A former Australian international cricketer, Michael Hussey, who retired in 2013, was known as “Mr Cricket.” It has always appeared to me to be a strange nickname. Even with my passion for the game and its quirks, it has been difficult to fathom its origins, to the point of deciding to delve no deeper. I was jolted out of this inertia by an introduction to “Mr. Cricket UAE,” Anis Sajan. As detailed in Arab News on Dec. 18, he has launched a Dubai-based cricket-focused digital media house, under the aegis of the Mr. Cricket UAE Media Group.
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Sajan is a rags-to-riches person, from the chawls of Mumbai to the heights of the Danube Group, of which he is vice-chairman. He told me of his early days playing gully cricket in Mumbai, of how he developed into roles as a radio commentator on cricket prior to moving to Dubai in the early 1990s. He admits to no great proficiency in cricket but has managed to establish close relationships with leading players in the game.
This was very evident on Dec. 17 at the launch of the Mr. Cricket UAE platform in Dubai. His invited guests included three of England’s 2019 World Cup-winning team, Eoin Morgan, Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid. The last two are playing in the current DP World ILT20. There was even a videoed message from Michael Hussey, who was rather dismissive of his own Mr. Cricket nickname. Apparently, Hussey is on record as saying that he is not very fond of it. Quite when it was bestowed on him and by whom is unclear, but his enthusiasm for cricket was well known on the circuit. He was always the first to practice and the last to leave, hitting balls in every spare minute, giving himself every chance of doing well. Hence the nickname should be regarded as a mark of respect for his dedication and commitment.
