CARDIFF: For India coach
Ravi Shastri, a trip to
Cardiff
is always tinged with nostalgia. From 1987 to 1991, Shastri played for
Glamorgan
, whose home ground is the
Sofia Gardens
. There’s a massive picture of the former India all-rounder in one of the stadium corridors here.
ICC WORLD CUP 2019 SCHEDULERecalling Shastri’s stint with Glamorgan, Andrew Higgins, who has been the official scorer with the county since 1978, told TOI: “Shastri came here in 1987, when he had a few technical issues with his bowling action (he is a left-arm spinner).
“He was lucky enough to be here at a time when we had a wonderful man as our bowling coach, the late great Tom Shephered, who took 2,276 first-class wickets for Glamorgan. He was an off-spinner who would bowl off-cutters too,” remembers Higgins, “Ravi benefited massively from Tom’s advice. He subsequently attributed his success, and rediscovering his bowling action to the hard work he put here in the nets with Shephered at Glamorgan.”
Being a scorer, Higgins doesn’t take long to recall the success Shastri enjoyed with Glamorgan almost three decades back. “He hit several hundreds for us in one-day and championship cricket. He was an integral part of the Glamorgan team in 1988, when it reached the semifinals of the Benson and Hedges Cup, a 55-overs-a-side competition.
“Unfortunately, we lost in the semis at Swansea. As Glamorgan we were seemingly moving to victory when a Michael Holding delivery reared up and hit Matthew Maynard’s helmet. It fell on his wicket. Unfortunately, Ravi and the others couldn’t see us home. If we’d won that game, Ravi would have been able to say that he played in a final with us. He played for us at a time when we were rebuilding. He didn’t play in 1989 and 1990, because we had Viv Richards.”
Higgins describes Shastri as a “gentle giant.” “I was lucky enough to be with him in the same hotel on several away trips as well. What a lovely gentleman he is! I met him last year here, and he still remembers me.” During India’s tour to England last year, Shastri had mentioned how his Glamorgan stint helped him hone his game as an opener.