How cancer survivor Lal transformed Bengal

Under coach-cum-mentor Arun Lal, Bengal have turned around a new leaf, becoming a fit and cohesive side. PTI

Coronavirus has become the dreaded 'C' word now. Countries have imposed a lockdown on their citizens, stock markets are in a freefall, sanitisers and masks are running out of stock.... people are just gripped with fear as authorities struggle to contain the disease from turning into a pandemic. There's another 'C' which has claimed millions of lives and people fear it doesn't strike them. That 'C' is cancer.

Former India player and commentator Arun Lal was diagnosed with adenoid cystic carcinoma -- a rare type of cancer -- in 2016. So bad was his condition that doctors only hoped for a miracle, some even suggesting he pen down a will. But Lal, a dogged batsman with the heart of a lion, summoned those fighting instincts and refused to give up. The hospital was his ground, the bed his pitch, doctors and family members the spectators and his bloody-minded will the willow. Following an eight-month struggle, the 64-year-old staged a stunning recovery to the bewilderment of all.

"My recovery is an absolute miracle," says Lal, the Bengal coach-cum-mentor, in a chat with DH. "I was totally devastated when I heard of it because mine was a very severely advanced case. My particular cancer was one of the rarest forms, it's one in a million kind of a thing. It’s the only form of cancer that travels through the nerves and not the blood. There was very little research on it.

"It took me a year to get out of it because my entire jaw had to be recreated otherwise I wouldn’t have had a face. From my leg, they cut out one of the bones (fibula) and they literally made a new jaw. I was on crutches because of the (cut in the) leg and I couldn’t move my right arm because of all the nerves that had been cut through my neck. It was a harrowing experience but well I’m back and as fit as before, if not fitter! I thank the lord and destiny and loving the gift of life now."

Following his successful fight with cancer, Lal, who first represented Delhi before moving to Bengal from 1980-81 season, decided to take a sabbatical. He resided largely in his farmhouse on the outskirts of Kolkata and barely watched cricket although the love was strong. In 2017, he got a call from former team-mate Sourav Ganguly. Lal thought it was a courtesy call for a close friend but was stunned when the then Cricket Association of Bengal president asked him to mentor the State senior team.

The call was heaven-sent for Lal. Hailing from a family of cricketers -- Lal's father (D Jagdish), uncle (D Muni) and cousin (Akash) all have first-class caps -- he couldn't wait to reconnect with the game. He took things easy last year before diving deep into the task this season, taking over the Bengal team completely.

He went about amending all that was wrong with the Bengal side. He first addressed the dressing room divisions, replacing bitterness with bonhomie. He then brought about a strict fitness regimen with offenders, senior or junior, punished severely. He's a taskmaster but one with a friendly touch, knowing exactly when to use the rod and put his arm around a player in support.

The results have been incredible. Bengal, perhaps, have the best pace attack at the moment in the country with Mukesh Kumar, Ishan Porel and Akash Deep causing constant havoc. Bengal have also reached the Ranji Trophy final for the first time since 2006-07.

"The first thing that needed addressing was fitness. I decided that we would be the strongest team in the country. So whether we win or not was irrelevant. Two months we stopped playing cricket, we didn't play the KSCA tournaments in July. We trained very hard in the rains. The training was old fashioned. Sometimes we would just keep running and many felt that was not the right way to go about it as the season is long and they feared burnout. But we went through with it.

"I was of the opinion that apart from making you physically stronger, it would make them mentally stronger. I have to thank the CAB for giving me the freedom. To the credit of the team, sometimes they didn’t agree with my ideas but they went through it without protest. I just told them to trust me, things have not worked in the past, so let’s try my method."

"One thing I’ve noticed is the game has gotten more analytical, people spend hours watching videos of batsmen or bowlers to devise plans. I just put a stop to all that. I put a stop to all that. No preconceived notions, 99.99 percent of the batsmen are uncomfortable with the ball around the off-stump. If you move the ball, just concentrate on that," he added.

With his passion for the game rekindled, Lal is looking to picking up the microphone again. "The one year during my recovery I wasn’t too interested in cricket. I wasn’t watching anything on TV and I wasn’t even following Bengal cricket. Coaching has indeed rekindled my passion for the game. But it still is limited to my team, I don’t spend hours watching international cricket. It’s great thrill for me seeing Bengal perform so well, in fact thrills me more than when I was a player. Reaching the final of the Ranji Trophy is an achievement and I’m happy I was able to get youngsters to reach their potential. It’s more satisfying than scoring the runs yourself. But I miss commentary. I have to take a call next year whether I want to continue coaching or do commentary."

Lal is now hoping to add the Ranji Trophy to his collection after having won it as a player way back in 1989-90. It was the last time, and only the second time, Bengal won it.