Spin wizard, mentor, Bedi was a charmer

Maninder Singh

Bold, blunt and a perfectionist, former India cricket captain Bishan Singh Bedi, who passed away last week, left an indelible mark. There was a time when left-arm spinner Maninder Singh was considered his heir apparent.

In a conversation with Deepankar Sharda, the 58-year-old Maninder Singh pays rich tributes to Bedi and recalls his role as a mentor.

You were, at one point of time, compared with Bishan Singh Bedi. How did that play out?

I also started living in delusion about replacing him. Everyone started saying that I have to follow in his footsteps and carry on from where he had left, which was never possible. It was very difficult and I tried too hard. And sometimes, when you try this hard to achieve something, it turns out to be a mistake… because you don’t give yourself enough time to develop and achieve that milestone. There was a lot of pressure. The pressure was built by the people around me and I brought it upon myself as well.

How important was Bedi to you, and did you often take his advice?

He was a great motivator. There was a time when I would go to my coach to get tips for bowling skills, and to Bishan Paaji for getting motivation. He was a gem of a person and during my bad phase, he gave me a patient hearing and motivated me to find a better way out. I used to practice with him. In my younger days, I started to get the feeling that I have to continue from where he had left. But it took him a lot of time to reach where he was. I was barely 18, and sometimes you get carried away. While the coach would tell me about my mistakes on the field, Paaji would always tell me the right and wrong about life’s decisions. It’s very disheartening to see him go. It’s a sad moment for Indian cricket.

Bedi handed you your first-class debut cap, do you remember?

How can I forget, a gentleman and an icon handing me my first-class debut cap. I was 15 and my hero handed me the cap… how can I even think of forgetting that moment? It was a knockout match. For there on, I became India’s youngest ever Test player at 17. As I said, expectations rose too early, and it was a misconception of being able to match Paaji’s ability at the highest level of the game. I was unable to manage it and found myself lost.

He had seen me at the National Stadium in Delhi and called me to practise with the Ranji Trophy team, and against all odds made me play Ranji matches. It was his confidence in me, and for that matter his confidence in every promising player, that remains an abiding memory.

How do you see Bedi as a player and as a human being?

He will remain a jadugar (magician) for me. No one was able to make out if he would bowl or just take a stroll in the ground. He would casually stroll down the wicket, and a stunning delivery would amaze the batsman. He would read the batsman’s mind and would literally challenge him to face him, but with a smile. I saw him bowling when he was about to retire from cricket and I was left mesmerised.

No one can match him… his action, his strong mind and his way of pacifying a player. I will again say, comparing anybody with Bedi is an injustice to the amazing and great man. He would say things bluntly and would never hesitate to call a spade a spade.

After retirement, Paaji’s interest in cricket never wavered. He was back on the field and coached various teams. He was good at spotting talent and giving them an opportunity to showcase it. I recently read an article where former Punjab players paid rich tributes to him and shared how he used to nurture them with whatever resources were available.

During the start of our career, we were told how Paaji used to go to Gandhi Ground in Amritsar, and make the crowds stand on their feet. That was the time when the domestic calendar would witness packed stadiums. For youngsters, Bishan Singh Bedi was a guide like few others. I am sure many of his trainees are well settled now and would readily acknowledge his role in shaping their lives. He was a charmer and ruled many hearts.

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