da mrbet： To play one leading role in cricket is admirable
Partab Ramchand30-Jan-2002To play one leading role in cricket is admirable. To shine in two orthree different is really praiseworthy. But when onewell-known cricketing personality takes up nine roles and does fulljustice to all of them, one can only hail him as the ofIndian cricket. However, Srinivasraghavan Venkataraghavan’s talents gobeyond the realm of cricket in this country.
© CricInfoIn most of his roles, if not all, he has achieved international renown.As player, captain, manager, administrator, selector, columnist, experttelevision commentator, match referee and umpire, Venkat has achievedthe kind of fame that has made him a durable and endearing cricketingpersonality. Certainly no one single personality in cricket history hasserved the game in so many categories and with such undisguisedenthusiasm and distinction. Many cricketers after their playing days areover, turn to umpiring or coaching or administration or journalism. Buttheir overall roles are limited to two or three.Venkat’s credentials stretch over a period of 37 years and the end ofthe road is certainly still some distance away. He represented thecountry in 57 Tests from 1965 to 1983, was captain in five Tests and thefirst two World Cup competitions, a manager who doubled as a coach onthe tours of Australia in 1985-86 and West Indies in 1989, was secretaryof the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association from 1986 to 1989, a nationalselector in 1991-92, a regular and respected columnist for newspapersand magazines for many years, expert commentator for television forinnumerable Tests and one-day internationals, ICC match referee in the90s, and ICC panel umpire from 1993 till date. Has any other cricketer in the game anywhere in the world and at any time during the last 125 years of international cricket run up a resume even half as varied and impressive?All this can be achieved only by a man who thinks deeply about the game,is passionate about it, and is able to analyse issues objectively.Venkat’s transition from player and captain to match referee and umpirewas quite natural. As player and then as captain, he was alwaysinterested in the cerebral aspects of the game, and he made a close andcareful study of the laws. He was a sound leader not only tactically,but also technically. Indeed, in the days when he was captain, Ifrequently saw Venkat pull up the umpires on a point of law! With thisbackground, his taking to full-time umpiring did not come as a surprise,but few would have expected him to emerge as one of the leadingofficials in the world.But then, for Venkat, there are no half measures. His attitude hasalways been that anything worth doing is worth doing not just well butvery well. Of course, the initial study of the laws and the interest inthe technical aspects of the game did come in handy, but Venkat alsobrought the stamp of authority to a rather lacklustre job. He had playedthe game at the highest level for many years and had led his country. Noother umpire in the history of international cricket could boast ofthese credentials, leading players to respect Venkat’s decisions something that today’s cricketers do not always do.Venkat took the onerous duties of the umpire as seriously as he took hisplaying and his captaincy. He displayed all the attributes a goodofficial needs intense concentration, utmost dedication, a thoroughknowledge of the rules and the happy knack of keeping things undercontrol on the field when things got hot. Slow motion TV replays areharsh on umpires, exposing their ignorance or incompetence, but it canjustifiably be said that, overall, Venkat has emerged as one of theumpires least scathed by this technology. He has won the respect ofplayers, fellow umpires and administrators alike and, at the moment ofwriting, has stood in 50 Tests and 33 one-day internationals as umpire,and five Tests and eight one-day internationals as match referee.If Venkat’s transition from player to umpire was not surprising, hisemergence as an administrator did raise a few eyebrows. There was neverany hint that he was interested in sitting behind the desk in thesecretary’s office at the MA Chidambaram stadium and directingoperations. But after being elected to the post of TNCA secretary in1986, Venkat plunged headlong into his duties.There were doubts initially whether Venkat would be up to hisresponsibilities in an almost entirely new field. But he surprisedeveryone by taking quick decisions, formulating plans for the welfare ofthe players, and striking up sponsorship deals for maintaining thestadium and the ground. He also proved to be a lucky secretary duringhis three-year tenure. A few months after he took over, there was thehistoric occasion of the second Tied Test at the Chidambaram stadium,and in 1988, Tamil Nadu regained the Ranji Trophy after 33 years.It was Venkat’s stature as a player and captain that saw him elevated tothe post of manager. Indeed, when he was first appointed manager of theIndian team to Australia in November 1985, Venkat had announced hisretirement from the first-class game only a few months before. This iswhy he was eminently qualified to double up as coach; in any case, thiswas before 1990, when the fad of appointing a former Test cricketerspecifically as cricket manager or coach started. He was still a prettyhandy off-spinner and bowled to the players at the nets, besides givingthem the benefit of his immense wealth of experience and technicalexpertise. He was also an expert in analysing the pitches correctly.Venkat had a second stint in the post with the Indian side in the WestIndies in 1989.Following these varied experiences, it was but inevitable that Venkatshould wield both the pen and the microphone. The combination of goodEnglish and his technical knowledge of the game made him the idealcandidate for a guest columnist or expert commentator. His lucidanalysis of the players and various aspects of the game were closelyfollowed and it was a pity that his innumerable interests kind ofrestricted his role in these two fields to a unhappily short time, eventhough he still comes out with occasional articles.A rage for perfection was Venkat’s hallmark in his playing days. Therewas no lack of concentration, dedication or determination on his part.To his inborn talent, he added the all-important quality of hard work.On the field, he gave his all, whether batting, bowling, fielding orcaptaining. Rightly or wrongly, he expected the other players to do thesame, and he used to get upset when he saw young players wasting theirtalent by not willing to work hard, by displaying a lack of commitment,or being lethargic, cavalier or casual in their approach. He used toberate them and, in time, Venkat’s temper became almost as famous as hisplaying ability. There were occasions when he used to fly into a rage,in the process alienating himself from younger teammates who resentedhis temper tantrums.But Venkat could not help it. When he felt that he was not getting theutmost co-operation or that the players were not trying as hard as theyshould be, he gave vent to his feelings in unmistakable terms. Over theyears, though, he has mellowed with age. Today Venkat, very much anelder statesman at 56, is an engaging conversationalist. He is still onthe lookout for fresh fields to conquer, but is there anything left inthe game for him to explore?