Former national captain Jerrold Kessel passes away

One thing I know is that I will miss talking to Jerrold on the phone just about every day. Our conversations inevitably started with the latest cricket news and how we would have played, showering criticism on the shot or the captains decision. We would then move on quickly to politics and finally to moral values which always seemed so lacking wherever we looked.

But thats not the only reason why I will miss Jerrold. I will miss him for being a man of principle. As he once said to me I have only one principle in life ...no principles. I will miss him as he always looked to make the world a better place wherever we were. I will miss him as he was a highly moral person and believed in fair play, cheating was abhorrent to him. I will miss him as he believed in justice for all.

Jerrold had an acute mind for analysing a situation. Jerrold loved his family and I remember watching him playing football with one of his grandchildren thinking he would much have preferred to have played cricket instead.

He loved all forms of sport. He once confided in me that notwithstanding his size he wished he could have run a marathon.

Jerrold would never have won the prize for the smartest cricketer on the field but he most certainly would have won the prize for the most studious and intelligent cricketer. With Jerrold as keeper I spent a lot of time at first slip trying to solve the worlds economic and political problems. The Hebrew University team of 1978 to 1995 boasted an academic side that thrashed every side in Israel being the league champions 5 times between 1981 and 1986.

His indepth knowledge, his ability to change situations made it an interesting experience to play cricket with Jerrold. To have captained him for 15 years and still remained buddies ranks as one of my greatest achievements. Jerrold was the type of keeper who would never appeal if he thought the batsmen wasnt out (Alan Gilchrist 1978 version). Jerrold was always there with a good word, a critical word but he was always there. His presence was always felt whatever the situation. In 1979 Israel played the USA and I was given out bowled even though the ball was pitched outside leg and the umpire signalled 4 byes. The US keeper had flicked the bail off with his glove and had appealed for bowled. The umpire changed his decision. It took Jerrold and I a while to work out what had happened. When we played the US in 1982 the same keeper asked Jerrold to lend him his gloves which Jerrold did. However I had warned the umpires to watch the keeper who proceeded to do the same trick. This time the umpires saw what happened. When their keeper came off at the end of our innings Jerrold called him every possible word. The US keeper was thrown out of the tournament for cheating.

Fair play was one of the most important facets in Jerrold's life. Jerusalem were playing Petah Tikvah in 1978 and the PT captain slipped in the middle of the pitch attempting a run. I was bowling and the ball was thrown to me to run him out. Jerrold shouted at me 'Perlman dont run him out lets show him what gentlemen we are'. I thought for 5 seconds and didnt run him out. Unfortunately our fair play was not reciprocated at a later stage in the season.

I remember playing squash against Jerrold at the Hebrew University courts when I was a student. I gave up playing against him as I could never beat him. His size meant that you could never get past him. As a keeper he was supreme notwithstanding his girth he hardly ever let a bye through, seldom dropped a catch and when he made a stumping there was never a stump left in the ground. The atmosphere in the Jerusalem side in the late seventies and eighties was electric with Jerrold contributing much to the electricity.

Yesterday there departed a very special person who contributed an enormous amount to Israeli cricket. He toured England in 1974, 1979 (as captain) and 1982 and was left out for political reasons in 1986. He returned to the side in 1990 when we won our first ever match in the ICC trophy against Argentine. I can still see him going out to bat with us needing 3 to win with 4 wickets standing. Now Jerrold had never hooked in his life but he decided that the game situation required him to hook the first ball he received...out lbw. I didnt talk to him after that shot but we won the game and all was forgotten.

Another incident that comes to mind was in 1982. Israel were playing Papua New Guinea who reached the semis in the ICC tournament. They had 4 fast bowlers around the 140 mark and each one was 1.90 tall with long hair. They were the greatest guys to play against. They were thrashing us at Cheltenham that day. The ground was enormous and the procession of Israeli batsmen going in and out was like the Tel Aviv Train Station on a Sunday morning. We were 32 for 5 in a sixty over game and it was looking rather embarressing. However Kessel came out to join me and we put on 50 in next to no time. However I had a wild go at their off spinner and the ball went sailing to long on. I was only interested to see if I was going to be caught (which I wasnt) and didnt see Jerrold come hurtling down to me for a run. The fielder threw the ball in and he was run out. Two months ago Jerrold gave me a copy of his book 'Goals for Galilee'. In his message he said he forgave me for running him out. We eventually got to 167/9 but lost by 9 wickets. However we were awarded the man of the match award.

Jerrold suffered terribly over the last while yet was always available to listen. I personally learnt alot from my friend Jerrold and we usually agreed on most volatile sublects. We were ad idem on morality, fair play, sportsmanship and Israeli politics.

Jerrold my dear friend go in peace. My friend you have lived life to the full may your soul rest in peace.

Jerrold was laid to rest yesterday at the Givat Hashloshah cemmetry. For an hour friends and relatives paid tribute to this special man. Someone special laid a cricket ball on the sand on top of his grave.

To Laurraine, Chalkie and Michal may you all have much strength in the times ahead.

YEHI ZICHRO BARUCH

This tribute was written by Stanley Perlman, Chairman of the Israel Cricket Association who captained Israel from 1985 to 1994 to the countries only 2 wins in the ICC trophy. Stanley and Jerrold were friends from 1976.