CHENNAI: "Handle them carefully, for words have more power than atom bombs."
British poet and writer Pearl Strachan Hurd had famously said those words. Former Madhya Pradesh captain, Mohnish Mishra, will be able to relate to it. After a satisfying season with the now-defunct Deccan Chargers, the MP batter was in his second season with Pune Warriors India, also disbanded, during the 2012 Indian Premier League when a sting operation brought his career to a screeching halt.
"The three players, through loose talk and unsubstantiated bragging, brought the game into disrepute, and hence, have been held guilty of the lesser offence. They have been debarred for a period of one year, from playing any cricket matches conducted or authorized by the ICC or BCCI, or any affiliated unit of the BCCI," read a statement issued by the Indian cricket board (BCCI). Mishra was one of the three players.
Almost 14 years have gone and a lot has happened in Mishra's life since then. A BCCI Level 1 coach these days, he has trained age-group teams post retirement in 2021 (he's confident of clearing his Level 2 exams).
Now guiding next-generation cricketers, Mishra was reluctant to delve into the 2012 episode as it brings back painful memories. "It was a sad part of my life," Mishra told this daily. On being pressed further, he opened up briefly affirming how that one year ban cost him. "There was no auction like today at that time. I still feel I was at my peak then but never got to play IPL again. I had a three-year contract with the Pune franchise and a few good performances could have brought me into contention. A few players from the team went to represent the Emerging India team even as I was waiting for the ban to end. But I would like to thank the BCCI, Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association (MPCA) and the almighty as I was given a clean chit and welcomed back into the fold wholeheartedly.
"My only fault was that I believed one of my acquaintances and spoke to a person whom he had referred to. Now anti-corruption classes are being held for players. At that time, we used to believe people blindly. But I knew I was not wrong and I remained engrossed in cricket. I remained positive and my family backed me a lot. Even international players rallied around me. Senior players from MP and India supported me. Michael Clarke asked me to remain positive as I was set to have a good future," Mishra added.
U19 World Cup
Having started playing when he was around nine or ten, Mishra represented India at the 2002 U19 World Cup and played alongside Parthiv Patel, Irfan Pathan and Stuart Binny, who all went on to play for India. Almost a year before that, he made his First-Class debut as well. He took rapid strides in domestic cricket and also got a chance to play in Indian Cricket League, which was disbanded once the IPL came into existence.
"I was with Delhi Giants. I have no hesitation in saying that the ICL prepared me for bigger challenges of the IPL. I faced the world's top bowlers — both pacers and spinners there. At that time, we didn't think much as we were getting a good tournament. I understand it delayed my IPL entry but the BCCI knew players were not at fault," said Mishra
Mishra then had a good outing for the state team in the Ranji Trophy Plate League in 2010-11 season. He was not only the third leading run scorer with 543 runs from eight innings but also slammed an unbeaten 75 against Andhra in the semifinal while chasing 203 runs, helping Madhya Pradesh return to the elite fold in the process. Besides, he was part of the Central Zone during the 2007 Deodhar Trophy and returned to the team three years later riding on his performance in the domestic circuit. He also played for India Green during the 2011-12 NKP Salve Challenger Trophy.
"I finally got a chance in the 2010 IPL when defending champions Deccan Chargers hired me. With India batter VVS Laxman getting injured, I opened the innings with captain Adam Gilchrist quite regularly. It was a learning curve as I played with and against quite reputed names," remembered Mishra.
Mishra was signed by new franchise PWI for three seasons in 2011. Then, came the innings that not only earned the Man of the Match trophy but also the recognition in the league he was longing for. PWI were needing 14 of the last two overs against Kochi Tuskers Kerala when Mishra took on spin legend Muttiah Muralitharan at the DY Patil Stadium. He slammed Murali for a four and two sixes to take the team home with seven balls and four wickets to spare. "Captain Yuvraj Singh asked me to bat in the middle order and play the role of finisher. I performed well against Kochi. That was a big achievement and a good experience for me," Mishra said.
Unfulfilled dream
Like any aspiring cricketer, Mishra too wanted to don India jersey but fate had something else in store for him. He, however, has not given up that dream. "Yes, that's the one regret I have. I still long for the India jersey. I always wanted to repay the sport which has given me everything. Now I want to produce players who will go on to represent the country. That motivated me to foray into coaching."
One of his wards, Saumy Kumar Pandey, already made it to the U19 World Cup finishing as the second leading wicket taker with 18 scalps in the 2024 tournament where India finished as runners-up. With age by his side, Mishra hopes the numbers only surge in days to come helping him realise his unfulfilled dream not once but again and again.
