Conquering new horizons by Rai Umraopati Ray

Srinivas Venkatraghavan is the only cricketer to have played over 50 test matches and umpired in more than 100 cricket internationals

Member of the famous Indian spin quartet that teased and tormented batsmen all around the world for well over a decade, this “rare cricketing talent” has been a player, captain, coach, manager, administrator, writer, commentator, umpire and match referee. Sir Garfield Sobers said that he was the “most difficult bowler to score off.”
This is Srinivas Venkatraghavan for you — the only cricketer in the world to have played over 50 test matches and umpired in more than 100 international cricket matches.
An accurate and penetrative off spinner in his time, Venkatrag-havan continues to seek newer challenges. Players swear by his fitness levels and one can see why — the international career of this great sportsman lasted from February 1965 to September 1983, one of the longest for an Indian player!
A mechanical engineer by education, Venkat as he is popularly called, runs his own consultancy outfit that takes up the better part of the day. And at 63 he is still raring to go. “Think young, it’s all in the mind,” he asserts adding that “sportsmen’s careers are short-lived you have to plan your life ahead.” However, this does not mean that he is missing out on the fun. Pursuing hobbies like playing golf and tennis as well as socialising with friends and family, a one-hour yoga session and brisk walks are what he says keep him physically agile and mentally sharp. Not to speak of his association with cricket — where his soul is.
Director of Umpires in the BCCI (Board of Cricket Control in India), Venkat is part of various programmes that the Board undertakes. “Due to my technical know-how, cricket bodies (read ICC and BCCI) request that I be on board for their various development initiatives,” says this match referee for IPL-2.
It was because of his love and knowledge of the game that Venkat forayed into the world of umpiring after having tried his hand as an administrator in the game for a while. As he says, “There’s no better place to watch cricket!” A perfectionist at heart, Venkat’s determination to do well in anything he undertakes has earned him a great deal of respect in the international as well as domestic cricket arena. Even today, after achieving so much, Venkat feels that “success in itself is a continuous journey and life is what you make it out to be. So it is necessary to set goals and be single-minded about achieving them.”