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At first glance he can pass off as one of the many other-side-of-60 Parsi bachelors living a self-contained life in a clean, well-kept home in a Parsi baug. But delving deeper into his interests, his career choices and his philosophy, Farokh Dastoor of Nagpur’s Tata Baug emerges a many-faceted personality. 

His career has zig-zagged from Tatas to textiles and then up the ladder of cricket — not as a player but as an administrator. Working presently for the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India), the richest and most powerful sports body in the world, Dastoor is manager of the National Academy of Umpires (NAU). This is a BCCI venture and, in Dastoor’s words, "the only one of its kind in the world.” 

"Cricket is no longer just a sport,” Dastoor explains. "It is an art, a science and most of all a high value money spinner.” Amazed and impressed that Nagpur, a second tier town should have such a unique institution, more details are sought. The NAU coaches umpires, video analysts and scorers, all of whom play an important role in umpiring decisions, it is learnt. "There are 42 basic laws of cricket umpiring, which you might think is not a lot to learn or remember. But it is the interpretation of these rules, in the context of each ball bowled and dispatched, that makes for good or bad umpiring decisions,” Dastoor elaborates.

The Academy can coach up to 20 people at a time. It also offers refresher courses for senior umpires and coaching for lady umpires who officiate at women’s cricket matches. Experienced teachers, state of the art classrooms, an inviting dining room and comfortable living accommodation make for a very professionally run and well administered Academy. The NAU overlooks the lush grounds and well rolled pitches of the Vidarbh Cricket Association (VCA) residential coaching facility for aspiring youngsters, which could well turn out the Tendulkars of tomorrow!

Dastoor is very serious when he says "Being part of the playing 11 is not the be all or end all of the game. Umpiring, video analysis, sports administration, sports physio, bio-mechanics and logistics are very lucrative career options today.” 

The current BCCI panel of umpires has three Parsis — Shahvir Tarapore, Keki Doodhwalla and Adil Palia. Tarapore is also on the ICC (International Cricket Council) panel of umpires. Qualified umpires are paid Rs 20,000 per match and an additional Rs 5,000 a day as DA (dearness allowance). The BCCI also has a pension plan for umpires. 

 "Young Parsi boys and girls should think of making a career in sports related vocations,” is Dastoor’s advice. "Candidates have to be recommended by the state association for admission to the NAU. Once they qualify in the selection exam, their coaching, boarding, lodging is free for the duration of the umpires’ coaching program,” he explains. The competition to get into the Academy is stiff. Information Technology students and double graduates apply. Knowledge of and a passion for cricket as well as command over the English language are prerequisites.

Before his appointment with the BCCI, Dastoor was general manager of the VCA for 10 years. Along with BCCI president Sashank Manohar, also from Nagpur, Dastoor was closely involved with the building of the beautiful state-of-the-art Jamtha Cricket Stadium on the periphery of Nagpur. "This world class stadium was built by Shapoorji Pallonji and company at the unbelievable cost of just Rs 80 crore,” Dastoor says with pride. "Sharad Pawar, members of the ICC and of cricket Australia were amazed that such a large and super structure could be built at that cost.” With two Parsis involved, it could not have gone the CWG (Commonwealth Games) way! The Club House that adjoins the stadium, built at the cost of another 10 crores, boasts an Olympic sized swimming pool, a top-of-the-line gymnasium, squash and badminton courts, a billiards room, well stocked library, plush rooms, a bar, a dining room and more.

Dastoor himself is a fitness freak, so what if he is a senior citizen? He is up every morning at 5.30 a.m., jogs for 45 minutes and plays cricket for an hour.

Starting in the accounts division of the Empress Mills at Nagpur, Dastoor worked there for four years, moving out when he saw signs of the imminent closure of the Mills. From Tata’s Empress he moved to Garden Silk where he supervised sales operations for 15 years, over an area comprising Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Khandesh and Vidarbh. "My forte is administration,” says Das-toor "and it is in-depth and honest.”

Wherever he has worked, his superiors and colleagues have spoken highly of Dastoor. Referring to the seriousness and importance he places on his work, they jest that the organization would collapse if not held up on his strong shoulders!

Dastoor’s major pastime and passion is reading. His interest in books encompasses super-nature (not to be confused with supernatural), English literature, economics, ancient Greek and Roman history. Collecting CDs and DVDs of old English classic movies is another consuming hobby. "I watch them with the same pleasure that I collect them,” he smiles.

In the course of conversation Dastoor reveals a hitherto unknown obsession. He is convinced — not just 100 percent but 110 percent — that aliens or extra terrestrial beings exist and have visited our earth from time to time. "No way could human beings have built the Pyramids of Egypt or the Inca temples of Peru. They were built by aliens visiting the earth 5,000 years ago. Ancient caves in Peru have paintings of alien astronauts,” he reveals. "Recent photographs taken from space show the mountain tops in Peru as flat as a landing strip with runway markings on them. It is there on Google for anyone to see,” he says with a finality that brooks no argument.

A very cerebral man, Dastoor believes that most people go through life, utilizing a mere 25 percent of their brain. "What a waste,” he sighs. On being asked  how one could awaken the dormant 75 percent of grey matter, he responds. "By selective reading, objective analysis, observation of cause and effect and yoga.”  Dastoor believes that yoga is a holistic approach to mind, body and soul which unleashes the sleeping strength and power in a person.

Descendants of the Meherjirana family, the Dastoors have their origins in Navsari. "My grandfather was the family priest of Jamsetji Tata’s household,” says Dastoor. "My father, Hormusji Dastoor was a protégée of  Dorabji’s wife Navajbai Tata who made sure the studious young boy got the opportunity to study in a good college in Bombay.” Hormusji studied to become a scholar of Avesta and Pahlavi and translated the Gathas into English. "My father died when I was just 10 years old. He taught us never to let ritual overtake religion. He would say that four days of prayer after death were important for the soul. The rest was only for the peace of the relatives and prosperity of the priests.”

When queried about what his identity as a Parsi means to him, Dastoor avers, "I am very, very, very proud of being a Zarthoshti.” Almost anticipating the next question he says, "And I am also very, very orthodox. We have such a beautiful religion and such a unique identity. Let us not dilute either,” he pleads. Dastoor is of the school of thought that believes we have survived for 5,000 years and will continue to survive. He concedes that we cannot stop the Uzbeks, the Brazilians and the Petersons from wanting to become Zoroastrians. "But let them build their own separate agiaries and institutions and leave us to preserve undiluted the Parsi Zoroastrian faith and the ethnicity that our forefathers have handed down to us,” he says gravely. "Our religion has a history and greatness that only deep study can reveal. Among my father’s books I found an old, gold-edged Bible, the pages yellow with age. The margins have notes that tell how certain‘Ha’s from the Avesta correspond with the psalms of the Bible. "Did you know,” he continues, "that the first psalm of the Jewish holy book, the Talmud has a literal translation of the Ashem Vohu exhorting its followers to the path of righteousness for the sake of righteousness and not for any earthly           gain?”