Ravi Shastri turns back clock, but drives home present truths

Former India head coach Ravi Shastri makes a point during the launch of Khalid A-H Ansari’s book at a city hotel yesterday. Pic/PTI

Take a walk." If Ravi Shastri didn't go uttering these words often to some of his chirpy opponents in his playing days, he surely carried that attitude in the thick of the battle.

On Monday evening, he had to walk a bit, quite literally before stepping into a lift that took him to the rooftop of the Trident hotel to be part of the launch of former sports writer, editor and newspaper proprietor Khalid A-H Ansari's book, It's a Wonderful World, published by Rupa & Co.

Knee issues

Shastri's arrival was noteworthy and commendable considering he underwent knee replacements on both legs only recently. He wasn't on crutches, but one noticed how he had to stretch both legs at regular intervals while sitting in the second row. The former India captain was quick to crush any trace of a comparison between Ansari and the journalist, who allegedly threatened Wriddhiman Saha after the Indian wicketkeeper didn't grant him an interview.

Ansari, according to Shastri, apart from being a fair journalist, also provided Indians a great understanding of sports through Sportsweek, the magazine he founded in 1968. It ran for 20 years. Before being called on stage by the evening's host, Cyrus Broacha, Shastri was delighted to know through this writer that Sportsweek was the magazine that first featured him on a cover apart from hailing his domestic cricket before being called to join the Indian team in NZ in 1981.

Media-player relationship

"The equation we had with journalists was far, far, better than you see with the boys today," Shastri told Broacha, justifying why players don't interact with the media often. "A lot of things are taken out of context these days. I am being honest. Because of the competition which exists - a result of which - the player has no choice but to go into his shell and say ‘I'd rather look within, focus on the game and let my cricket do the talking. Once I am done and dusted, I can speak to whoever I want to,' " remarked Shastri.