CHENNAI: On match days at MA Chidambaram Stadium, Baskar is among the most sought after individual. Be it a Test, ODI, IPL or TNCA first division match, cricketers turn to this man, who usually sits outside the V Pattabhiraman Gate on Wallajah Road.
In his makeshift, no-frills space on the pavements, he repairs shoes and other equipment.
Baskar calls himself the official cobbler of Chepauk. Some of the top cricketing stars from around the world — Sachin Tendulkar, MS Dhoni, Saeed Anwar, Matthew Hayden and Dwayne Bravo — have sought his help when their footwear or pad or gloves needed that extra care.
For a cobbler making Rs 500 per day on an average, Baskar eagerly looks forward to April and May every year. Thanks to Chennai Super Kings, his business multiplied in those months. He has been given a place behind the sightscreen, where he sits during the Yellow Brigade’s seven home matches in the IPL.
“I got Rs 1,000 per match and CSK players took good care of me. At the end of the season, players and coaches would pool in and hand it over to me. Last year, I got around Rs 25,000, apart from what Dhoni gave me separately. But this year...” His voice sinks before completing the sentence.
With IPL postponed because of the COVID-19 situation, Baskar is without income for two months. His family of seven has spent days with a single meal.
“My sons are without any job and have their families now. I had some savings and managed with that. Had I known such a day will come, I would have saved more.”
Help came from unexpected quarters last week. Though he took his usual spot outside the stadium two weeks back, he was struggling to earn even Rs 150 a day.
“Last week Irfan Pathan sent some money (Rs 25,000). I bought groceries for the family. Since there was no work, I had borrowed money and have to pay it back. I don’t know how I will survive. If cricket doesn’t return soon, I will be gone,” he said, asking if IPL will be held this year.
“I struggled when there were no IPL matches in Chennai for two years. In 2018, I was looking forward to it when something happened and matches were gone (due to protests over the Cauvery water issue). Now this.”
A stitch in time saves nine! Here is hoping someone mends Baskar’s life soon.