It's indeed baffling that not many among those who claim to know Makarand Waingankar better have truly sensed the depth and dignity of his tireless activism of no bounds. Those who half-understand it call him eccentric, and those who find in it an unplayable yorker or a disquieting bumper call him names.
However, this rebel without a pause and many a cause is unperturbed by the commotion of both adulation and abuse; he’s too busy to take notice, leave alone retort in anger or stake claims to prove a point.
At 76, he has not lost even an ounce of his child-like enthusiasm, razor-sharp mind, and great sense of humour. Whether savouring his favourite Parsi Dhansak, contemplating on the larger issues of sport, or working tirelessly to raise the benchmarks for mentoring and coaching worldwide, this gen-next version of Mak book Pro (that rivals the latest Mac offerings of a legendary company with a bitten fruit logo that does much more than keep doctors away) is always neck-deep in the immersive experience – both in delight and disappointment.
“How was the crab dish Mak sir?” you ask. “Mind blowing”, he exclaims in rapturous tones. The question “What is your take on the ubiquitous parent-teacher meetings of the modern education system?” fetches a diametrically contrasting no holds barred reply “Utter nonsense”.
That’s Mak sir for you, no half pleasures or measures for him!
He is immersed in work from dawn to dusk, braving age and ailment on the one hand, and attending to the daily truckload of diverse requests on the other, from individuals and institutions across different spheres from the world over.
A big chunk of these help seekers are of course former and current cricketers who at different spans of their careers sought his help to reinvent themselves or broaden their skill horizons, but his circle of influence and acquaintance is way bigger than most imagine. People from all walks of life knock on his doors with unfailing regularity.
A wants to reclaim his zeal and zest for life, B wants his marital discord resolved, C seeks wings to soar higher in the chosen profession, D is looking for tax advice for his windfall gains, E wants to finetune the blueprint of a business plan, F seeks counsel to make a comeback as a player, G is an academy wanting to move up the value chain of talent development …and all from A to Z want the Mak Book Pro to offer instant solutions on a platter, which he unfailingly does, despite his staple rants that it is high time the A to Z take charge of their lives and high time he hung up his boots.
The indomitable Mak sir simply carries on without a trace of regret or disappointment on the parochial motives and toxic machinations of the world we live in, where shallow small talk is hailed as an actionable insight, and the erstwhile marriages of convenience have made way for marriages of connivance.
This maverick pursued a Ph.D and secured the coveted degree defying ridicule and contrary advice at an age when most people narrate bedtime stories to disinterested grandchildren.
With Yuvraj Singh
From unearthing hidden talent to sharpening proven competencies, from rescuing Mumbai cricket from the eddy of complacency to taking Indian cricket to dizzying heights, from helping novice cricketers make dream debuts and fetch plum jobs to working towards the upliftment of former umpires and groundsmen, from covering matches as a discerning journalist to probing deep into the history and evolution of the game as a researcher and author, he has been there done that with unparalleled precision and unimaginable persistence.
No wonder, he has mentored several players across generations – from Yograj Singh to Yuvraj Singh – in an illustrious career spanning five decades.
His towering profundity and deep interest for actionable knowledge is delightfully seamless. The relevance of Greek thought to contemporary issues, depths of Indian Vedic wisdom and spiritual insights, focused research on the information etched on medicine labels, recent innovations to solve India’s deepening water crisis, or the disturbing rise in the number of suicides in schools, colleges and universities, no issue is besides the point or out of purview for him.
I appeal to all Mak sir fans and admirers across the globe to start a grassroots movement towards building a potent platform that will enable kids, adolescents, and young professionals of today find passion and purpose in life, and learn as much from failure and dejection as from success and recognition, in the guiding light of the therapeutic counsel and priceless insights of the one and only Mak sir.