Hopefully, more IPL cricketers take cue from Cummins and lighten their purses for a cause that is a matter of life and death
Kolkata Knight Riders’ Australian fast bowler Pat Cummins has donated $50,000 towards oxygen supply in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic hitting India. Pic/Getty Images
It took a foreigner to be the first among numerous current Indian Premier League (IPL) players to announce a COVID-related donation.
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Pat Cummins’s $50,000 gesture is like the very produce he has donated towards — oxygen.
There is a tendency to view acts of charity cynically. There are people who ask whether the funds are coming right out of the donor’s purse. Others give in to the temptation of believing that it could be someone else’s money and charity many a time is done to improve the individual’s profile. However, at times we need to shut our ears and lift an arm to gesture a thumbs up. That time is now. India is crying for help and this is no time to play the over-thinking detective in an open and shut case.
Let’s hope more IPL cricketers take cue from Cummins and lighten their purse for a cause that is a matter of life and death. I say this in the knowledge that some prominent sportspersons do their share of charity without anyone knowing or noticing. Others may want to make their deeds public. We’ll respect that as well.
Meanwhile, a big scoop of appreciation should also be extended to former India opener Wasim Jaffer for his pinned tweet which reads: “If you need help, please reply to this tweet and tag the relevant authorities of your city. I’ll try and help you reach the right people. I’m making this my pinned tweet for max reach. This too shall pass.”
Over the years, cricketers have used different methods to come to the rescue of the needy. Let’s start with Sir Don Bradman; considered by a substantial number of experts as the greatest batsman that ever lived. Bradman was known to be stingy with his money during his playing days. Indeed, there is a story about his teammates on the 1930 tour of England being upset with him for not buying them a round of drinks leave alone sharing some of the 1,000 pounds he received from an Australian philanthropist in recognition of his then world record 334 score in the Leeds Test during that English summer.
Bradman was also tight-fisted with the Australian Cricket Board’s funds when he became chairman of the Board. But he displayed his helping hand in his own way. In 1987, he wrote a foreword to a book called Cricketing Memories compiled by Kolkata-based cricket lover Jyotsna Poddar. Bradman’s opening lines in the foreword indicated why he decided to write it: “The days of my writing forewords, introductions and the like are largely behind me but Mrs Jyotsna Poddar persuaded me to contribute a short foreword to this publication. The reason I consented was that she has given me an undertaking that any profits from this enterprise will be donated to a Retired Cricketers’ Benefit Fund, a cause which incites my sympathy.”
There are other examples of Bradman’s sensitivity. Terry Jenner, the former Australia leg-spinner, saw that while he was organising golden jubilee celebrations of Australia’s famous 1948 series win in England. The function was held in Bradman’s home city of Adelaide. The 90-year-old frail cricket legend drove himself to the function, met his teammates, some of whom he had not met for 20 years, and signed 48 photographs of the 1948 Invincibles (as that team came to be known after their triumph) needed for the players and various charity organisations. Jenner, a first rate events manager, then decided to have a similar function in Queensland which Bradman of course couldn’t attend but he signed another 48 photographs. Sam Loxton, a teammate of Bradman’s, then suggested to Jenner (as mentioned in the book, Remembering Bradman by Margaret Geddes) that he would do well to organise another celebration in Melbourne since six from that 1948 team were Victorians. Not only did that give Jenner only two months before the year closed out, but also there were another set of images to be signed by Bradman. He agreed to that as well and when he finished signing the last one (the 180th going by Jenner’s interview to Geddes), he is believed to have said, “Tell Terry Jenner I’ve just signed my last one for him.”
England’s deceased fast bowling great Fred Trueman was also generous and related an incident in his book, Ball of Fire, that took place long before he became an all-time great with his 300 Test wickets feat. Trueman used to have small bets with Maurice Leyland in the Yorkshire dressing room. Leyland challenged Trueman to score a 50 and claim six wickets in one innings. The reward? A stone (6.35 kgs) of humbugs (hard boiled sweets). The fast bowler achieved it, won the bet and revealed that there were confectionery firms happily delivering loads of toffees to the Yorkshire dressing room. Trueman didn’t know what to do with them before he thought about calling up a home for children with special needs, to handover the sweets to their kids. They agreed on the condition that Trueman came himself. Seeing the kids broke his heart. When one lad moved towards him, Trueman asked: “How are you, son?” The boy replied:
“I’m alright. I’ll win the London to Brighton road race next year.” A teary-eyed Trueman vowed that very moment that if ever he would do anything for charity, it would be for kids.
Like Trueman, Cummins also happens to be an aggressive fast bowler — one with a heart of gold. May we see his latest deed being emulated soon.
mid-day’s group sports editor Clayton Murzello is a purist with an open stance. He tweets @ClaytonMurzello
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The views expressed in this column are the individual’s and don’t represent those of the paper.
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