Tiger Pataudi – the swashbuckling , debonair , gentleman , prince of cricket is no more ! . During the sixties , we only used to read about cricket with occasional glimpse of the action in Indian News Reels. For a college boy in me , Pataudi, Jayasimha, Abbas Ali Baig ,Prasanna were all larger than life and I used to devour in all the news about their exploits on and off the field.
When Tiger Pataudi got his prize catch during his tour of Africa – Sharmila Tagore , who was shooting for a movie somewhere close to Tiger’s camp , the Indian public cheered all the way . Later on when their marriage gave us two charming young actors in Saif and Soha , the ” Gharana {lineage } ” took new meaning . I wonder why Saif did not take to cricket ? .
We sadly miss the “class” of Pataudi today in cricket field because of the commercialization of this otherwise leisurely game ! Long live the memories of Tiger Pataudi ! Our heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family.