Vinay Nayudu
A book on one of India’s flamboyant cricket stars Sandeep Patil, co-authored by veteran sports journalist Clayton Murzello of Mid-Day newspaper, was launched at the hands of Patil’s 1983-World Cup winning teammate Ravi Shastri at the Cricket Club of India in Mumbai on Wednesday.
‘Sandeep Patil – Beyond Boundaries’ traces Patil’s exciting cricketing journey both on-and-off the field.
Present on the occasion were cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar, India captain and former chairman of India selection committee Dilip Vengsarkar, former India cricketers Sanjay Manjrekar, Balwinder Singh Sandhu and numerous other former cricketers.
Sachin Bajaj, founder Global Cricket School, who has been instrumental in bringing out the book, was also present.
Patil, who’s had a towering presence on the Indian cricket scene in the 70 and the 80s, was a natural stroke maker and would make crowds flock to the scene wherever he played.
During India’s 1980-81 tour of Australia, Patil - playing without a helmet in Sydney, was hit on the throat and later on the ear by fast bowlers Rodney Hogg and Len Pascoe respectively, forcing him to retire hurt having made 65 runs.
In the next Test at Adelaide, Patil hit a spectacular 174 after India were 4 down at 130.
The stylish Patil later was instrumental in India’s famous World Cup triumph in 1983 and hit England’s Bob Willis for six fours at Manchester in 1982. Patil was flown in a plane provided by the state government to replace an unwell Mohinder Amarnath in the Nagpur Test against Pakistan in 1983. Much to his luck, the opening day of the match was delayed by rain and began post tea providing much time for Patil to make the team.
In the 1984-85 Test series against England, Patil was axed for playing what was considered a rash shot then being caught at the boundary in Delhi. He was dropped for the following Test in Calcutta.
Patil later went on to famously coach the provincial Madhya Pradesh team guiding them to the Ranji Trophy semi-final in 1992-93. He then coached India before going on to become the chairman of the national selection committee.
Patil played 29 Tests and 45 ODIs, scoring 1588 and 1005 runs respectively. He also played 130 first-class matches.
Apart from Mumbai, Patil also played for Madhya Pradesh and also coached the Kenya team which made the semi-final of 2003 ICC Cricket World Cup played in South Africa.
Speaking at the launch of his book, Patil said, “I am delighted that my journey as a cricketer, coach, and chief selector has been well articulated in this book. This book highlights most of the milestone events in my life and provides cricket enthusiasts with interesting anecdotes from my years playing multiple roles in this great sport.
“It has indeed been an exciting journey and the support of my friends, family, and teammates made it a memorable one,” Patil added.
Former India all-rounder, captain, coach and a respected television commentator Ravi Shastri was effusive in his praise for Patil. “He is one the best hard-hitters of the ball and could send it a long way. Sandeep is a very versatile character and it is lovely to share lots of memories with him. I am certain the book will be an interesting read for everyone and will be enjoyed by all,” said Shastri.
Shastri and Patil were also roommates during tours, and their time together — both on and off the field — lends much heft to this book.
Clayton Murzello, cricket writer and co-author of the book, said “I am delighted to be part of Sandeep Patil’s exciting life and cricketing career. The entire process of writing this book was very enjoyable and educative, especially because there was total cooperation from everyone associated with this wonderful project.”
‘Sandeep Patil – Beyond Boundaries’ with Clayton Murzello, is available for purchase online on Amazon India.
