I reminisce on the glorious days of Bengal and Bombay states in the areas of women’s cricket, while growing up as an adolescent. I some how managed to meet an extremely talented women cricketer and a convivial person. Her unforgettable long, explosive, effortless, relaxed, smooth bowling action will remain unique. She is this entity in the cricket field, when she gets into a match; she changes the way a player thinks. When she enters the field, she will be some sort of a factor in the match even if it’s just a mental factor. It’s hard for a young player to bat against something like that, to play against a living legend.”
Throughout the history of women’s cricket there will always be a segment of left arm bowlers down from generation to generation. ‘Diana Eduljee,’ for example, could be counted on to empty one fort after another in the women’s cricket history. In this little world of women’s cricket, ‘Diana’ elicited much the same effect. Nothing could paralyze a field of cricket as much as this whispered collection of syllables. A strong women that she is, Diana Eduljee’s name will always appear first in Indian women’s cricket history. Her contribution for Bombay, West Zone, Western Railways, Indian Railways and India is impalpable. However, this is not why I look up to her. Her leadership for Indian Railways and India, a great bowler, modest, rich, and very comical, she got it all. One of the greatest things about Diana is her ability to think all positive, no matter if she wins or loses, pretending to be perfect and therefore unbeatable.
It was just a privilege to know her so closely and it was great to have played with her during my cricketing days. I didn’t have much to do with her in cricket because she had already played for India by the time I got into the action, but I always remember her first words of encouragement for me. “Gargi you will be playing for India and work hard”, she was an icon as we all know and just one of the nicest ladies you’d ever meet off the field.
The women’s cricket field would have been enormously poorer if Diana hadn’t been around. She gave the Job security to so many women cricketers who are working under Railways and because of her women’s cricket in India is having the present star players like Mithali Raj, Hemlata Kala, Jaya Sharma,Deepa Kulkarni, Neetu David. Sunetra Paranjape, Arundhati Kirkirey.
In fact, many people in the world of women cricket field see the women- cricketer known as Diana as nothing more than a talented jerk, who battled out with coaches, teammates and the federation, one who does not shy away from tough roles. “Diana Eduljee was an incredibly innovative cricketer and leader for the team. She was a very good friend of mine and it was my privilege to have known her. Quite simply, she was and she is one of the most important figures in women’s cricket in the last twenty years. Her retirement from the field of formal education did not mean the end of Ms. Diana’s involvement in cricket. Social and office work continued to keep her busy. She kept in touch with young women cricketers and old friends and never forgot cricket.
Sincerely, Ms. Diana, I appreciate all your support and advice. It has been a real treat working and playing cricket with you, and I look forward for a long, productive association in the years to come. Remember, cricketers like you never retire, they just learn to work for free. From Cricketfundas.com, congratulations for your outstanding artistic presentation on Left arm bowling, wish you all the best for your future and for Indian Railways.