Another 146;keeper revisits the killing fields

It's not just the footballing fraternity, or just India and Brazil that were shaken by Cristiano Junior8217;s tragic death. Away in Banglad...

It8217;s not just the footballing fraternity, or just India and Brazil that were shaken by Cristiano Junior8217;s tragic death. Away in Bangladesh, national team wicketkeeper and vice-captain Khaled Mashud had the worst memories of his life flooding back when he heard the news. Why? Because it was a throwback to February 20, 1998; the day he was part of the accident which led to Indian cricketer Raman Lamba8217;s death at the Bangabandhu Stadium here in Dhaka.

It was a match between Mohammedan Sporting and Abahani Krira Sangha in Dhaka8217;s Premier Cricket League. Playing for Abahani, Mashud8217;s team, Lamba was fielding at forward short leg without a helmet when a pull by former Bangladesh opener Mehrab Hossain hit him on his head just above his left ear.

8216;8216;I still remember that day,8217;8217; recalls Mashud as he gets ready for the first Test against India beginning tomorrow. 8216;8216;Akram Khan, our regular captain, wasn8217;t playing, so I was captain. I brought on left-arm-spinner Jem for that one over and after three balls I decided to change the field. I looked around and I saw Raman and asked him to stand at forward short-leg.8217;8217;

Lamba, recalls Mashud, refused to wear a helmet. 8216;8216;He said that it was just three balls for the over and so it wouldn8217;t be a problem,8217;8217; Mashud says.

After the ball struck Lamba, Mashud says, the impact was such that it flew all the way behind the stumps and he Mashud had to step back a few paces to catch it. 8216;8216;I knew Mehrab was out. But when the other players gathered around me to celebrate, I looked for Raman. He was lying on the ground,8217;8217; Mashud remembers.

Then, Mashud says, 8216;8216;He said 8216;I am okay8217; and that he would be fine. The match went on and we won. After we returned to the dressing room, I found out that Raman was in the hospital.8217;8217;

After that, it was all over.

Today, Mashud only blames the medical treatment given to Lamba or the lack of it, in a chilling echo of Cristiano Junior8217;s plight. 8216;8216;He died because we did not have good medical facilties then.

8220;He was at a private hospital first and then moved to the government hospital, but it was too late.8217;8217;

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Ask Mashud about Mehrab, the equivalent of Subroto Paul in the incident, and Mashud says, 8216;8216;Mehrab couldn8217;t sleep for two-three days.8217;8217;

8216;8216;Raman was my senior,8217;8217; Mashud carries on as it gets close to time for him to go for a Bangladesh team meeting it is, after all, the Test match-eve. 8216;8216;He was always willing to help. He was a great player and a good thinker. Above all, though, he was my friend.8217;8217;