Cricinfo - Blogs - First class, first person

The Indian Railways is the largest mass transport system operating in the world in terms of travellers per day and every Indian has memories of train journeys. For us cricketers, it's no different.

During journeys there's a lot of interaction between players, a fact crucial in a sport like cricket. Long-term friendships are formed when one interacts with colleagues, understanding each other's background, education, siblings and family. These journeys made team bonding much easier. One understands there is more to life than just cricket.

Our experience of trains usually corresponds with the progress made in our careers. Earlier when a player used to get picked for Under-15, Under-17 or his University team, he used to travel in second class compartments. When he progressed to the Ranji Trophy almost all players travelled second AC.

If one made it to the zonal team (for the Duleep or Deodhar Trophy) the tickets are given by organisers but with no guarantee of berth confirmations. I remember vividly a journey in 2000 when ten players of a Central Zone team were booked in an AC compartment from Kanpur to Delhi after a Duleep Trophy match. But only one ticket was confirmed. It was on that one ticket, with some help from co-passengers that we managed to spend the night in the most awkward conditions. It caused a lot of discomfort to all concerned.

You also need to endure some really long journeys. My longest journey has been for 52 hours from Guwahati to Mumbai in 1999. It was after a Duleep Trophy game and I was all by myself, going back home. I spent close to three nights in the train and it passed through so many unknown stations. It was a very lonely experience.

Another problem relates to the massive kit-bag and luggage we need to carry to games. The trains usually tend to be jam-packed and there isn't much place to store our belongings. In hindsight one acknowledges the tolerance, humility and acceptance of co-passengers, which made it possible for us to travel. People usually used to grant us special status by making adjustments once they realised we were cricketers.

Teamwork also came to our rescue on many occasions. If we had to alight at a station where a train stops for a very short period, we used to form a queue from the seats to the exit and pass on the luggage from one guy to the other. It not only saved us paying exorbitant amounts of money to the porters but also had another big advantage. You could very easily separate a selfish character from a selfless character during these journeys. A selfish character was one who would turn a blind eye once his luggage alighted on the platform.

A related aspect is the allotment of room partners when teams are put up in hotels. Most coaches and managers try and work it out on the following basis – either it's a senior with a junior to enhance the learning process, or it's openers sharing a room, fast bowlers being put together, or (in Railways' case) players being grouped according to their zones. It produces some interesting situations when one member of the room has had a great day and the other a bad one. It's tough to party when you've score a big hundred but seen your room-mate failing on the day. It's those times when you understand what a great leveller cricket can be and how failure isn't too far away if you lose focus.

It's great to see Sanjay posting his thoughts on cricinfo. Cricket in Indian domestic leagues is a whole different ball game altogether. I especially enjoyed this post. Cricket is a team game and team camaraderie is a huge factor in team's success. I only play club cricket but I have learned from experience that driving my team to and fro destination goes a long way to building team ethics. Cricket is a way of life. It can teach one a lot of things in one day that one wouldn't learn in a lifetime. Very few people actually get a chance to play at highest level. but any level of competitive cricket is a great teacher of life. wishing Sanjay all the best. Traveling by air might sounds appealing and practical for that sake, but nothing substitutes the time spent together while traveling. In the age of professionalism, the true spirit of cricket seems to be vanishing somehow somewhere.

good luck,
K

Gret write up from Sanjay. I always wondered how our domestic cricketers travelled on train covering long distances match after match. Earlier before the elite and plate leagues were introduced, it used be short journeys within the respective zones. But now, Kerala may travel all the way to Guwahati and Assam may travel down to Trivandrum. I recall one incident wherin JP yadav was selected for the first time for India. One match he was enjoying all the great benefits of a Team India Cricketer, next match he was dropped and was immediately off to a Ranaji trophy match played by Railways to a far off destination in a second class compartment. Evesince Cricinfo started this blog its been great experience reading the articles from Sanjay, Ashwin and Paras. Thanks for Cricinfo for having started to upload photos of ranaji trophy matches. Looking forward to more and more and more.

dear sanjay,

it is wonderful on hearing your experiences. i have been a great fan of yours and your game since the headingley game. moreover,i used to visit karnail singh stadium to watch you play when i was in gurgaon. Barathan , your first captain knows me pretty well as i started my cricketing career with his team. i am a cricketer of little repute in tamil nadu circles,i would like to be in touch with u. my email address is sb_cgl@rediffmail.com. in fact, i have a google alert in your name and read all articles about you. Wish you very good luck and my heartiest regards to aryaan and your family.

longing for your friendship.keep mailing..

Hi Sanjay,

Excellent Article. Simple but says so much. Much like your batting!
I think the Railways is one of the best teams in the Ranji format, simply because they function like a TEAM. There is no one upmanship or playing to the galleries. Everyone seems to understand each others game and tries to get the maximum out of it. We have always heard/read stories of the lack of facilities the Railways had, but that has never stopped them from performing, never once has it become an excuse for failure. Amazing! Harvinder, JP, Kartik, Goud and yourself have served the Railways with distinction.

All the best. Keep writing!

Amit

Great article Sanjay. Thanks Cricinfo for getting the domestic Indian Cricket on your page. Like the others have pointed out, it is our uncomplaining domestic cricketers like Sanjay Bangar, Aakash Chopra, Pravin Amre, S Sarath and more recently the fringe players Badrinath, Powar, Venugopal Rao who make the game more down to earth, with there humble, hardworking, behind the scenes approach.

It is also great to observe the very straightforward blogs by some of the cricketers.

The BCCI is busy ready for another money bungle with the IPL, when they cannot live upto the basic expectations of existing cricket fraternity who have the real passion for the game.

