Zorar Ahmed
While watching a cricket match at Azad Maidan or live on television, 75-year old Zorar Ahmed and his 19-year-old grandson Mudassir cannot help but think of how a shot by the batsmen will affect the wooden bat. “These days, batsmen are in a hurry to score runs. If the ball hits the side of the bat, it is bound to break sooner,” says Ahmed. The duo, who repair bats for a living at the Azad Maidan ground frequented by young cricketers, can list out reasons why a bat is likely to need frequent repairs.
“When a bat is new, there is a need to do some knocking over it for a few days. If one starts batting with it directly, it will not last long. We knock the front side of the bat with a wooden hammer gently till it sets properly. Once it is in use, if the ball hits the middle of the bat more often, it is better,” says Ahmed.
Sitting on one side of the maidan, Ahmed is surrounded by bats with glue stuck to bind their chipped parts or with strings attached to fix them. A few bats, beyond repair, too are strewn around. Ahmed’s customers are usually youngsters playing on the grounds, looking for a quick fix for their bats, broken during play. “It takes 2-3 days to repair a bat if the wood has worn off or chipped in parts. Some want the bat handle to be made thick or narrow. I take Rs 30 to fix one bat and can fix five to eight in a day,” Ahmed says.
“Bats are available for as little as Rs 100 and may even go up to Rs 10,000. Many prefer taking them to sports shops for repair. Earlier, bats were made of better quality wood. Now, the wood is cheaper and not dried entirely, so it breaks easily. Earlier, bats would not be split into two that often,”Ahmed says.
Ahmed came to Mumbai from Uttar Pradesh in the 1960s to accompany his brother who worked as a groundsman at Azad Maidan. Having worked as a groundsman too, Ahmed began to repair bats when his predecessor left after working for over two decades. “The year was 1996, when there was a cricket World Cup. I had seen the earlier repairer at work for over 25 years and knew how the work was done. After he left, I took over his work and have been at it since,” Ahmed says. Sitting with a few tools including a hammer, screwdriver and other equipment, Ahmed is at work since the first cricketers arrive at the ground after sunrise and till they leave at end of day’s play. Among the conversations with his customers are constant inquiries of injuries they received while playing, and the tournaments they have won.
He names a few old-time players and boasts having seen them play as youngsters on the very same ground. Having now passed on his skill to his grandson, Ahmed hopes young cricketers will still keep coming to him. “I enjoy the work. I have also learnt it from watching my grandfather repair bats,” Mudassir says.
Constantly reminiscing about the days gone by, Ahmed speaks of the advent of One Day International and T20 matches, the newer shots played by batsmen as well as the lack of patience among Mumbaikars to watch a good match. “Earlier, people would sit in large numbers to watch a good match on these grounds. Everyone is in a hurry now,” he says.
The current worry for Ahmed is the construction of Metro 3, which has taken over a part of Azad maidan temporarily, likely till 2021. “Earlier, at one point 44 teams could play at a time, now only 20 teams can. This has also slowed down our business,” Ahmed says.
For all the latest Mumbai News, download Indian Express App
Get assembly election result LIVE updates from each constituency in Tripura, Nagaland and Meghalaya
