Talks By The Firelight 3.4: Never Stop Rolling
Hemang Badani, Former Cricketer, Coach and Commentator
From daydreaming about cricket as a youngster to achieving every cricketer’s dream of playing for the country, Hemang Badani is known for his knack of retaining the wicket and spectacular fielding skills. In an exciting evening chat amidst the lockdown, Mr. Badani shares his thoughts on the evolving landscape of the sport, his experience playing with other cricketing legends, his time as a coach and the like.
With the quarantine in place, what do you do on a daily basis to keep yourself occupied?
The normal course of my career usually has me extremely busy with travel and family time is a treasure. In this lockdown though, one boon is all the extra time I get to spend with my family.
With the sporting industry taking a big hit due to the pandemic, how do you think cricket will be enjoyed — by both the spectators and players — in the new normal?
Most importantly, we have to bear in mind everyone’s health and safety. Sporting activities in India may not start any time soon because we are a densely populated country and most of the population is below the poverty line. They cannot afford to follow hygiene protocols like wearing a mask or frequent sanitization. Unless we get a vaccine or find a definite solution, we have to be watchful with resuming sports.
When there are no colleges, schools or businesses open, it would be very irresponsible to resume the sport. There are many families that are not generating revenue because of the pandemic. Our economy has come to a standstill to ensure the safety and security of the common man in hoping to bring down the numbers and reach a point where there are no new cases. With this in mind, resuming sports will not be an option for any governing body in India right now. Yes, they have started cricket in England but their population is way lesser than ours and their safety measures are more rigorous. If at all we start off cricket, it might be the case where we play outside India and not in India.
A large number of new rules are being implemented in the game, from the reintroduction of home state umpires to bowlers being prohibited from rubbing saliva onto the balls. How significant were these elements prior to the pandemic, and what could be the repercussions?
The way forward is that youngsters would still have to find ways and means of training in secluded ways. They can train on the terrace at a time when no people are around.
Literal cricket practice with batting and bowling will expose us to other players from different parts of the city. The chances of spreading the infection are high and containing the new cluster, if one develops, will be a huge issue. The focus should be on doing what we can in our vicinity.
The new rules are probably temporary, until we can go back to normal. I never imagined that rubbing saliva onto the ball will be prohibited. It is something that never bothered us before but after knowing that the mouth and nose region are extremely vulnerable to the virus, we have to make do with sweat until the situation is better.
Your knock against Australia in the ODI series of 2001–02 in Pune is a memorable one, where you scored a remarkable century. But ironically, the match favoured the opposite side. It sure must have been a state of conflicting emotions. How did you feel about the match?
On a personal note, it felt nice to score a hundred against the best team of that time. It was an unparalleled feeling but as a player, each one of us on the field tries to ensure that our side emerges victorious. At the end of the game it is not a great feeling to be on the losing side. Be it whatever sport you play, if all the hardwork and effort that you’ve put in does not yield the desired results, you will feel a little dejected.
During your days in the Indian team, you had managed to find a neat balance between batting, bowling and even some spectacular fielding. How did you train yourself into being such an all-rounder?
As a kid, I always enjoyed fielding, something that not all cricketers enjoyed. I liked jumping around and catching the ball so I took extra help and time to field better. I made sure I did extra sessions of fielding on a daily basis and I was proud of my skill, for it added an extra dimension to my cricketing abilities. As cricketers of that era we had put more emphasis on batting and bowling. Of late, however, the improvements in fielding standards have been phenomenal. Only a few of us saw well ahead of time that fielding will be the future and trained towards it. To start with, I knew that fielding is a big part of the sport — it makes a difference and I enjoyed it. Yuvraj, Rahul, Laxman were all safe with their hands and it was from that point onward that India started getting better at fielding compared to yesteryear.
How influential was your father in your journey as a cricketer?
My Dad was very instrumental in shaping my future and growth. It was a time when sports wasn’t as big as it is today and wasn’t given due importance.
For my parents, it was a question of having faith in me.
My mother was supportive of my decision in time. But she was also very concerned if sports as a career was something that would fulfill the family’s requirements. However, my dad recognized a spark in me and gave me the freedom to play. He changed my school to one that was prolific in teaching cricket. I played 8–10 hours of cricket daily and that really set me on the path to becoming the cricketer I am today. Sports has grown so much now and it is no more just a hobby — it is a career option to many but the same cannot be said of earlier times.
What is something you realized or understood while being a coach and overseeing your team from the sidelines, an experience that was rare while you were on the field?
First and foremost, as a coach, you need to be patient.
It is imperative to realize that at some point you become helpless. Like how a professor can only teach his best and hope the student performs well, a coach too can only watch and hope the player plays to his potential. The performance of the player is visible to the whole world and it adds a great deal of pressure. If one person wants to succeed in sports, the other has to lose.
There is always a chance of failure even when you’re playing your best and that is the beauty of sports.
How was playing with MS Dhoni in domestic matches during those initial days? Did you feel that Dhoni is going to be an inspiration for the nation?
How can there not be an MS Dhoni question! (laughs)
I didn’t get a chance to play with him in the Indian Team but I played with him in domestic formats. I first saw him in a match between South Zone and East Zone at Vizag in 2003. South Zone had scored around 280 runs and Dhoni was the only man who could have changed the tables in that match. He was just beginning to be the finisher he is today. I felt that there was a certain spark in him that set him above the rest.
Even back then, he was a calm, composed and quiet person who never showed the aggressive traits usually found in cricketers. My first impression was that he was someone who knew the game and read it well. But I never thought that he would become the “Thala” he is today, the most successful Indian captain. As a leader, he wins series and matches for his team but also nurtures many young talents and that is absolutely brilliant. Today, as a coach I understand that sport is not only about playing and winning — it is also about maximizing the potential of your teammates, and I feel Dhoni has done a great job with that.
You have waded into the three big pools of sports — as a player, a coach and a commentator. Which one is your favourite?
Without a doubt, the player. There is no better feeling than being a player in the field. The commentary starts only once the game is in motion and the coaching is done to perform better during the game.
There is no better feeling than playing, be it batting or bowling, be it in Chepauk or the Melbourne stadium. The entire nation is watching and the player becomes an artist in a big arena, performing despite the pressure.
Continuing with the previous question, what’s next on your plate?
On a personal note, the future I am thinking about is my son’s future. He’s passed 12th grade with good marks and helping him with his future is my immediate concern. With regards to cricket, I’m quite happy about where I am. I have played for my country, I am blessed to have done some coaching and I enjoyed doing commentary. Suffices to say, I’m quite content about my career.
Reminiscing the days of old, Hemang enlivened a bygone era for us to imagine and experience with his nostalgic words. The conversation flowed with ease and laughter as he shared his insights from the perspectives of a player, coach, commentator and most importantly a father. His infectious belief in the resumption of sports abroad has us hoping to see our stars play again.
This interview was taken in collaboration with Puvada Sreevarsha and Sree Ganesh.