Dear Sanjay,I read your article with great delight and had fond memories of the days when my family and I travelled by class 3 but made first class friends with whom we corresponded for years during the time we were in India. For over 3 decades I am abroad and not only miss watching live cricket matches but miss my train journies.I grab a day when I visit India to take the Deccan Queen to Pune and despite the fact they have changed the 1st class compartments to cope up with the steady increase in travellers( I hate the seating)there is no denying the fact that this short trip brings back fond memories of,amongst many others, travelling 3 decades ago in a more than overfull unreserved third class boogie from Madras (it was so called that time) to Poona(it was so called that time). Great writing Sanjay and hope you can make it to Indonesia and give some great tips as cricket is just catching up with the locals. Waiting to hear more from you. Regards and all the best in every thing you do
Ashok

Hi Sanjay
I am writing from Jakarta. Having left the Indian shores more than two and a half decades ago, I long for the simple II class train journey in India (not super fast trains, though)even today. I recently traveled from Nagpur to Madras by Tamil Nadu Express in II class (I could have afforded A/C Class - but I insisted that I and family would only travel by II Class). The journey was beautiful - enjoying the wonderful breeze through the windows, watching the girders of the rail bridges pass by, sipping a hot cup of coffee, and what not. I definitely opine that the entire cricket team members - particularly the Indians and Pakistanis - must travel together on trains, preferably in the same compartment - and build lasting relationship outside the ground. Wordy exchanges like the recent one between Gambir and Afridi would never have taken place, if the teams had traveled together on trains from one place to another. Well done for a thought provoking article. Do keep posting your wonderful comments. Thanks very much.

Dear Sanjay .. You always gave all you had to the task on hand and yet your contributions never got their due recognition. Just like that innings where you played the new ball in difficult conditions in England with Dravid, people like me would also remember you for the heart-stopping final over bowled by you against Zim, which denied them a successful chase of a 300+ target. Many would love to know about your "baalpan" in the heartland of Maharashtra (Beed) and how you managed to beat all odds by making it into the Indian side via an unfancied Railways side. Aajkaal Baroda ani Ranchi baddal sagale boltaat, pan Beed baddal koni kadhich bolala naahi .. many would love to hear about it ..! Good luck in whatever you do! ... Chaitanya

Its always nice to read a thought provking piece from a person who has been through the grind and experienced the ups and downs first hand. Institutions like the railways and services are never noticed in the domestic circuits but over the last few years some honest and determined cricketers like Sanjay, Murali Karthik, Harvnder Singh , Yere Goud etc have proved that one does not need to play for the 'five star' states to make it big.
Again I fully agree that a train journey can bond a sportsman playing a team sport that much better as the unending journeys can give you a clear insight into your team mates' pshyche better than a jet ride can ever dream off. Sanjay having led the Railways with immense distinction must have learnt a lot about his colleagues during the hours spent in the train compartments and dorms . Much more than he would ever have if the journeys were on airplanes and nights spent in cosy comfort of five star hotels.
The busy domestic and international calenders are for sure not going to permit these 'bonding moments ' in the future but enjoy it while it lasts should be the motto !!
If cricketers like Sanjay, Praveen Amre, Sridharan Sharath, Abdul jabbar ( a decade and half back) , etc had got disillusioned and left the scene in a huff the domestic circuit would have been that much poorer.
This is not a debate of Stars vs. Journeymen sportsman at all. This piece from Sanjay at no point sounded envious or disillusined . It was only pointing out something that was ever so obviois but conveniently ignored.
Keep the articles coming Sanjay. Always a pleasure to hear it from cricketer who played with a straigt bat....it shows in your writing as well.....Asalways played in the 'V'.
All the best !!!

Dear Sanjay,
I passed my 22years in railway colony and playing for Surat railways.I was just an ordinary player but whatever journey,food,accomodation we railway players enjoyed no other persons can enjoy at any cost.Sanjay did not said about reality...For inter railway competition players are staying in railway coaches which are on the railway siding.Long back captain use to bring tiffin and all players were eating with bread in one big tiffin when other companies players like banks,corporations were getting lunch from hotel.Railways players were getting very less salary compare to others.I know one Tejkhan left arm leg spinner and allrounder was working as a gang man with Rs.5 per day salary.I think if he would have been in banks or rich would have played test for india.Other notable players were Buddhi Kunderan..wicketkeeper batsman..played many tests for india and migrated to england.One such name if I am not forgetting is Gunvan Desai from Valsad.He was medium pacer did not got any chance to play from Gujarat...was playing from railways and played Duleep trophy from central zone.Like Banger all railway mens entry was very late in test team.Because railway donot have powerful lobby and their players came of their own perfomance and were very late.Now railways are making profit and has powerful lobby players are getting better chances and facilities.

Mr.Sanjay, I posted my comments to your article - Devil's Playgrounds- where in I made a suggestion to write on Travel, without reading your other blogs. You have wonderfully written on this travel too. Travel by Trains in India is always a delightful experience.If proper reservations are made, then journey by Train gives ample time to rest, completely cut off from the outside world. It is also a wonderful place for team meetings and inputs from fellow travelers. I dare say that many passengers are accommodative, and more so towards the Cricketers.There are so many aspects of life a Cricketer undergoes in his cricketing career, that can all be brought up in print, keeping certain things Private, and out of print.How about the idea of writing on Three different forms of Cricket viz., Twenty-twenty; One-day matches; and test Cricket, and building up separate set of players.We can have a pool of 30 players in each format on the national level.More players would have a chance of playing for India in a format of Cricket game they choose.Please keep writing, which you are doing so well.Best wishes to you.