed it and let’s hope you come up with such wonderful programs, bringing a lot of entertainment to the viewers and I am sure we could be a better team in a different scenario…filmstars…ha…ha…ha

KRIS – ha…ha…ha…anyway thanks Kiri for being with us. 

KIRI – Thanks…

KRIS - I wish you all the very best

KIRI – The same to you…

KRIS – Thank you Kiri..