Akash Lal: The Forgotten Selector Behind Sachin’s First India Call

Akash Lal, the former Delhi opener and national selector, played a key role in backing a teenage Sachin Tendulkar for India’s historic 1989 Pakistan tour.

AKASH LAL THE MAN WHO BACKED 16-YEAR-OLD SACHIN (Image Source: Google)

Akash Lal, who died in New Delhi on August 10 at the age of 85, belonged to a generation of Indian cricketers for whom playing for the country was the ultimate ambition, but whose contribution to Indian cricket eventually extended far beyond their own playing careers. A prolific Delhi opener, North Zone captain, national selector and an influential voice in the selection room, Lal left his mark on Indian cricket in more ways than one. His most enduring contribution, however, was his role in backing a 16-year-old Sachin Tendulkar for the 1989 tour of Pakistan.

Lal’s death also revived questions about his relationship with the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA), an organisation with which he had been associated for decades. His connection with Delhi cricket was not merely administrative. He was one of the prominent players of the city’s golden domestic era, captained Delhi and North Zone, and remained a respected figure in Delhi’s cricketing circles long after his playing days ended.

Born in 1940, Lal was a right-handed opening batsman whose first-class career stretched from 1957-58 to 1975-76. He represented Patiala, Delhi and Punjab and played 94 first-class matches, scoring 5,622 runs at an average of 41.64, with 15 centuries and 26 fifties. His highest score was an unbeaten 209 against Jammu and Kashmir in 1964-65.

His breakthrough came during the 1963-64 season, when he scored 672 runs at 48.00, including his first two hundreds. He followed that with 631 runs at 57.36 in 1964-65, beginning a remarkable period in which he averaged more than 40 in eight of nine seasons. His 209 not out against Jammu and Kashmir established him as one of the most consistent opening batsmen in Indian domestic cricket.

By the middle of the 1960s, Lal was being discussed as a possible India opener. His opportunity to impress the national selectors came in 1966, when he was selected for the Prime Minister’s XI against Garry Sobers’ West Indies in Delhi. He scored 82 in the match, but his hopes of playing Test cricket ultimately disappeared. Despite a substantial domestic record and his performance against the West Indies, he never won an India cap.

He served on the Indian selection committee during 1989-90 and 1990-91 as the North Zone representative.

In 1989, when the selectors were discussing India’s squad for the Pakistan tour, Sachin Tendulkar was only 16, but Lal believed the youngster had enough ability and temperament to play international cricket. Lal was among those who backed him.

In 2013, ahead of Tendulkar’s final Test appearances, Lal publicly expressed his hurt after he was not given a ticket to the Eden Gardens Test. He felt that the BCCI and Cricket Association of Bengal had forgotten the selectors who had played a part in choosing Tendulkar for Pakistan.

He also strongly supported left-handed batsman Vinod Kambli. During one of the selection meetings, he objected when Kambli’s background was allegedly brought into the discussion. The selection committee chief Naren Tamhane is reported to have commented, ‘Akash, why are you supporting a man from the chawls? Lal insisted that selection should be based on cricketing ability rather than where a player lived or came from. The confrontation became so heated that he refused to allow the meeting to continue until the issue was addressed. Kambli was eventually selected alongside Tendulkar.

His nephew Arun Lal was a successful international cricketer, playing 16 Tests and 13 ODIs for India. During Akash Lal’s tenure as a selector, Arun produced extraordinary domestic numbers — 828 runs at 118.28 in 1989-90 and 798 at 88.66 in 1990-91. Yet Akash Lal admitted that he could not persuade the selection committee to bring his nephew back into the Indian side.

His family itself had an extraordinary cricketing history. His father, Dhir Muni Lal, and uncle Dhir Jagdish Lal were first-class cricketers, while Arun Lal later represented India. For 62 consecutive years, at least one member of the family was involved in first-class cricket.

For all his achievements, Lal’s final association with the DDCA was marked by disappointment. When he died, questions were raised about the association’s representation at his cremation. Former India player Kirti Azad also wrote to the DDCA seeking a prayer meeting for Lal and Bishan Singh Bedi.

Lal’s own Test dream remained unfulfilled. His place in Indian cricket history, however, was secured in another way — in the selection room, where he had the conviction to back talent when it mattered most.