Cricket Club of Malabar: A passport to the past comes alive in Dubai

By K.R. Nayar

Almost every Keralite in the Gulf has, at some point, been affectionately - or sometimes inaccurately - addressed as a ‘Malabari’. The irony is that Malabar is only a region in northern Kerala, encompassing districts such as Kasaragod, Kannur, Wayanad, Kozhikode and Malappuram. Yet, in the Gulf, the word has often become a convenient umbrella term for Malayalis from every corner of Kerala.

A memento that says it all 

But when it comes to cricket, Malabar has a special identity of its own. And at the heart of that identity lies Tellicherry, now known as Thalassery, in Kannur district, widely regarded as one of the earliest centres of cricket in India. The game is believed to have taken root there during the British era, when officers of the East India Company introduced it to the region and local residents joined them on the cricket field.

At the Sevens Ground 

If cricket arrived on Malabar’s shores with the British, it was the people of Malabar who helped turn it into a lasting passion. What began as a colonial pastime grew into a sporting culture that inspired generations, nurtured talent and helped put Kerala cricket on the national map.

Memorable gathering

That is why the arrival of the Cricket Club of Malabar in Dubai last week was much more than a visit by a group of cricketers. It was a homecoming of memories, a reunion of old cricketing comrades and a celebration of a tradition that has travelled far beyond the boundaries of Kerala.

Some of the men who turned out for the club have themselves played important roles in spreading the culture and passion for cricket in Kerala and beyond. Today, Kerala is among the competitive forces in Indian domestic cricket, and the contributions of generations of dedicated players, coaches and administrators deserve to be remembered.

The Cricket Club of Malabar was the brainchild of J. K. Mahendra, with the concept being developed by C. T. K. Mashood and Krishnakumar Nambiar. Mahendra was one of Kerala’s finest all-rounders and captains, having represented the Indian Schools team against Australia and England in the mid-1960s.

Today, this is a globe-trotting team. Its members play alongside fellow cricket enthusiasts from the past, evoking nostalgia and spreading the Malabar flavour wherever they go. Their visit to Dubai last week saw them play two friendly matches at the Sevens Ground, with several former Kerala cricket heroes from the Malabar region, now living in the UAE, turning out for the occasion.

Among those in action were captain and joint secretary Krishnakumar, along with Tellicherry’s C. T. K. Mashood and C. T. K. Usman Kutty, both of whom are now among the leading cricket coaches in the UAE. They are the younger brothers of C. T. K. Nasir, who helped pave the way for many youngsters from the Malabar region to play in the UAE and progress to the international stage.

Hanees Babu, a fine and consistent opening batter for Kerala, was also part of the gathering. He subsequently went on to open the batting for Kuwait in international matches. Shajil Balan, one of the finest domestic cricketers in the UAE, was another prominent name in the line-up, alongside Nitin Menon, Dr. Charan, Rohit, Ajay Thampi, Bhargav, Ashiq, Shibit and Sharan Pinto. Shajil provided a memorable highlight by smashing an unbeaten 107 for the Cricket Club of Malabar in one of the friendly matches.

All these players have earned recognition by following in the footsteps of some of the great cricketers from the region. P. M. Raghavan, the first captain of the Travancore-Cochin Ranji Trophy side, hailed from Tellicherry. The illustrious line of players who followed included the late O. K. Ramdas, a courageous and consistent opening batter who represented Kerala in 35 Ranji Trophy matches and also captained the state; Sunil Oasis, a brilliant all-rounder whose contributions with both bat and ball made him one of South Indian cricket’s prominent players; T. Sivadas, an astute Kerala captain; Ashok Shekar, an agile wicketkeeper; P. Satyendran, who distinguished himself as a batter not only in Kerala but also in the highly competitive Hyderabad cricket leagues; and J. K. Mahendra.

Chandrasenan (centre) with superstar Mohanlal (left) and J.K. Mahendra during a CCL event.

