Mike Gatting and Shakoor Rana: When a cricket incident threatened to spoil two nations’ diplomatic ties

“In Pakistan many men have been killed for the sort of insults he threw at me. He’s lucky I didn’t beat him.”

The above words have no place in the game of cricket, which is often referred to as “a gentleman’s game”, but this is what Pakistan umpire Shakoor Rana said after his infamous row with England captain Mike Gatting in the second Test between England and Pakistan in Faisalabad in December 1987.

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Rana wasn’t alien to controversies. In 1978, when India and Pakistan resumed their cricketing ties after 17 long years, Rana had warned India’s Mohinder Amarnath for running on the proscribed area of the pitch in a Test. Indian vice-captain Sunil Gavaskar was furious over the double standards as the same umpire had no problems when Pakistan’s Sarfaraz Nawaz and Imran Khan did the same.

The issue was resolved diplomatically but Rana’s brushes with touring teams continued. In an uglier incident in December 1984 during a Test at Karachi, New Zealand captain Jeremy Coney threatened to lead his side off the field after Rana adjudged Javed Miandad not out, which was a controversial decision. Such was Rana’s reputation that once Ravi Shastri, recalling his first tour to Pakistan in 1982, called Pakistan’s bowling, “playing a four-pronged pace attack.” He said, “Imran and Sarfraz would make the ball swing, and then there were those two umpires, Khizer Hayat and Shakoor Rana.”

The above instances were still acceptable and the sport has seen worse rows. But on December 7, 1987, cricket saw another infamous incident. It was Rana and Hayat officiating. In the first Test, Gatting was already miffed with umpire Shakeel Khan’s poor umpiring. In the second Test, much against England’s wishes Rana was appointed the umpire. The players knew his history with the touring teams and were not happy. Also what didn’t go well with the English team was the fact that he was putting on a Pakistan sweater.

The incident:
England had posted 292 and Pakistan were struggling at 106 for five. Eddie Hemmings was bowling and with three balls remaining in the second day’s play, Gatting brought David Capel in from deep square-leg to prevent a singe. Gatting claimed that he had informed the batsman, but Rana, who was standing at square-leg, yelled out “stop, stop” as Hemmings delivered the ball. Hayat at the other end called it a ‘dead ball.’

The cricketers were bemused and Gatting queried on what was happening. Rana reportedly accused him of cheating, “You’re waving your hand. That’s cheating.”

Gatting clarified that he wasn’t moving his man but telling him to stop and sternly asked Rana to go back to umpiring. Rana was about to return but he heard Gatting utter, “You are a f*****g cheat.”

This led to an ugly confrontation which makes an infamous poster for cricket. The fingers wagged at each other and there were exchange of expletives. A bit of it also got transmitted through the stump microphone.

Rana refused to continue with the proceedings unless Gatting apologised, which the angry England captain refused, as he firmly believed that Rana, who was the leg-umpire had no business getting involved in the game. It resulted in the loss of a day’s play. To avert the situation, the British Ambassador was rushed into soothe the relations and Gatting was forced to write an apology. He was also threatened with the loss of England captaincy.

As reported, Sir Nicholas Barrington, the British ambassador wrote to London, “It could well lead to cancellation of the rest of England’s tour. Needless to say, such a move would create great deal of ill-will in Pakistan towards Britain, and could have damaging financial and legal consequences. However poor the umpiring decisions are, and however aggressively competitive their Pakistan opponents, they should just grin and bear it.”

The Pakistan board backed Rana and had appointed him for the final Test as well; however it had to be revised as England had threatened to not play if the same umpire officiated. Test and County Cricket Board (TCCB) subsequently paid all players in the England squad £1000 as ‘hardship’ bonus for the tour.

In an interview with Espncricinfo in 2010, Gatting questioned this decision, “I never ever got to the bottom of why the MCC offered each player £1000 to stay back in Pakistan [after the Shakoor Rana furore]. They wanted us to stay there and the whole team wanted to come home. I think there was big trade deal being finalised between Pakistan and England and they didn’t want to break off diplomatic relations.”

While many believed that Gatting shouldn’t have apologised, the England cricketer admitted, “It wasn’t a very proud moment of my career. It is one of those things that has gone down in history. It will probably always be remembered.”

However, for Rana, he didn’t recall the moment the same way. It’s believed that Rana kept Gatting’s apology under his pillow and has gone on records saying, “I do not regret what happened. How can I regret? It made me the most famous umpire.” Rana, who passed away in 2001, later in his life charged money for interviews about that incident.

Some instant reactions:
Gatting: “It was not his job at square leg to inform the batsman what I was doing. I did nothing for which I need to apologise.”

Rana: “In Pakistan many men have been killed for the sort of insults he threw at me. He’s lucky I didn’t beat him and even more lucky no spectator came onto the field to assault him.”

Shakoor Rana: “I have now established that the umpire is the superpower in the game. I did it for umpires everywhere.”

General Safdar Butt, the BCCP President: “Mike Gatting used some very filthy language to the umpires, and, let me tell you, some less filthy words are bastard and son of a b***h, and so on. No-one has the right to abuse umpires.”

Top Graveney: “They (Pakistan) have been cheating us for 37 years (referring to Umpire Irdis Begh), and it is just getting worse and worse. The TCCB should bring England home.”

Ian Botham: “You wouldn’t see those sorts of decisions given in village cricket, let alone Test cricket. The England players have my sympathy.”

Clive Lloyd: “Just a few days ago a British boxer — and I am British now — threw a punch at the referee. I did not think British sport could sink any lower. How I bitterly regret what Mike Gatting has done.

Micky Stewart, England cricket manager: “You can all see the sacrifices he (Gatting) has made, and that is when it gets you in the guts.”

(Suvajit Mustafi consumes cricket for lunch, fiction for dinner and munches numerous other snacks throughout the day. Yes, a jack of several trades, all Suvajit dreamt of was being India’s World Cup winning skipper but ended up being a sports writer, author, screenwriter, director, copywriter, graphic designer, sports marketer, strategist, entrepreneur,  philosopher and traveller. Donning so many hats, it’s cricket which gives him the ultimate high and where he finds solace. He can be followed at @RibsGully and rivu7)