Indian cricket team in England in 1911

It was then decided that a pan-national team touring England would generate goodwill and portray a positive image of the British empire.

[1] When the organizers of the tour were putting together the team, their first choice of a captain was Ranjitsinhji, the Jam Sahib, who by the time had been instated as the ruler of Nawanagar in 1907.

However, Ranji was keeping away from organized cricket in British India, having been called out for his administrative lapses in tackling the plague and subsequent drought that had afflicted his state.

Some reports, including a statement from one of the selectors said that another factor for this choice was to get the services of the Maharajah's private secretary Kekhashru Mistry.

[3] The eventual Indian squad of 1911, captained by Maharajah Bhupinder Singh of Patiala, also had his aide-de-camp and Parsee cricketer Major Kekhashru Mistry, and had representation by way of six Parsis, five Hindus, and three Muslims.

[1] He addressed the media from his a private villa that had been rented for him on Addison Road in Kensington and told the Sporting Life, "This tour marks an epoch in Indian history.

[1][8] The manager of the team, J. M. Divecha, viewed the tour as an educational trip and told the Sporting Life, "We know that we cannot claim to be great cricketers but we hope to be much better for our experiences, and we will carry back to India and assimilate the knowledge we have gained here.

[11] The Indian Spectator, wrote, "Our national cricket team has returned from England with the confession that it had to learn much and teach little.

"[11] Some of the European owned newspapers were more appreciative of the team's performance, with the Bombay Gazette writing, "The Indian cricketers' tour has come to an end and they can look back upon their record with justifiable pride'.