With his face engraved on one side of the coin and the logo of The Association of Cricket Umpires, Mumbai (ACU-M) on the obverse, 73-year-old Dara Pochkhanawalla had been honored by the Association a few days before he succumbed to septicemia (blood poisoning) on August 16, 2024. The memento was in recognition of its founder member and erstwhile secretary’s "long, selfless and meritorious services to the umpiring fraternity,” as noted a tribute by Surat based former umpire of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Keki Doodhwala. It was this same coin that was used for the toss after a two-minute silence in honor of Pochkhanawalla at the Kanga League match played on August 18 when both the on-field umpires wore black bands.
Dara Pochkhanawalla; below: coin honoring him
Having secured a gold medal in the Mumbai Cricket Association’s (MCA) examination for umpires in 1970, "he proved himself knowledgeable, neutral, firm and dedicated… He was bold and courageous to accept his mistakes… and that’s why he was so loved and respected not only by players but officials also. Unfortunately, he was deprived of his right to appear for the BCCI examinations for umpires,” recalled Doodhwala. Being disheartened, Pochkhanawalla retired from umpiring in 1992 but continued his involvement with the game.
"His contributions extended beyond umpiring as he also made his mark as a journalist and cricket administrator, serving twice on the MCA’s managing committee,” it was reported on cricadium.com. Sports editor of Mumbai Samachar for over three decades he was an office bearer of the Sports Journalists Association of Mumbai and had also served as vice president of the Association of Indian Statisticians and Scorers of India.
Two days after his demise, the Sports Journalists Association convened a meeting at the Wankhede Stadium’s P. D. Hall when MCA president Ajinkya Naik expressed his good fortune at Pochkhanawalla selling his club, Fort Youngsters, to him. Having founded the club in 1970 to nurture young talent, he sold it a few years ago and generously distributed the proceeds among the members, according to Doodhwala. Giving his senior credit for initiating night cricket in the city, Doodhwala recalled that Fort Youngsters and another local team, Blue Star Cricket Club had played a night cricket match organized by Pochkhanawalla over four decades ago at the Wilson College grounds on Marine Drive. The senior umpire had also assisted Doodhwala in his compilation of English to Gujarati translation of cricket laws.