Stargazing: The Players in My Life

by Ravi Shastri

From being Champion of Champions to one of the world's top cricket commentators to Team India's head coach, Ravi Shastri has an incomparable perspective when it comes to the game of cricket. In Stargazing: The Players in My Life, the legendary all-rounder looks back at the extraordinary talent he has encountered over the years.

Who is the former Indian captain who didn't do full justice to his talent? Or that bruising bowler who went on to become a best friend? What was the most important lesson the legendary Clive Llyod taught him? How does Shastri set aside his personal bond with Virat Kohli in his role as coach?

Full of never-before-revealed anecdotes, Stargazing, co-written with Ayaz Memon and featuring illustrations by Shiva Rao, offers a glimpse into how champions from across the globe have inspired one of the world's greatest ODI players and Team India's most successful Test cricket coach.

Genres: Nonfiction, Sports

361 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 25, 2021

Reviews

[Venky · Rating 3 out of 5]

Former India cricketer and current coach of the Indian national team, Ravi Shastri considers the great Sunil Gavaskar to be his mentor. Now following the footsteps of his tutor, the testy yet humorous Shastri pens a paean to a band of legendary cricketers who have either wielded some form of influence on other in moulding his own career, or who have impressed him with their exploits on the field of play. “Stargazing: The Players in My Life” is a sort of “Idols” redux. While Sunny Gavaskar’s book represented an articulate and erudite compilation of tributes, his disciple (with significant assistance from co-author and cricket writer Ayaz Memon) combines irreverent wit with in-your face convictions as he unhesitatingly refrains from calling a spade anything else, in this engrossing collection.

The book fittingly begins with a rousing tribute to the greatest cricketer of all time – Sir Garfield Sobers. A man whose remit of genius included every aspect of the game, Sobers notched up tons of runs, scalped batsmen for fun and was a quicksilver menace with his fielding and catching. The jaw dropping statistics associated with him bear ample testimony and more to this fact. Shastri’s parents were fanatical Sobers’ worshippers, and they inculcated the virtues of ‘Sobers mania’ in their son from the time he was ten years old. Shastri brings his wicked wit to bear by narrating an incident that had a ‘sobering’ (no pun intended) impact on him. After clouting Baroda’s Tilak Raj for 6 sixers in an over, in a Ranji Trophy game for Bombay (now Mumbai), Shastri equaled Sir Garfield’s record. Sobers had in 1968 carted Malcom Nash of Glamorgan for 6 consecutive and humongous sixers while representing Nottinghamshire in his debut season. While Shastri received both a flood of euphoric visitors and a fusillade of richly deserved accolades, his father took him to the side and reminded him not to be too very euphoric and to never lose sight of the fact that there could be only one Garfield Sobers. ‘Fantastic son, but remember, there can never be another Gary Sobers.” What an education!

The luminaries adorning the book transcend generations and time. From the wily spin quartet (Erapalli Prasanna, Bishan Singh Bedi, Bhagwat Chandrasekhar and Srinivas Venkatraghavan) that brought India untold delight, to the fearsome pace quartet of the West Indies (Malcom Marshall, Andy Roberts, Michael Holding and Joel Garner) that put the fear of God in most of the batsmen who faced them, the book has them all. Dennis Lillee and Jeff Thomson made a fascinatingly fierce pairing. When Shastri asked Thomson what his best performance was in a One Day International, “Thommo” replied “one for 21”, before clarifying to a perplexed Shastri, “four in hospital.” The Chapters on Gundappa Vishwanath, whom Shastri considers to be his idol, Sunil Gavaskar, his preceptor, the feisty Australian Ian Chappell and the late great Mansur Ali Khan ‘Tiger’ Pataudi are exercises in reverence and deification.

