With India set to begin their Asia Cup campaign against the United Arab Emirates on Thursday, the memories of Sultan Zarawani-the unforgettable captain from the 1996 World Cup-come rushing back.
Cricket, with its glorious uncertainties, keeps throwing up incidents that live far beyond the scoreboard. In a team largely comprising expatriates, Zarawani’s inclusion as the leader of the pack had far greater significance.
After all, he was the only native-born player in the team in the World Cup, carrying the hopes of his nation in a tournament that had Asian giants like India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka competing for the coveted title, along with the rest of the world. For South Africa, it was their second World Cup since their return to international cricket after the end of apartheid in 1992.
A legspinner and middle-order batsman, Zarawani’s rise up the ranks wasn’t just an ordinary affair. He was at the forefront of the UAE’s dream run of 12 straight wins in the ICC Trophy to earn their World Cup berth.
As Muhammad Waseem gently walks down the stairs of the dressing room to toss the coin against his counterpart Suryakumar Yadav – the desert sun dipping below Dubai’s golden horizon behind him, Zarawani, now 64, can take the liberty of taking a trip down memory lane, reminding himself of where it all started.
And it would not come as a surprise if former South African speedster Allan Donald’s face flashes before his eyes. Some scars often tell stories braver than victories. And then, perhaps with a smile, the very next moment, he can find solace in the echoes of his most cherished cricketing triumphs – outsmarting India’s batting deity Sachin Tendulkar with a leg-break that spun more than he ever anticipated.
VIDEO: When Allan Donald Almost Killed Sultan Zarawani
VIDEO: HowZarawani Foxed Sachin Tendulkar
He might be undecided whether to call one of those incidents sheer bravery or a stupid act. Donald, back in those days, wasn’t just quick. There was a reason why he was nicknamed the ‘White Lightning’, yet marching out to face him, wearing nothing but a sunhat – not the smartest thing he had done in his life. And as any fast bowler would react, Donald responded with a vicious bouncer that almost took Zarawani’s head off – a blow that became part of cricketing folklore. The other was pure glory-his leg break that dismissed one of the best batters in the world, a couple of years earlier.
Zarawani failed to trouble the scorers in that match against South Africa, but that blow, forgotten by many, in a way captured the essence of World Cup romance. Here is a cricketer from a country not known for its cricket, trying to make a name for himself against the finest, not willing to give an inch, let alone falling behind in trying to rattle a fast bowler in his prime just to gain a mental edge, as if to challenge Donald to blink first.
A fairly wealthy man owning a fleet of expensive cars, Zarawani was as far away from being a hardened professional as anybody perhaps could be, but he embodied the courage and spirit that defines the sport. Now, nearly three decades later, as the Waseem-led UAE gear up to take on the T20 World Champions India, not as equals by any stretch of imagination in cricketing stature, but merely as torchbearers of Zarawani’s legacy, this match is not just a curtain raiser.
Somewhere in the shadows of memory, in the Dubai International Stadium, Sultan Zarawani will walk alongside them, reminding everyone that our beautiful game binds dreams across continents, and how even one delivery, one wicket, can immortalise a name.