He learnt his cricket at the feet of Ramakant Achrekar, the man who shaped the cricket destiny of Sachin Tendulkar, Vinod Kambli, Ajit Agarkar. For Pravin Amre, it was destiny that brought him in contact with Achrekar. Growing up in Dadar, listening to cricket exploits of stars Vijay Manjrekar, Sunil Gavaskar, Sandeep Patil, Ramakant Desai, Ajit Wadekar, Subhash Gupte, it was natural for Amre to take to cricket. He would organise neighbourhood matches involving small clubs and one such match gave his dreams a big boost.
“My father always spared me money for cricket. I used it to book a ground to set up a match against Achrekar’s Cub. We were thrashed but I batted long. To my fortune, Achrekar Sir, as was his habit, watched the match hiding behind a tree. He was known to do that in order to avoid putting pressure on the players. He liked my batting and immediately invited me to join his ‘nets’ at Shivaji Park. My life changed that day,” says Amre when we meet at K3, a fine dining restaurant at the JW Marriott, near IGI Airport.
I have known Amre since his formative years when he shifted from Bombay to Railways. “It was Achrekar Sir who advised me to take up the job in Railways after I had played my first season with Mumbai. It turned out to be a very sound move for me.” The ambience at K3 is cordial. JW Marriott is the team hotel for Delhi Daredevils and players can be spotted at various tables in the spacious restaurant, which offers three live kitchens with distinctive cuisine, North Indian, Cantonese and Tuscan.
“Water melon juice,” Amre takes guard ahead of the lunch. “Remember the dhaba near Karnail Singh Stadium,” Amre smiles, digging into his past when he shared dormitory accommodation with fellow Railways players. “We would battle opponents in day and mosquitoes at night.” Sleeping in Railway coaches was part of the growing up system, not to forget bathing on the platforms.
“It was tough grooming but it steeled us. I was used to it. I take pride in my middle class background because it taught me values which I respect till today. My days with Railways ensured I did not complain because we accepted everything sportingly. The aim was to give our best on the field, achieve and then make request for improvement. I must say the authorities were kind and accommodating.”
One more water melon juice is followed by Greek Salad. “We have all become health conscious now. Earlier, our salad was limited to tomatoes, cucumber, radish, carrot, beet root. Now the range is wide and exotic. I love green salads because they are not tough on the stomach. But I must tell you that I love home food best. The fried or grilled pomfret and king prawns. Bliss. I avoid sea food on tours but gorge when I am in Mumbai. I buy stuff from Citylight, the best fish market in Mumbai.’
A century on Test debut at Durban in 1992 heralded Amre’s entry to international cricket. It was a sensational debut on a fiery pitch with Allan Donald making the batsmen hop around. Amre walked in with Ajay Jadeja, Sanjay Manjrekar, Sachin Tendulkar and Ravi Shastri back in the pavilion. He made 103 and stood out for his skilful display that earned him the Man of the match honours. Ten more Tests within the span of one year boosted his career which ended abruptly in 1994 with an ODI against Sri Lanka at Jalandhar.
“I had no godfather. But I have no regrets. I gave my best always,” says Amre who turned to coaching, again on the advice of Achrekar. “Coaching was tougher because I had to think at the students’ pace. As a coach, you have to play for them, show more patience. As a player I was short tempered. As a coach I am calm.”
It is time for the main course now. “I will go for Chinese,” Amre, who played 11 Tests and 37 ODIs, declares. The chef smiles because Amre is a regular. “Garlic rice and Fried Tofu with Chilli Bean and a helping of Chicken Black Bean. This is my favourite,” says Amre and bites into his food.
What, according to him, are the essential qualities of a good coach? “Communication, listening to the players, proper analysis, motivating the players, planning and strategizing, follow up with remedies and above all, honesty. At times you have to be blunt to give a strong message because it is important to shake off your students from their comfort zone.” Names who would vouch for Amre’s excellent guidance are Ajinkya Rahane, Suresh Raina, Robin Uthappa, Dinesh Karthik, Pragyan Ojha and Shreyas Iyer. He is the inspiration they seek when experiencing hard times on the field.
Amre, who signs off with Fruit Caramel and Tuffed Cake, has a simple philosophy of knowing when his pupil is in good form. “The sound of the bat tells me how good he is going to fare. I tell myself how I can improve this sound. I look to be one step ahead and keep my pupil also one step ahead.” At 47, he is best suited for an assignment with the senior team. Amre loves challenges and proving his coaching credentials at the top is the motivating force for this genial Mumbaikar.
