Legendary former Indian cricket captain Mohammad Azharuddin says he is ready to offer any support he can to help cricket in Bahrain progress to a top-flight level.
“I will do whatever I can to help cricket grow quickly in Bahrain,” he told members of the Bahrain women’s and under-19 teams at an iftar function hosted by the Bahrain Cricket Federation (BCF) yesterday. “From what I have seen in the short time I have been here, there is plenty of talent but it needs to be supported by proper infrastructure.”
Azharuddin, who captained the Indian team through most of the 1990s, is in Bahrain for a three-day visit at the invitation of the BCF. Now 59, he played 99 Test matches and 334 One-Day Internationals (ODIs) and captained his country in 47 Tests and 174 ODIs.
Guest of honour Indian Ambassador Piyush Srivastava had yielded the floor to Azharuddin after briefly addressing the audience and extolling the former Indian star’s many achievements. Flanked by BCF chairman Hatim Dadabai and BCF advisory board chairman Mohammad Mansoor, Azharuddin thanked the ambassador before asking if the Indian embassy would help in the move to take Bahrain cricket forward.
“I know that the Bahrain government is keenly involved in our efforts to give the game a boost in the kingdom,” Azharuddin said, before looking at the assemblage in front of him. “I said ‘our’ because I now consider myself to be a part of Bahrain, of the BCF. And, if the Indian embassy also decides to support the game here, it will add to the impetus.”
Applause erupted from the women and teenaged cricketers who had arrived at the upscale venue in Juffair almost an hour before Azharuddin did.
“But it’s not going to be easy,” the former cricketer continued, re-emphasising his call for pitch investments he made in yesterday’s GDN.
“Bahrain needs proper cricketing infrastructure, it needs cricket grounds and it needs local cricketers to be nurtured,” he added. “But the most important thing will be government support. The game will progress more smoothly and more rapidly with even more government involvement.”
Soon, it was time for a Q&A session and members of the under-19 team lined up one-by-one to ask their questions. Azharuddin fielded the queries, ranging from how he managed the team during his time as captain to how he dealt with stressful situations, with the same dexterity he showed on the field which earned him the reputation of being one of the best fielders of all time.
Applause rang out again when, in response to a question from one of the women cricketers which requested him to list the most memorable match he had played in, Azharuddin replied simply that every game he played for India was memorable for him.
“But the biggest high-pressure game I played over my 17-year career,” he added, “was the 1996 World Cup quarter-final at Bangalore against Pakistan. You know, earlier, I was telling you all to focus, work hard and to think and be positive in your approach to the game, but, during that match, I was not thinking very positive thoughts!”
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