Beur jail inmates gear up for T-16 finals

Does not matter if he is a murder convict, a kidnapper, a simple pickpocket or a petty criminal awaiting trial, as long as he launches the ball across the border for a six or smashes it through the gaps for a boundary.

They don’t care if the bowler hurls a fast one or a slow top spinner. All that matters is winning at any cost. They snatch every minute from their regimented prison life for strategy sessions to plot a victory at all costs.

Competition is fierce for the winner’s cup. There will be a man of the match award too.

Today, Wednesday, the 2000 odd prisoners housed in the high-security Beur Central Jail will gather for the finals of the T-16 championship. More than 100 hardcore Maoists, including Ajay Kanu, the mastermind of Jehanabad jailbreak operation, are also lodged in this jail.

The prisoners’ own teams – from each of the four prison cell blocks – Godavari, Saraswati, Ganga and Jamuna – had just completed the round robin league matches to set up the finals between Saraswati and Jamuna.

Ajay Jha, convicted for kidnapping and murder leads Saraswati team and Jamuna is skippered by an under trial prisoner Naushad. The play off for the third and fourth slots is also slated for Wednesday.

Such is the interest that the spectators (read jail inmates) of different blocks start assembling near the open ground, near jail hospital, soon after their breakfast. Two matches of two-hour duration each are held at 9 a.m. and 2 p.m.

Sworn enemies they may have been in the world of crime, but competitive cricket has brought about intense and healthy rivalry on the pitch, Jail superintendent OP Gupta said.

There are hardly any disputes in matters cricketing. The umpire’s decisions are final and accepted without reservations.

“The cricket matches are helping in cooling down tempers and establish harmony in jail,” he said.

The positive impact of the live telecasts of One-day cricket and T-20 matches have had on the inmates prompted the jail authorities to try the cricket tournament.

“Telecast of cricket matches inside jails acted as a strong binding force even among prisoners who were at loggerheads with one another,” a jail official said.

The future cricket calandar includes an inter-ward tournament to be followed by an inter-jail tournament.