Cardiff pubs and Glamorgan: Shastri remembers highs
CARDIFF: There were some serious fast bowlers in the County circuit when Ravi Shastri played for Glamorgan, but the skull attack that gave Shastri a high was the Brains Bitter!
It is not the name of a bowler, but a popular local Welsh brew. “One pint of Brains Bitter beer and your head will feel the impact; that is why it’s called Skull Attack. Three shots and you will see stars. The short form is SA,” says Graham Swarts, a fan of the Cardiff club who was at India nets on Thursday to catch up with Shastri.
The Welshman, 79, has been a lifelong Glamorgan fan and seen Shastri play for the County (1987 to 1991). He even recalled sharing a beer with him. As Shastri walked back from training, he chatted with the Welsh fans there seeking autographs.
Talk veered to Shastri’s Cardiff days. Swarts reminded him of his favourite watering holes. “We have seen him enjoy his SA at his favourite pubs. I have shared a pint with him once, just walked up to him and chatted.”
Shastri joined the chorus, saying aloud the names of the pubs with the locals. “Cross Keys, Three Horse Shoes… Captain’s Wife,” they sang.
“Where I lived, Dinas Powys, the two pubs he (Swarts) mentioned were Cross keys and Three Horse Shoes, I loved going there. They were my locals. When I moved to Sully, I would frequent Captain’s Wife, which is right in front of the bay,” said Shastri. Swarts said: “It was next to where Viv Richards lived.”
It’s not merely his friendliness and taste for good life. “Javed Miandad, Viv Richards, Waqar Younis… some big names played for Glamorgan, and Ravi served us well. He is well liked here. He is mentioned in all the Glamorgan souvenir books, they give him a nice write-up.
“He was a fine all-rounder, a tough character,” says Swarts.
Shastri said: “Fabulous memories, they are great people, very friendly.
“All County teams had really, really good pros, so you had to adapt. I went and got hundreds against everyone (playing for India).
“If I got my two hundreds in England at the top of the order, it is because of County cricket. Just challenging conditions. I went on to get hundreds against West Indies (he rates as his finest the 107 out of India’s total of 251 at Bridgetown against Malcolm Marshall, Curtly Ambrose and Courtney Walsh), Pakistan, a double hundred in Australia, and they were all top teams.”
If India win on Friday, Shastri may celebrate with a Skull Attack at his old watering hole with Welsh fans.