New Delhi, November 10, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Former India all-rounder Ravi Shastri has revisited his first Test tour of New Zealand in 1981, recalling the formidable team he encountered as a young cricketer and the remarkable 45-year association he has since shared with former New Zealand wicketkeeper Ian Smith.
Speaking to Smith in an interview with Sky Sports, Shastri reflected on arriving at Wellington’s Basin Reserve and coming face to face with some of New Zealand’s leading cricketers of that era, including Richard Hadlee, Bruce Cairns, Geoff Howarth and John Wright.
He also remembered Martin Crowe, who was waiting for his opportunity to break into the side, and described the New Zealand team as one of the finest Test outfits he had encountered.
“It is special. You’re travelling out of India. And when I came down the stairs at the Basin Reserve, got out of the dressing room, and you see faces like Hadlee, Cairns, Howarth, you know, John Wright, Chris Cairns, yourself (Ian Smith). It was a terrific side. I still think till today that was one of the best New Zealand Test match sides. There was Martin sitting in the wings, Martin Crowe,” Shastri recalled.
The conversation also turned to how their association has continued long after their playing careers. Both Shastri and Smith moved into cricket broadcasting, giving them opportunities to travel internationally and remain closely connected to the sport.
Reflecting on their unlikely reunion after more than four decades, Shastri said it was difficult to imagine during their playing days that they would eventually share such a long professional journey.
“And we go back. Who would have ever thought, you know, we both would be sitting here after 45 years having played in that Test match in ’81. We started commentary around about the same time,” he said.
Shastri added that broadcasting had allowed them to reconnect with people they respected, not only for their achievements as cricketers but also for their professionalism behind the microphone.
He described the transition from playing to commentary, and the opportunity to meet former teammates and opponents around the world, as one of the special aspects of a career in cricket.
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