Dubai: Tellicherry-based cricketers in the UAE are staging a tournament in the memory of former Kerala all-rounder and coach Ponmanichi Mackey, who was a hero for them during their school days. This tournament will be held at Insportz on October 16.
The town of Tellicherry, located in the northern part of Kerala, has the reputation of being the birthplace of cricket in India. It was here that the British under Colonel Arthur Wellesley, who was commanding the East India Company’s army in Kerala in the 1790’s, introduced the game to the locals.
Mackey, who played for Kerala during the 1970s, made the cricketing world often recall Tellicherry’s cricket history through his exploits on the field. He not only excelled in cricket but also hockey and captained the state hockey team too. He used his hockey skills in cricket to hit the ball hard and earned the nickname ‘Sixer Mackey’. In almost all Ranji Trophy matches against Tamil Nadu, he hit India’s ace spinner S. Venkataraghavan for sixes with ease.
A fighter to the core, he is the only Kerala player to hit a half-century batting at No.11 and that too against the formidable Hyderabad team in 1974. Incidentally, Hyderabad skipper and Indian captain Mansour Ali Khan Pataudi was fond of Mackey not only for his cricketing skills but for his rendition of old Hindi Songs. During Ranji Trophy matches, Pataudi made sure to always ask Mackey to sing after the day’s match.
An entertainer to the core, Mackey loved to regale fans with breezy knocks and those who have watched him play even now talk about his sixes that used to sail out of the Tellicherry Municipal stadium into the streets and nearby buildings. After his playing days, Mackey became Kerala Cricket Association coach and groomed many youngsters most of them who are now employed in UAE after representing the Kerala state team. Mackey died in April 2002 at the age of 53 after a battle with cancer. Contesting teams are named after nine localities in Tellicherry town with a Tellicherry Global team as the 10th team made up of cricketers from this town living in GCC countries.
S. Suneer of Puca Shoes, who is sponsoring the tournament conducted the draw.
Pool A comprises of Al Ameer Plantations & Estates Chirakkara, Easy Pen Saidarpally, Bella Paints Palloor, Seventh A Warrior Town Hall, Filli Café Pallithaza. Pool B has Uno Vici Casuals Mahe, Diyar Global Tellicherians, Iron Garners Chetancoon, Amana Medical Thruvangad, Asiya Group Punnol.