Doon Online > Dosco Spotlights > Sheel Vohra Farewell > The End of An Innings
Long before I joined The Doon School in 1985, I had heard about the legendary Mr. Vohra – I heard of his feats behind the stumps and his dedication to the game, his stubborn nature and his straightforward and simple approach to the game. For him it was ‘smell the ball’, ‘ground the bat’, ‘line the length’ and ‘not out my friend’.
Over the years I have had the opportunity of not only playing on the same team as Mr. Vohra but also umpiring many a match with him and I have learnt a great deal from this amazing gentleman.
For 38 years, he has turned out to umpire every game and to be present at every practice. Often during the last few overs on a hot May afternoon I would look across at him shuffling from square leg to take up his position at the bowling crease, and wonder - what drives this man to do this? The answer must surely be love and a passionate obsession for Cricket.
His long post match lectures, the watchful eye on boys walking in front of the side screen and piercing look at a school player who had thrown his wicket away, those long articles in the Weekly each week, not to mention his deep baritone yell at some unsuspecting visitor encroaching on to the field, will always be the hallmark of this man who was an institution in himself.
Two events will always remain in my mind as I reflect in Mr. Vohra’s extraordinary passion for the game as well as his unique nature. One was the wet evening when the rain had driven everybody indoors on ground 2, but Mr.Vohra was on the prowl, a solitary figure picking up pieces of clothing and kit left behind by careless school boys scuttling for shelter. He slipped and fell seriously injuring his knee which later needed surgery. The second was during a staff match, where I was keeping him company at first slip. He had been struck by a nasty delivery and actually wrung his hand inn pain (something one hardly sees him do) – it was only many overs later when the glove turned red did we realize he had broken his thumb. Left to himself he would have certainly continued but the doctor, fielding at 3rd man, intervened.
As his successor, I have a daunting task ahead of me and a large void to fill – I have had to depend on his guidance and advice in my first year as master-in-charge and shall do it alone next term. It will be lonely out there in the middle without him, both in the slips as well as across the pitch in the white coat, but all good innings come to an end and while I get ready for the ’99 season, Mr. Vohra will be busy taking fresh guards elsewhere.
PM Burrett