Skipper Pataudi believed Surti was as good as him

His skipper, Nawab of Pataudi had full faith in him mainly because Surti was almost as good as the brilliant captain.

This writer knew Surti from his school days (Antonio Da Silva). Of course, he later shifted to Bharda New to improve his cricketing skills. He hit the headlines often and it was not surprising that the great all-rounder caught my attention.

Surti had the glamour and stability and he enthralled the public in all three departments of the game. India's former captain Nari Contractor said: "We at Parsi Cyclists Club had a set of characters who accepted a heavy workload with a big smile. One cannot but recognise his courage and conviction."

Former Bombay player Mehli Irani was shocked at the news of Surti's demise. "This courageous and faithful colleague of mine showed the discipline of an army officer while fully fulfilling his responsibilities. He was a dominating force," said Irani. Many like us saw his departure from our country, disgusted at the treatment meted out by the BCCI.u00a0