Shastri mixes dollops of wisdom with candour and wit. The book is interspersed with anecdotes and replete with recounting highly interesting and peculiar incidents. The Chapters on Javed Miandad and Imran Khan are two of the most interesting in the book. While giving credit to Javed for his street smart and never say die attitude, which when mixed with some extraordinary batsmanship combined to produce an incendiary talent, Shastri also reveals the eccentric side of the Pakistani middle order batsman. “…Pakistan were in India, and I had a run-in with him after we had won the Hyderabad ODI. It was a close match and had Abdul Qadir not attempted a second run on the last ball of the innings with the scores equal, the match would have been a tie. As it happened, Pakistan lost 7 wickets to our 6, and according to the playing conditions, the match was awarded to us. This didn’t go down well with Miandad. After the match, he came to our dressing room, insisting loudly that we had won because of cheating. With adrenaline still pumping, I couldn’t take Miandad’s jibes, picked up a shoe and chased him back into his dressing room, where Imran Khan intervened and brought peace.”

Shastri, while considering Imran Khan to be one of the greatest ever leaders the game of cricket has ever seen, writes about the attitude of steely resolve and recrimination possessed by the now Prime Minister of Pakistan. “In 1987, when I was leading the Under-25 team against Pakistan, Imran arrived late to the stadium for the match. He apologized, saying he was stuck in traffic. Fair enough, but he wanted to start bowling straight away, which I wasn’t agreeable to as this was against the rules. Sensing the umpires were vacillating, I told them to mind their own business and go by the book. Imran’s message to Wasim Akram and the other bowlers in that game was to bounce the shit out of me. Imran Highlight (Yellow) and Note | Location 814 Sometime later, when we were playing Pakistan in Sharjah, I suddenly got stomach cramps while batting and requested for a runner. Imran refused. We were 100 something for no loss then. I fell in a couple of deliveries. From a solid start, wickets started tumbling and we went on to lose the game chasing a modest 240-odd.”

Whether calling Ravichandran Ashwin an “Ashtronaut” because he always seems to inhabit a plane and league of intelligence beyond the purview of the ordinary, or terming the formidable Matthew Hayden a cross between Stallone and Schwarzenegger, oozing power from every inch of his massive frame, Shastri finds the middle of his inimitable form with this book. A natural storyteller, he keeps the reader immersed, engaged and curious. He also does not hold back on things which otherwise might be deemed inexpedient for elucidating. For example in the Chapter on Shane Warne, Shastri while claiming that he shares a fine rapport with the greatest ever spinner the world has ever seen, proceeds to inform his readers that the conversations between the two have ranged from “poker to porn, with a lot of cricket in between!” He also suggests a very important and influential weapon to get Chris Gayle out of two tried and tested strategies do not do their job. “Spinners who flight the ball with exemplary control draw him forward to play away from the body, or lure him to use his feet and beat him in the air, stand a chance early in his innings. If that doesn’t work, the best option is prayer.”

The endearing Shastri hyperbole also shines in a resplendent manner in certain segments of the book. Getting carried away in describing the aggressive streak of Adam Gilchrist, Shastri waxing eloquent, declared, “His explosive stroke play, clubbed with fine wicketkeeping skills, make him arguably the most influential player of his generation and the greatest wicketkeeper ever.” Similarly he argues that Inzamam’s running between the wickets, although a tad bit comical rarely cost the master batsman his wicket. This when Inzy has the ignominious reputation of getting himself and his partner run out with a frequency that is irritating. The hyperbole reaches its zenith when Ravi Shastri proclaims Virat Kohli to be the biggest boon to cricket so far this millennium!
The chapters on Sachin Tendulkar and Brian Lara are two of the best in the book. Measured, Methodical and meticulous, Shastri just lays out the techniques and temperament that distinguish the duo and refrains from engaging in duplicitous and cliched comparisons. He explains the merits and deficiencies of each player and leaves his reader to stand in judgment when it comes to placing only one on the ultimate pedestal.

