Goodbye Gurpal, my mentor and friend!

Bishan Singh Bedi

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Gurpal Singh, former Punjab and Railways cricketer, is no more.

Gurpal was my captain during my Khalsa College days in Amritsar and my mentor in my formative years. This word ‘mentor’ was not quite in vogue those days. So I’m using the modern terminology to express my gratitude, which again is not really doing justice to the man who was instrumental in me playing in the Ranji Trophy when I was barely out of my teens.

Gurpal literally threw me at the deep end of the pool and then suddenly disappeared from the scene. As luck would have it, Gurpal was dragged away from Punjab by the greener cricket pastures of Bombay and West Zone.

Though in his prime, Gurpal struggled to make a mark in the absolutely strange and new environment in Mumbai. That’s what destiny has in store when Lady Luck turns her face away. But Gurpal was perhaps too proud to retreat to Punjab, where job opportunities were rare then, as they are today! 

Gurpal eventually settled with Western Railways and played for Indian Railways, which could be termed a consolation of sorts. However, my humble cricket sense suggests Gurpal was a potential India material lost to the vagaries of luck and opportunity. To be at the right place at the right time is what getting right breaks is all about. Alas, it was not to be for him.

As our college captain, Gurpal had the capacity to win the inter-college matches of Panjab University entirely on his own. Those were the days when Khalsa College vs DAV College finals at the Gandhi Ground in Amritsar would have a nearly 20,000 crowd. Yes, university cricket was a valued contest then! 

Once when he was playing for North Zone against England at Jalandhar in December 1961, we young players went to see the match. I saw Tony Lock bowl in that game. Gurpal made 29 not out and 10 not out in the two innings. 

After we came back to Amritsar, I was aping Lock’s action during practice, bowling with a longer run-up. Gurpal observed me and chided me, saying: “Be yourself! You don’t have to try to copy a player just because he’s an international player. You have to bowl according to your own abilities and strengths.”

All that is very well etched in my memory. So is Gurpal’s outstanding ability.

Goodbye Gurpalji!