When the former India Test cricketer was appointed curator in late 2009 by the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA), he had barely 15 months to ensure the ground was ready before the first World Cup match at the refurbished Wankhede Stadium on March 13 between Canada and New Zealand.
Sudhir Naik. Pic/Ashish Rane
If the jam-packed Wankhede Stadium crowd stood up in unison when India skipper MS Dhoni lofted Nuwan Kulasekara for a six to clinch the World Cup on this day in 2011, there was another person, seated just below the Indian team dressing room, thrilled to bits.
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That India lifted the prized trophy again after 28 years, was not the only reason for being jubilant. Fifteen months of non-stop work, slogging for over 12 hours daily on the ground yielded rich rewards for Wankhede Stadium curator Sudhir Naik and his ground staff. The moment only got sweeter with the Men in Blue’s triumph.
It’s 10 years for that historic triumph, but Naik remembers every detail as if the events unfolded only recently.
When the former India Test cricketer was appointed curator in late 2009 by the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA), he had barely 15 months to ensure the ground was ready before the first World Cup match at the refurbished Wankhede Stadium on March 13 between Canada and New Zealand.
The challenge was enormous. “For one full year I did not get proper sleep despite working for 12 hours a day. There was so much tension,” recalled Naik.
Naik was under tremendous pressure when ICC officials expressed serious doubts over the ground being ready in time when they came for an inspection in December.
With just one month left for the World Cup, Naik was left with little time to plant Bermuda grass on the 10-metre area from the boundary line leading to the stands. “I knew there would be a delay, so I decided to plant garden grass since that area was beyond the boundary line. Nobody knew about it. In 15 days, we completed that portion and the entire outfield and ground work was ready by February 20. I was never worried about the pitches, but outfield was a major concern because the grass had to settle down. Abhay Patankar, the outfield consultant appointed by MCA, worked very hard as well and provided good quality fertilisers and technical details. I used all my chemistry and laboratory experience as well,” said Naik.
There was no shortage of drama before the World Cup final as Naik and Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara got involved in an argument.
“I first stopped him when he stepped on to the pitch for inspection. He then tried to enter the net area where the Indian team were scheduled to practice. He wanted to play some balls there as he felt I had prepared an exact match pitch for practice to the Indian team and provided a substandard practice pitch to the Sri Lankan team. He took a few knocks on the pitches prepared for the Indian team in the presence of match referee Jeff Crowe,” said Naik.
During the final, ICC’s anti-corruption officials came searching for Naik as his score predictions had come true. On the eve of the final, Naik had told reporters that the team batting first will score between 275 to 280 runs and the team batting second will be able to chase it. Sri Lanka scored 274-6. “One official told me I must not give any interviews but I asked him whether there was any circular from the ICC to the BCCI or the state associations that curators should not speak to the media. I had followed all rules and protocol put in place,” said Naik.
He stressed that there were no instructions from Team India to prepare a particular pitch. “I prepared a good pitch as this could go down in the history of Indian cricket. MCA’s reputation was in my hands,” he said.
The euphoric atmosphere outside the Wankhede Stadium made Naik walk all the way to Marine Lines railway station to catch a train for his residence in Dadar.
That night, Naik hit the bed at 1.30 am and he woke up at two in the afternoon the next day. He had never slept so long in 15 months.
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