Personally, the best Chapter in the book is the one dealing with Kevin Pietersen and titled “Great Career, Interrupted.” Neither casting aspersion on the player nor alleging intransigence on the part of the administration, Shastri rightly bemoans the incalculable loss of an indomitable and intimidating cricketing talent to the world. One of the most dangerous batsmen ever seen at the batting crease, Pietersen was an unstoppable force at his prime, which was during most of his exalted career. Treating spin and pace with equanimity, equanimity here being a euphemism for utter disdain, Pietersen could knock the stuffing out of any attack, vaunted or vulnerable. However due to an unfortunate fracas involving most of his team mates as well as the England and Wales Cricket Board, Pietersen’s career was abruptly cut short at its peak. As Shastri wistfully reckons, that all the parties involved could have resolved the situation instead of terminating a most wonderful career prematurely. “Sometimes, matters can precipitate into a severe crisis so swiftly that things get out of whack. Timing, as on the field, becomes as important off the field in these situations. From an outsider’s perspective, I would say that the administration and Pietersen could have both been a little more respectful towards each other, and tried to resolve the crisis, rather than stoke it to breaking point.”

In stark contrast to what happened with Pietersen, Cricket Australia worked in tandem with a brash and volatile Ricky Ponting and transformed a good batsman into an unparalleled wrecking machine. Unbelievably good off the front and back foot, Ponting was undoubtedly one of the most devastating players of the horizontal bat strokes. He also matured into a redoubtable skipper and went on to win the World Cup twice.

Shastri devotes quite a bit of space to the late Malcom Marshall. Macko, as Marshall was popularly known formed an integral part of the fearsome West Indian pace quartet of the eighties. Nippy, searingly fast and capable of delivering the most vicious of bouncers. Marshall was a nightmare for many batsmen during his peak. Whether it be making a pulp of former England Captain Mike Gatting’s nose or bouncing Sunil Gavaskar thunderously on the forehead (the ball hit Sunny so hard that it incredibly made its way back to Marshall stunning the bowler himself), Marshall was a force and a fear to reckon with. No wonder the Chapter describing him is titled “The Terminator.” Marshall off the field however was as genuine as any bloke could be. The ruckus created by Marshall, Desmond Haynes and Ravi Shastri over drinks, when the Caribbean cricketers had visited Shastri’s house at Sportsfield Building was so raucous that it prompted a curious Sunny Gavaskar to come down three stories to check on why the “loud laughter sounded so familiar.” Unsurprisingly the Little Master also ended up joining the party.

Shastri also places lots of emphasis on all rounders and speaks very highly of Kapil Dev, Ian Botham, Richard Hadlee, Imran Khan and Jacques Kallis. Thus it comes as a shock that he chooses to leave out both Chris Cairns and Shaun Pollock from his distinguished list. This omission is rendered all the more peculiar since Shastri has had the opportunity to watch both these phenomenally talented cricketers from the vantage view accorded by a commentators box over a prolonged period of time. Cairns, who at the time of this review has been unfortunately rendered a paralytic on account of a stroke suffered during the course of a heart surgery was a prolific all round talent capable of turning the course of a game all by himself. The burly New Zealander single handedly wrestled the 2007 Champions Trophy away from India when all seemed lost for the Kiwis. Coming into bat in a seemingly improbable situation, Cairns savaged the Indian bowling to all corners of the field and snatched victory from the proverbial jaws of defeat. Similar are the exploits of Shaun Pollock with both bat and ball. One of South Africa’s greatest all-rounders, Pollock had a completely mastery over swing and seam and was more than just adept with the bat. 3,781 runs and a whopping 421 wickets paint a glorious picture of a glittering career.

However, as Shastri himself alludes to in the foreword, the unenviable task of selecting a list of cricketers is akin to the thankless job of a selector. One needs to develop a thick skin and continue with business as usual.

Ravi Shastri is one of the most outspoken, erudite and courageous cricketers that India has ever produced. His book is emblematic of the same attitude. As the author, so the book!

