Although the legendary coach, popularly known as Mike Nathan or simply MK Nathan, died three years ago at age 88, his legacy lives on among the cricket fraternity – young and old.
Members of the Petaling Jaya (PJ) Club, as well as teachers and students in the Klang Valley have kept his memory aflame by inaugurating a youth development programme, culminating in tournaments.
Forty-eight enthusiastic primary schoolboys and girls kick-started the “Inter-Joint Development Programme: Mike Nathan Memorial Challenge Trophy” at Sekolah Kebangsaan La Salle in Section 5 on July 12.
PJ Club cricket convenor AS Peter said three 16-member teams – Junior Royals, Rising Super Kings and Super Strikers – played a round-robin tournament, with each team facing 12-overs a game.
“The programme is a continuation from where Nathan left off after his sudden demise.
“The club reinitiated the weekly junior development cricket coaching and training programme in February this year with practices held at our indoor cricket nets at the club’s upper terrace and the Padang Timor field.
“In view of certain constraints, we later moved to SK La Salle PJ,” said Peter.
Present at the tournament’s inauguration were Nathan’s widow, former schoolteacher Kamalathevi Alagaratnam, 88; daughters Kavita, 55; and Priyanka, 49; grand-son and national cricketer Jinendra Muraly, 21; and SK La Salle PJ headmaster A Gunalan.
“We hope the programme will groom them through match exposures, unearth talents for the state and national teams, as well as spur more youth to pursue cricket,” said Peter.
Nathan was a sprightly figure despite his age, but succumbed to a freak accident when the electric saw he was holding inadvertently cut his wrist while gardening at his Taman Kanagapuram home in Jalan Klang Lama, in 2023.
Peter recalled how the renowned coach and athlete survived World War II, a fractured shoulder, numerous sports injuries, and ups and downs in his sports and teaching career.
“In the world of cricket, memories of him will be cherished for he kept the sport alive for as long as he was able to, coaching for six decades. The no-nonsense Nathan contributed immensely to the development of cricket in the country,” Peter said, adding that the coach produced players who possessed lasting passion and dedication for the sport
“Nathan was a fatherly figure to thousands of students and youth whom he coached to excel in hockey, cricket and rugby, with some going on to represent their states and national teams,” said Peter.
Nathan made it a point for every student to indulge in a sport, no matter what game it was as he believed that sports had an impact on their personal development and growth.
A Taiping native, Nathan was a chemistry graduate. He began his teaching profession at the Teacher’s Training College in Penang in 1957.
In 1965, Nathan won a University of Southampton scholarship in Britain, to teach science.
Upon his return, he was posted to Sekolah Datuk Abdul Razak in Tanjung Malim, Perak until 1969 when he married Kamalathevi.
He then taught at Sultan Abdul Samad PJ in Section 13 from 1970 to 1987, before he was promoted to the position of senior assistant at the Batu 3 Primary School in Klang for two years.
After retirement in 1989, Nathan was hired by Sri Kuala Lumpur School for 20 years to promote cricket among youth.
At the competition, the Rising Super Kings emerged champions with a 137-run total, followed by the Junior Royals (total 125 runs) and Super Strikers (total 122 runs).
The “Best Batsman” was Muhammad Ammar Mohd Ramlee of the Rising Super Kings; “Best Bowler” Ilaventhran Vannamudaian of the Junior Royals; “Best All-Rounder” Reshmi Menon of the Junior Royals; and “Most Promising Player” Shariinii Mageswaran of the Junior Royals.