Rashid Latif mourns the death of veteran actor‑turned‑cricket‑friend Nana Patekar, a bond that began at the 1994 Singer Trophy in Colombo and lasted 24 years.
The Pakistani all‑rounder recalls how the two first crossed paths under the guidance of Azharuddin and Ajay Jadeja, swapping stories over tea while the sun set over the Galle grounds.
Back in 1998, while Pakistan toured South Africa, Latif sent Patekar a congratulatory note after the actor bagged the Filmfare Best Actor award, a gesture that later spread to the Indian team through Jadeja.
Basit Ali, another former Pakistani batsman, echoed the sentiment, calling Latif ‘Nana’ after the actor and lamenting the loss: ‘Our brother, our friend, gone.’
Patekar’s legacy extends beyond cinema; during the 1999 Kargil War he worked with the Indian Army, spending 60 days at Drass, Mughal Pora, and Baramulla.
Latif will speak at the Pakistan Cricket Board’s annual gathering next month, paying tribute to Patekar’s friendship and the enduring camaraderie between cricket and Indian arts.