World class Batsman,Indian Cricket Team and Karnataka state cricket team mate
Syed Kirmani is, without a shadow of doubt, the best wicketkeeper I have played with, against or seen in my five-decade association with cricket. I say this without bias, not because we played together for nearly 20 years for the same employer, state and country.
There was a balletic grace to the manner in which Kiri moved either side, be it to the pace bowlers of whom we didn’t have many, or to high-class spin that was hardly at a premium. He always had that extra second of time which, allied with lovely hands and exceptional reflexes, contributed to poetry in motion behind the stumps.
Kiri had to wait until early 1976 to make his Test debut, but by then, we had been team-mates for more than 10 years. He had also travelled with the national team for a few years by then, and was more than ready when he played in Auckland against New Zealand for the first time at the highest level. Standing at slip, always I marveled at how easy he made wicketkeeping look, but I also had seen first-hand how much hard work had gone into his mastery of his craft. His brilliance against BS Chandrashekar and EAS Prasanna had to be seen to be believed. Those days, a majority of the first-class action unfolded on matting pitches, and Chandra was, well, Chandra. He would get the ball to fizz off the surface and procure significant bounce at not inconsiderable pace. I don’t recall a single instance of the ball not settling gently but surely into Kiri’s soft hands.
The confidence he gained from being so impeccable against two of the greatest spinners of all time automatically translated to splendid performances for the country. At the same time, I believe Kiri’s presence behind the stumps encouraged and emboldened our great spinners too. They knew that if they created chances, they would be gobbled up by the quiet, stylish man with the big gloves. It’s hardly a surprise that Kiri finished with 160 catches and 38 stumpings from 88 Tests in his 10-year international career. The icing on the cake, I am sure he will agree, was being named the best wicketkeeper during the historic 1983 World Cup campaign.
Kiri was a very good batsman too, evidenced by an average of 27.04 in Test cricket while batting lower down the order, and by 13 first-class centuries in his 275 appearances. Like most wicketkeepers, he was unorthodox and unconventional, pulling off strokes at whose audacity we could only marvel.
As much as he was a wonderful cricketer, Kiri is a fabulous human being too. As a cricketer, your shelf life is limited. No matter what legacy you leave behind on the field, to me, one’s off-field legacy carries greater import. Like an illustrious line of Karnataka cricketers, Kiri too is the perfect gentleman who has carried himself with grace, dignity and tremendous poise.
I have had the good fortune of sharing a room several times, and I found him to be as organised and meticulous in the room as he was on the field. His half of the room would give little indication that it was occupied by someone. His clothes were neatly stowed away, and in the evenings when we swapped our whites for normal wear, he would be among the best-dressed, not a wrinkle on his shirt, the creases perfectly in their place. He placed great emphasis on fashion and style, and was particularly conscious of presenting the best image of himself – not a hair out of place to start with, and a shiny, bald pate as the unforgiving march of time caught up with him too!
Like most things Kiri, there is a deliberateness to the way he talks, as well. Sometimes, it does drive people up the wall because you want the suspense to end! But Kiri is a master story-teller who refuses to be hurried, and takes his time in leading you to the climax. It speaks volumes of his charisma that he is able to hold your attention for long periods, and his spontaneous laughter when he finishes the story is nothing if not infectious.
Post retirement, Kiri has donned various roles and approached each of them with the same diligence and commitment that he did when he was an active cricketer. Time has done little to diminish his style and effortless elegance. A true all-rounder on and off the park, he holds a special place in my heart.
