INDORE: “I am in peak form and hope I will be recalled,” said Syed Kirmani former India wicketkeeper, here on Monday.
Speaking at a reception hosted by the Indore Sports Writers Association (ISORA) he said some people were obsessed with the word “age”. But a player matures 28 onwards, 28 to 40 is the peak age as far as cricket is condemned,” he said.
Thirty-six year old Kirmani said “I was sidelined at my peak, as a batsman and not as keeper. Butstill scored two centuries in four matches for Kamataka.”
Kirminai said, “There has been a tremendous drop in the standard of Indian Cricket because some senior players were sidelined and newcomers were introduced before their consistency, dedication and temperament had been thoroughly tested.” He said newcomers have to come at some point of time but not at the cost of seniors.
‘A wicketkeeper was judged best against spinners because he only has a split second to synchronize various aspects of the art of keeping after the ball was pitched, Kirmani said.
He said though impossible to maintain all the time, there should some understand between the keeper and bowler, like he had with Chandrasekhar in the Bangalore Test to dismiss some English batsmen.
irmani said the media played a big role in the making of a player. Alleging that because comments in a section of the press were responsible for his being dropped first in 1979 he said, “sometimes the writeups were not balanced and shockingly one sided.”
Replying to question, Kirmani said he fully supported the view that players should not write columns before retirement. “But it is unfair if visiting players are allowed to write,” he said, adding that the Indian side had no way to present its views.
Kirmani said Test cricketers with some standing could become umpires if the latter were treated on par with players in all respects including pay.
It would be good for former Test players to become umpires as they could judge better with their long experience the differences between the sounds of clicks off a pad and off a bat, he said.
He felt if the umpires were treated at par with player the former would feel less “the pressure Error! Hyperlink reference not valid.of constant appeals made by players on the field.”
Article extracted from this publication >> March 3, 1989