Interestingly, Chandrasenan was also present to provide moral support to the team. He was formerly the vice-president of the Trivandrum District Cricket Association and guided the Kerala film stars’ team to great heights in the Celebrity Cricket League (CCL) as a coach. Senan, who flew in from Trivandrum with the club, is a celebrity himself. He is the father of Sandeep Senan, producer of National Award-winning films, and the uncle of National Award-winning actress Keerthy Suresh.

 S. Santosh (left) cheers for the players at Sevens during the match

When passionate cricketers gather in Dubai, it is only natural that others who share their love for the game will join them, even if they do not hail from the Malabar region. S. Santosh, one of Kerala’s finest all-rounders and an active member of the Indian Cricketers’ Association, was among those cheering the teams from the stands. Yours sincerely, along with Gopal Jasapara, who incidentally played for Tellicherry in domestic cricket though hailing from Rajkot, met members of the Cricket Club of Malabar and presented our book '318 Whispers of the India Test Cap.'

Yours sincerely presents the book '318 Whispers of the India Test Cap' along with Gopal Jasapara to Cricket Club of Malabar  

The members of the Cricket Club of Malabar also met Shyam Bhatia, the passionate cricket enthusiast whose Cricket for Care charity has helped promote the game in different parts of the world. They visited the Shyam Bhatia Cricket Museum, where the history and heritage of the sport are preserved through memorabilia and exhibits.

Cricket Club of Malabar members visits the Shyam Bhatia Cricket Museum 

The Cricket Club of Malabar’s next trip will be to Mumbai, where its members will play matches at the Cricket Club of India (CCI), at the Brabourne Stadium. This will be followed by trips to Sri Lanka, Denmark, the Netherlands and other destinations.

Shyam Bhatia presents his book 'Portraits of the Game' to Cricket Club of Malabar 

The club’s story also brings to mind a remarkable roll call of cricketers from Malabar who have contributed to the region’s rich cricketing tradition. Among them are P. M. K. Mohandas, P. Mackey, P. Surendran, A. P. M. Gopalakrishnan, P. M. K. Raghunath, P. Nizar, N. M. Amarnath, Abdul Hafeez, M. M. Pradeep, I. Raman, B. Kalyanasundaram, Dr. Govindaraj, M. G. Koman, Dr. Vinod, S. Haridas, Krishnakumar K., Harshad Bhat, Jayakrishnan P., P. G. Ganesh, T. C. Sudheesh, P. Nizamudin, Mukundan P., Shyam Kumar, Rajeev, C. T. K. Mohd Afzal, Chandrasekhara P., M. S. Viswanath, Kunhaimu, Narayanan Kutty V., T. K. Nazeer, Habib Rehman, K. P. Harikrishnan, Radhakrishnan P., K. P. Govindan, Santhosh Babu, Ayub Kachery, M. D. Sridhar, Ali M., Hanees Babu, Shajil B., P. G. Sunder, C. T. K. Mashood, Krishnakumar Nambiar, Rohit Mahendra, K. Chandrasekhara, C. Shahid, Mohd Afsal, Santhosh A. B., Shibith Padikkal, Shadab Khan, Jiju Vijayan, Shyjith K. and Jyothi Basu, among many others.

Cricket Club of Malabar team jersey emblem with a message

What the Cricket Club of Malabar has done is create a passport to the past. Its roots remain in Kerala, but its reach now extends to different parts of the world. Dubai was one of the stops on its sporting itinerary. It was a meeting place for memories, a stage for rediscovered friendships and a reminder of how deeply cricket can shape lives. The Cricket Club of Malabar will travel to many parts of the world, but it will also carry its homeland with it in every conversation, every handshake and every ball bowled.

The greatest legacy of these globe-trotting cricketers may not lie in the runs they score on their travels or the matches they win. It may lie in the inspiration they leave behind - in the urge they awaken in a youngster to pick up a bat, the smile they bring to an old teammate’s face, or the memory they rekindle in someone who thought those playing days were gone forever.