Zakir Hussain was passionate about cricket, recalls ex cricketer

Zakir Hussain with Vilas Godbole at the Ravindra Natya Mandir in Prabhadevi in 2010. Pic/Vilas Godbole’s personal collection

Vilas Godbole, former Mumbai first-class cricketer, revealed to mid-day on Monday that he knew the tabla maestro, the late Zakir Hussain, since he was a little boy who had wanted to pursue the game of cricket.

"Zakir lived in Mahim then. He was a wicketkeeper and was keen to take up cricket seriously, but his legendary father Alla Rakha dissuaded him from doing so as he feared Zakir would injure his hands," said 82-year-old Godbole, who played for Bombay against the visiting Ceylon team in 1964-65 for his sole first-class cricket appearance. He was also a Bombay University player.

Apart from cricket playing, administration and coaching, Godbole was and still is immersed in music. Hussain, according to Godbole, stayed in touch with cricket action wherever he was on the globe. The music great played the tabla for an hour at the Ravindra Natya Mandir, Prabhadevi, before the release of Godbole's book, My Innings in Mumbai Cricket in 2010.

"When I published my next book [on coaching] in July, I visited him to present him a copy. He was so delighted to see that I had written another book. His modesty stood out and he was a person who radiated goodness. It's a big loss, but I cherish each interaction we had," signed off Godbole.