[Kaustubh Dudhane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ravi Shastri On Malcolm Marshall - "He once came to my house in Sportsfield Building with Des Haynes. My Bombay colleague Alan Sippy played the barman to indulgence, and together the two Bajans brought the roof down, prompting Sunny Gavaskar to come down three stories from his apartment to check on why the loud laughter sounded so familiar."



Entertaining in patches with a cliched style for every chapter.

I have never seen Ravi Shastri play cricket live since I was too young when he had retired. Whatever I knew about Ravi Shastri the cricketer, came either from my father or my uncle. Both had watched or listened cricket significantly in 1980s. Both of them told me that India had lost many matches because of Ravi Shastri's slow batting in a Chris Tavare mode. When I had read about him, watched YouTube videos and spoken to other folks in the cricketing circle, I came to know about the braver side of Shastri. And especially during his commentary stint, he was expressive and used to speak his mind especially during the Monkey-gate scandal and the spat with Nasser Hussain on live TV. Even during his coaching role with Team India, he was a subject of numerous memes but he delivered big time on the international tours.

This book is in the same mould like Idols by the master Sunil Gavaskar. There are some funnier instances which were unknown to me with respect to the players like Malcolm Marshall, Javed Miandad, Imran Khan and Jeff Thomson. I have liked the way he gave two different examples in the management of difficult brash players by two cricket boards. Additionally, other chapters were good. Shastri is straightforward and doesn't care if he is politically correct or not.

There were a few surprising omissions like Shaun Pollock, Lance Klusener, Chris Cairns and Shivnarine Chanderpaul who were the greats of the game in their prime. Moreover, just like his commentary style, hyperbole was used liberally in many instances which had reduced the experience of the book.

[Vijay Krishnamoorthy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good list of players and snapshots - but it felt a little too

A very quick read

[Omar Nizam · Rating 5 out of 5]

- Book Review: "Stargazing" by Ravi Shastri - 📚🏏🇮🇳

@ravishastriofficial has had a distinguished cricket career, both on the field as a spin bowling All-Rounder as well as off the field in the capacity of Coach and Commentator.

In "Stargazing", he puts fourth his personal experiences and interactions with all the cricketing stars he has had the pleasure of playing with, competing against, and watching from afar from the commentary box.

The book is an excellent read that will come as a wonderful surprise to all die-hard cricket fans, simply because Shastri is as articulate with the pen as he is with the microphone.

By writing such a book where other cricketers are the main characters while he himself is the secondary character, Shastri has produced a rare piece of cricketing literature.

Such a book would have been difficult for anyone else to replicate mainly due to the fact that most others do not have Shastri's impressive resume of writing about the game from the vantage point of cricketer, coach, and commentator alike, a triple threat that made the book impossible to put down.

The only negatives I could find in the book are two minor factual errors, vis-a-vis the 1996 Tri-Series in Singapore (which took place AFTER the 1996 World Cup and not before), and the fact that Adam Gilchrist used a squash ball (and not a golf ball) as his inner glove during the 2007 ODI World Cup Final.

But despite these minor factual blips, the book is still an outstanding read and rightly deserving of full marks.

My rating: 5/5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[the.content. life · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stargazing by Ravi Shastri

I'm going to start by mentioning that reading this book was way out of my comfort zone.
I enjoy watching cricket, but I've never thought of players as anything more than players. This book makes them as human as possible for me. It has been divided into four segments ,

1.Growing up into the game, this is where he talks about cricketers I've never seen play on field. My dad had to help me out a lot in this segment! And honestly, I did not enjoy it much as I didn't know anyone I was reading about. He talks about Garfield Sobers ( the only one I knew a bit about) 😂

2. Friends and Rivals: This is where he talks about cricketers like Imran Khan , the now prime minister of Pakistan, Vivian Richards and Sunil Gavaskar. Still wasn't getting why I'm reading this book. 😂

3. From the box : He covers unheard anecdotes and insights from his interaction with cricketers like Ponting, Gayle, ABD Villiers Sehwag and many more.

