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Nariman Jamshedji "Nari" Contractor (; born 7 March 1934) is a former Indian
cricket Cricket is a Bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball game played between two Sports team, teams of eleven players on a cricket field, field, at the centre of which is a cricket pitch, pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two Bail (cr ...
er, who was a left-handed opening
batsman In cricket, batting is the act or skill of hitting the cricket ball, ball with a cricket bat, bat to score runs (cricket), runs and prevent the dismissal (cricket), loss of one's wicket. Any player who is currently batting is, since Septembe ...
. Contractor made his debut in 1955 and played till 1962 when his professional career ended after a serious injury. He was the youngest Indian captain at the age of 26. In 2007, he received the C. K. Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award, the highest honour Indian board can bestow on a former player.


Cricket career

Contractor began his first-class career, playing for the
Gujarat Gujarat () is a States of India, state along the Western India, western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the List of states and union territories ...
. The captain of Gujarat Phiroz Khambata saw how Nari played in the selection trial matches for MCA's Silver Jubilee matches in 1955. He did well in the trials and expected to be selected for the matches against Pakistan Services & Bhawalpur Cricket Association. He got to the team because Captain Kambatha had dropped out. Contractor scored hundreds in both innings of his debut, becoming the second man after Arthur Morris to do so. Later he was chosen to play for India. Nari became an opener after one of the players Vinoo Mankad couldn't take part in a Test match against New Zealand at
Delhi Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, but spread chiefly to the west, or beyond its Bank (geography ...
in 1955. Later he became an Indian captain. At
Lord's Lord's Cricket Ground, commonly known as Lord's, is a cricket List of Test cricket grounds, venue in St John's Wood, Westminster. Named after its founder, Thomas Lord, it is owned by Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) and is the home of Middlesex C ...
in 1959, he broke two ribs in the first innings by Brian Statham, despite which he scored 81. Later in the year, his 74 in the second innings at Kanpur was crucial in India winning its first Test against Australia. This innings ended when he pulled Alan Davidson, who was bowling left-arm spin at the time.
Neil Harvey Robert Neil Harvey (born 8 October 1928) is an Australian former cricketer who was a member of the Australian cricket team between 1948 and 1963, playing in 79 Test matches. He was the vice-captain of the team from 1957 until his retirement. A ...
at short leg ducked and turned, but the ball got stuck between his legs.


Injury and consequences

Contractor led India to a series win against England in 1961–62 and captained the side to the Caribbean the same season. After two Tests, the Indian team traveled to Barbados. There, in a tour match against
Barbados Barbados, officially the Republic of Barbados, is an island country in the Atlantic Ocean. It is part of the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies and the easternmost island of the Caribbean region. It lies on the boundary of the South American ...
at the Kensington Oval in
Bridgetown Bridgetown (UN/LOCODE: BB BGI) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Barbados. Formerly The Town of Saint Michael, the Greater Bridgetown area is located within the Parishes of Barbados, parish of Saint Michael, Barbados, Saint Mic ...
, in March 1962, he was 2
not out In cricket, a batsman is not out if they come out to bat in an innings and have not been dismissed by the end of an innings. The batsman is also ''not out'' while their innings is still in progress. Occurrence At least one batter is not out at ...
while opening the batting with Dilip Sardesai during his side's first innings, when facing Charlie Griffith for the fourth ball of the second over, he saw somebody open a window in the pavilion, and consequently was unable to concentrate on the ball following its delivery by Griffith, seeing the ball "just inches away before it hit" him. Contractor took a blow at the back of his skull fracturing it. A blood clot had developed inside his skull and pressing against the brain paralyzing him from the waist down. Two surgeries were performed to remove the clot. Requiring
blood transfusion Blood transfusion is the process of transferring blood products into a person's Circulatory system, circulation intravenously. Transfusions are used for various medical conditions to replace lost components of the blood. Early transfusions used ...
for the purpose, the West Indies captain Frank Worrell donated blood, alongside Contractor's teammates Chandu Borde, Bapu Nadkarni and Polly Umrigar. Contractor's life was saved but his international career was abruptly ended as a result. Mansoor Ali Khan of Pataudi took over the captaincy from the third test. In an interview, Contractor mentioned as his only regret that he wanted to play just ''one'' Test after the injury, but people did not want him to. He resumed his career after recovering from the injury, and captained Gujarat in Ranji Trophy in his last active 1970-71 season but never played a Test after his injury in 1962. At the time Contractor was seriously injured, cricket batsmen did not wear helmets. They do now. During his playing days, Contractor was considered a glamour boy of Indian cricket. In an interview with Simi Garewal in 1999, former Tamil Nadu chief minister Jayalalithaa stated that as a schoolgirl she had a crush on Contractor.


Present time

Nari Contractor belongs to the Parsi community. He now lives in
Mumbai Mumbai ( ; ), also known as Bombay ( ; its official name until 1995), is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra. Mumbai is the financial capital and the most populous city proper of India with an estimated population of 12 ...
where he coaches at the Cricket Club of India Academy. He received the C. K. Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award in 2007.C.K. Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award for Durrani
Retrieved 26 March 2014.


References


External links

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Interview in 2012
"Simi Gatewal Rendezvous with Jayalalithaa"
{{DEFAULTSORT:Contractor, Nari 1934 births Living people Gujarat cricketers India Test cricket captains India Test cricketers Indian cricketers Railways cricketers Indian Universities cricketers West Zone cricketers North Zone cricketers Parsi sportspeople Recipients of the Padma Shri in sports Indian cricket coaches Indian cricket administrators Cricketers from Gujarat People from Panchmahal district