This doctor has a prescription for the young cricketing talent to be better performers! Dr. Abdul Hai, former Ranji Trophy player who represented Hyderabad, Uttar Pradesh between 1969 and 1980 with distinction and a general physician in medicine by profession, is now the mentor at the Hyderabad Cricket Academy of Excellence at Gymkhana Ground.
This 70-year-old cricketer, whose fitness level can put to shame some younger cricketers, has now come up with Dr. Abdul Hai Mantra giving a new definition to each of the letters in the word CRICKET.
Dr. Hai says that C stands for confidence without which one can never be a cricketer; R stands for realistic suggesting anyone can dream to be a Sachin or a Warne but should be realistic in making a critical assessment of his original talent and how far he can move ahead; I stands for intelligence which is an essential ingredient to be a sensible cricketer in any given situation; C stands for concentration which should complement the confidence and depends on the amount of hard work put in; K stands for being Kool (American way of making a point as he is now a US citizen but is in the city because of his passion to help HCA); E stands for being eager to learn which is again a continuous process; finally T stands for being tough mentally and physically in handling any bowler – be it pace or spin on any wicket.
“I tell you if any cricketer follows this simple Mantra, he can be a quality player,” argues Dr. Hai after another of his long grinding sessions at Gymkhana Ground. Currently, Dr. Hai is the mentor for the Hyderabad under-23 team but one finds that other age group cricketers also join in to be wiser in his company thanks to the invaluable tips.
“Well, there is a huge difference in cricket today. In our days, talent was appreciated and groomed, and the emphasis was more on quality and not on quantity. Now it’s the other way,” points out Dr. Hai who proudly recalls his unbeaten 217 against Punjab as his best batting effort in first class cricket featuring 72 matches, 3215 runs and four centuries in all.
“I remember the days when players used to travel 40 km daily by local train with the full kit bags and no space even to stand to practice hard in Mumbai. That was the passion and the intense desire to excel. Comforts were a distant dream then. Now, the facilities are there but you don’t see the same kind of genuine talent. Very sad,” rues Dr. Hai.
In the company of HACAE Director and former Test cricketer M.V. Narasimha Rao, Dr. Hai is optimistic of a better future for Hyderabad cricket. “I appreciate the HCA ruling brass for taking some bold initiatives with the specific intent of reviving the fortunes,” he says.
Significantly, Dr. Hai is on a six-month contract and gently reminds that when he sought the opinion of former India great V.V.S. Laxman, the latter suggested that Dr. Hai be on the job between September to December and then again between March and April to play a more effective role.
“Yes, giving back something to the game is always a great feeling. Hope to be associated with HCA for a long, long time to come,” says Dr. Hai.