4. Back in the dressing room , different Avatar : This was the most entertaining part! I've seen these players play and they continue to do so even now. Also, who doesn't like Virat Kohli? He heads Kohli's page by writing "Blood, Toil, Tears , Sweat" which made me read more and more of this segment. I read about Dhoni, Rohit Sharma , Ashwin , Jadeja , Ben Stokes, Steve Smith and many more.
This was very funny and insightful!

If you're a cricket fan , you'll love love love this book!

[Nishant Bhagat · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good compilation. Most of these cricketers have been a part of my growing up years. Some I remember so fondly while others I detested since they always played better against India. Some very interesting stories by the author especially of his playing days. As a reader and a cricket fan, I always want more, but I understand the legalities so guess the author's hands were tied.

Some very famous names are missing from this compilation. If you are an informed cricket fan then you will know who they are and why they didn't make it to the book.

To conclude, a must read book for a cricket fanatic! Rest can skip this.

[Vivek Priyadarshi · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book is a compilation of short commentaries on cricketing legends. It is amazing for players whom you don't know (I don't know much before 1990s) but is boring for the modern players whom you would have watched since childhood.

The chronology and flow is based on Ravi Shastri's life as an emerging player, representing India, Commentator and Coach.

When you read about the players you don't know you seem to be witnessing that era.

[Biswajit Patnaik · Rating 2 out of 5]

What could have been an extraordinary cricketing journey of a world-class player, fine commentator, and an excellent coach turned out to be a big fiasco. Talking about other players, after sometime became too repetitive. He had to include many players and it had the same things talking in different ways and sometimes in the same way as well. Expected more from our tracer bullet.

[Omkar Mankame · Rating 4 out of 5]

Immaculate player profiles

I picked up this book thinking it would be some sort of memoir but as the title suggests it's more about cricketers as Ravi Shastri sees them. The player profiles range from Gary Sobers to Ben Stokes and they succinctly summarise their most shining quality. It's a useful guide to revisit for any cricket lover.

[Harish P · Rating 2 out of 5]

I listened to the Audio Book. Nothing stands out. He stated what is so very obvious about the cricketers. No real interesting anecdotes, acute observations, or juicy gossip. Trite and stodgy. Disappointed

[SHANKAR KRISHNAN · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nothing ground breaking, more of the same. One more book that can rest happily with Jeff Thomson's great Autobiography

[Mithraa Sriraman · Rating 1 out of 5]

Rather disappointing

[Tushar · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great filler for all the commentary we missed from this guy

[Gourang Ambulkar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written by Shashtri, though I thought I smelled a lot of Ayaz Memon through the reminiscences.

[Vignesh Suresh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Expected it to be a detailed biopic rather than an analysis of players!

[Ashi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Is there anything in there to not like? Except of course, there should have been more and more content...

[Siddharrth Jain · Rating 2 out of 5]

My earliest memories of Ravi Shastri dates back to late 1980s, when he almost single handedly won us the Champion of Champions trophy in down-under and taking his coveted Audi car for a spin around the MCG.

In his various avatars as a player, commentator, to now coaching the men’s team, he has always been greatly influenced by the game of cricket. In his book the ‘Star Gazing’, he lists out a hefty number of players who have impressed him the most, ranging from Gary Sobers to Virat Kohli and in-between.

But sadly this isn’t the book that you expect from the flamboyant Shastri who is known for his unfiltered views and opinions. He shows much restraint as he goes on to write about the who’s who of the game. The book is co-authored by one of favourites, Ayaz Memon, and I do look forward to the day when Shastri comes up with his autobiography, in it’s most bold expression. 📚

[Rahul · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was expecting much more from a former player, commentator and coach but the book follows a standard format for every star. XYZ was a great bowler/batsman/fielder, mentions of standout performances in a couple of series, discussion about top class work ethic etc. etc. and closing remarks of how the star was a great friend off the field and had great conversations over a couple of beers. I got through this book only because each player is a legend of the game and I was curious to know whatever little the author had to say.