He was a gentle yet firm coach

ON JULY 12, Karnataka and Indian cricket lost a coach par excellence, who went by the name, Keki Tarapore. For the common man it may not mean much, but ask any of those cricketing greats like G. R. Visvanath, Brijesh Patel, Prasanna, Syed Kirmani, Roger Binny or current heroes like Rahul Dravid and Javagal Srinath, what Tarapore meant to them. They came out with emotional tributes for the man, who was a mentor to them in the early stages of their career.

``The fact that I play at this level, is due to early training and well drilled basics that I got from Keki,'' said a grateful Dravid while Srinath recalled Tarapore's help in correcting his swing. Binny on his part, felt that but for Tarapore, he would not have really considered cricket as a sporting option while Kirmani, revealed that it was Tarapore who encouraged him to take up wicket-keeping.

In one way or other the genial Parsi, shaped the cricketers' career, with his gentle, yet firm guidance. It is easy to become a cricketer but it is very difficult to become a successful one. Tarapore, himself could not attain that level. His debut against Madras in 1945, was not a pleasant one as he got out cheaply, but then he certainly turned his lack of luck with the bat with his in-born talent for coaching.

In 1960, he took up an offer from Rajkumari Sports Coaching Scheme (later evolved as NIS Scheme) and had a stint with Rajasthan State Cricket Association. Later, he moved to Bangalore to take up coaching with Mysore State Cricket Association. For the next four and half decades, Tarapore was the guiding force behind Karnataka's endless parade of talented cricketers. He was a familiar face at the Bangalore grounds, attired in whites, and sporting sun glasses. Be it a school game, college match or a league tie, Tarapore would drop in, to find if there is anyone who had the spark.

It was not just the scores of Indian cricketers, who benefitted from his guidance, but a lot of youngsters, who never went beyond, the school or college games gained valuable insights into cricket.

``You need not be a great player to enjoy your game, you should do it at whatever level you play,'' Tarapore used to muse. Another great quality about him was his steadfastness to dressing well as a player.

``If you want to be cricketer, look like one,'' was his advice to his wards and he set an example, turning up, dressed in spotless whites. Punctuality and regularity were his other `mantras', that he instilled in his wards. His advice was ``get your basics right''. He firmly believed that unless there is a proper foundation, one cannot truly become a good cricketer, though there might be talent. Often, he used to turn up at a coaching session, much before his wards, even when infirmity was slowly taking its vicious toll on him.

Tarapore was associated with the BCCI camps run by Hemu Adhikari and passed on tips to youngsters from all over the country who attended such camps. Often, when Test stars come to Bangalore, he made it a point to invite them and spend some time with his wards.

Tarapore's single minded focus remained unwavering throughout his life and not even a personal setback, like the untimely death of his younger son, Kaizad, a promising junior, put him down. He never really bothered about penury gains, but a grateful KSCA and Dravid got up a benefit match for him in Raichur this year.

The final days were painful, when Tarapore's leg had to be amputated which confined him to bed, but his zest for the game remained undiminished as he kept track of the game till the very end. Tarapore's legacy lives on as his son, Shavir, BCCI umpire keeps the family links alive with the game, but one regret that most state cricketers had was such a committed coach was never conferred with the coveted `Dronacharya' award, but then for Tarapore, the feats of his wards on the Indian cricketing arena, were far more rewarding than these.

Like his wards, Tarapore's son Shavir was also influenced by his father's great qualities. He recalled them with fond memories.

``As his son and a cricketer,I gained valuable lessons in life and when I turned an umpire, dad provided lot of inputs which have stood me in good stead. Like others, what impressed me about him was his uncanny ability to pick up the right talent and that he did at all levels of the game. Once he found a talented lad, father went out of the way to make sure that his trainee reached his potential. That calls for immense devotion to the cause. He was 78, and till the last three months of his life, he was very active. Before the Zimbabwe tour, guys like Dravid called on him. Such was his bond with his boys'', said Shavir Tarapore.

KALYAN ASHOK

Bangalore

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