July 19, 1999
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Ballad of
East and West How an Indian prince became the benefactor of his cricketing chum. By Amit Roy CB FRY: AN ENGLISH HERO
Although exceptionally gifted as a sportsman, Fry was also a highly strung personality, rendered miserable by marriage to Beatrice Sumner, a domineering woman 10 years his senior. In the end, Fry suffered a mental breakdown. But Ranji looked after his friend until Fry's death in 1956, aged 84. "Ranji paid for his accommodation, for a nurse, for a chauffeur, right till the end," says Wilton. Fry was a brilliant scholar at Oxford, where he won blues for cricket, football and athletics. Wilton reckons his first encounter with Ranji was in 1892 in an exhibition game at Beverley, East Riding, Yorkshire. Three years later, they met again when Oxford played Sussex, where Ranji had become the rising star. Fry was impressed when Ranji "waved the first ball I bowled him to the picket fence of the pavilion". To Fry "the stroke was a revelation of an entirely new technique only possible to a player with a quickness of eye, a nicety of poise, a surety of foot and a control of hand far superior to the best English practice".
Their friendship was genuine. In 1920, when Ranji was appointed one of India's three representatives to the newly created League of Nations, he took Fry with him to Geneva as adviser and speech writer. Once Ranji returned to India and royal duty, Fry paid him several visits and was regally entertained, especially on hunting expeditions. But his sense of frustration at not having achieved as much in life as his Oxford contemporaries contributed to his mental breakdown. According to Wilton, this led to "an inability to tolerate the company of Indians, Ranji included. Fry said he had a spell cast on him in India". Nevertheless, what will live on is the story of friendship across racial barriers -- and the vision of Fry and Ranji going out to bat together.
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In the
history of cricket, their names go together -- Fry and Ranji. They had the kind of
instinctive rapport that comes with years of batting together but what is remarkable is
that the partnership spilled over into their personal lives and ensured a long friendship
between an upper middle-class Englishman and an Indian prince. Without Kumar Shri
Ranjisinhji, later to become the Jam Saheb of Nawananagar, there might not have been a
Charles Burgess Fry. That seems to be one of the implicit suggestions in C.B.Fry: An
English Hero (Richard Cohen Books; -- 25), brought out by author Iain Wilton to coincide
with the 100th anniversary of Fry's debut for England. 
In 1896, Ranji was picked for England
even though some selectors had not wanted an Indian. Three years later, Fry followed him
into the side. Ranji went on to captain Sussex but never England, an honour eventually
given to Fry. Though they did not always bat together, there were many "glorious
partnerships". Ranji curiously called Fry "Charlo" but it is not known
whether Fry addressed his friend as "Ranji" or "Your Highness" or by
some other name. 
