"The service to this number is temporarily not available. The service tothis number is temporarily not available." The recorded message had acertain ominous, uncomfortable, dispassionate ring to it, even if cricketers -the current lot and those who are out of the national team - are known to changetheir cell phone numbers frequently.
This one, however, caused concern because the journalist friend who gave meVinod Kambli's number had warned me that I was unlikely to get through to theMumbai star since he was in hospital. I was trying to get in touch with theformer India cricketer to speak to him about Nagesh Kukunoor's film, Iqbal.I was told Kambli liked it so much that he wished he could have been a part ofthe film.
Nobody seems to have a clear picture of what has kept Kambli in hospital overthe past few days. Many of Kambli's team-mates had not even heard of hishospitalisation and so could not confirm the nature of his illness. Some said itwas pneumonia in the wake of the deluge in Mumbai while others said he was downwith jaundice yet again, his liver coming under severe stress.
As irony would have it, Kambli was expressing his delight as recently as inthe last week of July at the Mumbai Cricket Association's decision to consideroffering its players lucrative contracts. He was constantly pointing out how hehad lost out on some income from the game last season owing to his illness. And,deep down in his heart, he may have been expecting to lead Mumbai in the RanjiTrophy this season.
For a man who was hospitalised for weeks owing to a combination of dengue andjaundice in December last and played just three first class games last season,Kambli was looking forward to making his comeback by playing in a Twenty20 eventin Gwalior later this month. But it looks like he will have to change his plansand focus on getting better.
The more worrying thing - and this is once when I hope my information is notaccurate - is that there are not too many standing by him. Not family and notfriends. If this could happen to a well-known cricketer of such recent vintageand to someone living in India's cricket capital, I wonder how others from a'lesser' sport would cope with such illness and hospitalisation.
Of course, it can be argued that relationships are two-way and that it isincumbent on stars to ensure their links with those who have been part of theirjourney to the top are strongly cemented. Some will also contend that societycan really do little to make the life of a sportsperson comfortable, especiallyin the years after he or she has moved away from the centrestage.
Kambli's case highlights the manner in which society at large and friends inparticular sometimes seem to get caught in living their own lives and do notkeep track of one another. It is something that can happen to anyone and is adreadful thought. As one who gave India much joy by scoring back to back doublehundreds in Test cricket back in 1993 and lived on the fast lane, Kambli isworthy of prayers and more.
Hopefully, the day is not far when he will walk out of the Mumbai hospitaland get his cell phone re-activated. We will then not have to hear thatdispassionate, monotonous voice inform Kambli's callers "The service tothis number is temporarily not available." Instead, we must get to hear himsay "Hello, Vinod here."
