Memorabilia collector Mahendra to stop asking for stuff from Pak players
Memorabilia collector Mahendra to stop asking for stuff from Pak players
J K Mahendra (61) has travelled the cricketing globe collecting cricket memorabilia for the last 35 years. He has collected everything from bats to stumps, autographs to caps. The latest spot fixing controversy has caused him to make a significant change in his best-loved activity.
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| Memorabilia collector JK Mahendra with some of his prized possessions. |
Mahendra, a former India schoolboy and first-class cricketer, has decided not to ask contemporary Pakistani players for any gear. The last he did so was in July ufffd Salman Butt's bat in England ufffd but is glad that the piece of willow is not among his prized possessions at his Chennai home.
"I requested Salman to give me one of his bats. That day he didn't have his kit with him, so I had a word with his manager, but somehow the bat did not come my way. After watching what all has transpired since then, I am glad I don't have the bat. Whatever we see is disgraceful. The investigations are still on, but I can't help asking myself, 'can cricketers stoop so low?' As a former cricketer, fan and collector, I am deeply hurt," Mahendra told MiD DAY over the phone from Chennai yesterday.
Mahendra sells memorabilia too, but stressed he doesn't sell what he gets from the cricketers. He was in touch with some of the Pakistani cricketers and support staff ufffd Waqar Younis and Ijaz Ahmed ufffd to help a director friend from Kerala sign up a Pakistani for a role in a Malayalam film. "Asif agreed to act, but he was refused permission from the Pakistan Cricket Board," said Mahendra.
He also happened to meet Mazhar Majeed, the man reportedly behind the spot fixing controversy. "Mazhar seemed to be a very nice guy. When I requested him for one of Salman's bats, he said, 'why one, I will give you two.' But I couldn't collect it from him as I left for India. My friend Ijaz Ahmed gave me a Pakistan jersey"
"After the Lord's Test, I travelled to Leeds to watch them. I was so impressed and said to myself that if India were to face Pakistan now, it would be very difficult to beat them. Mohammad Amir bowled so well and I was so happy that Salman Butt was shaping up to be a good captain. In London, I sat besides a reporter while he was interviewing him and was impressed by his English. Finally, Pakistan has a captain who can speak English well, I thought.
"When I turned on my television set last Sunday, I was shocked to see Mazhar and Salman in this mess. What will happen to this game if agents/managers indulge in such activities. And where the current Pakistani players are concerned, I don't want anything from them. I am so disgusted. After raving about them at Leeds where they beat the Australians, I feel cheated and let down. The guilty should be banned for life and not exonerated."
