Hyderabad, March 4 -- Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi was a superbly talented batsman and a shrewd captain. On the field he had a regal touch to everything that he did. But there was much more to him than his cricket alone. He was a man who knew how to enjoy life to the fullest. He was a great lover of Hindustani classical music and ghazals. Talat Mahmood was one of his favourites.

But there was also a naughty side to his personality.And he loved to play practical jokes. One of the pranks he played on his teammates is known to several cricketers but not many people outside cricket circles have heard of it. It was an elaborately planned gag which shocked and terrified some of his fellow players.

Pataudi himself narrated the incident very briefly...