The Cricket Interview/ Venkatapathy Raju

'I am popular even with our opponents, once the day's game was over. Some people did not like that. They thought I lacked seriousness'

The few hundreds of people watching the final of the Times cricket shield tournament between Sun-Grace Mafatlal and Tata Sports Club at Bombay's Oval Maidan, came alive as a dark, slim, bearded bowler measured his run-up to the wicket. "That is Raju, yaar,damn good spinner. Should have been in the West Indies. But no godfather. All politics, yaar..." buzzed the conversation all over the ground.

Venkatapathy Raju, the Hyderabad slow left-arm spinner currently out of the Indian team, remains a popular favourite. But then Raju had always been a popular figure, enjoying his cricket, despite the topsy-turvy policies of our selectors.

A couple of years back, the spinning trio of Anil Kumble, Raju and Rajesh Chauhan was set to conquer the world. Today, only Kumble is a certainty in the playing eleven. Raju, who outshone even Kumble when Courtney Walsh's West Indian team toured India in 1994-95, is sad, but no disheartened. Active in domestic cricket, he is determined to return with appropriate splendour to the national team.

Smiling, courteous, ready to speak, he agreed to be interviewed during the lunch break on the second day of the Times final. Quickly changing into a T-shirt and holding his lunch box in one hand, he discussed Indian cricket and his career with V Gangadhar. Excerpts from the conversation:

Do you find it difficult to concentrate at this level of cricket?

Not really. But we are playing too much of cricket. There is too much of travelling. I mean, even at the domestic level. The Ranji trophy matches, the Super League, the Wills trophy fixtures and, of course, the offices matches like this one. Sometimes it is difficult to concentrate.

No, I was not referring to domestic cricket. I presumed that someone like you would always be thinking of the West Indies and our team playing there. That might affect your concentration here, in the local matches.

Not for me. There is no use thinking about the West Indies when I am not there. I am here, playing here and my attention is focused on the domestic cricket scene.

Do you watch the Tests on television?

Yes, only up to the lunch breaks. I can't afford to stay awake so late everytime a Test is played. It affects my form and fitness here.

Tell me, honestly, do you think you are bowling as well as you were bowling when you were an automatic choice in the Indian team?

I should think so. The flight, the turn, are all there. But I admit I have not been taking many wickets. In the last two matches of the super league of the national tournament, I was not very successful. Perhaps, I am trying too hard. But I don't think my bowling has declined.

Have you consulted some of our former Test players who bowled slow left arm? Like Ravi Shastri?

Oh, that is not possible. All of us are travelling so much that it is impossible to contact him. He is busy with the Indian team, doing television commentary. I am busy with domestic cricket. Immediately after this match, we have a five-day Ranji semi-final against Maharashtra in Pune. More hard work for the bowlers. You know what type of wicket they have at the Nehru stadium.

Were you expecting to be selected for the West Indian tour? I mean, with the original team, not as a replacement or an additional bowler.

Yes, I was pretty confident. Don't know what went wrong. We need a good spinning attack in the West Indies. The wickets there have slowed down a lot. Their batsmen are less comfortable against spin.

You bowled very well against the visiting South Africans in the three-day match at Baroda.

Yes, that earned me the trip to South Africa. But I was not selected to play in any of the three Tests. I played in two friendly matches. Not many opportunities to show one's value to the team.

Were the South African wickets pace-oriented to such an extent that spin was superfluous?

The wickets at Port Elizabeth and Border did turn. The wicket for the third Test all favoured the spinners, though the turn was slow.

The Australian spinners, Warne and Bevan, are playing havoc. The South Africans have no clue how to handle them.

Yes, both are excellent wrist spinners. Like Mushtaq of Pakistan. The South Africans are not comfortable against wrist spin. I think they are a better one day team. But their batting is still a bit suspect.

Let us come back to your omission from the national team. I am sure you feel frustrated.

Yes, but this is not something new. For instance, I was not chosen for the Sharjah tournament which followed the West Indies tour of India. And I was the most successful bowler in our team.

Why did that happen?

I don't know.

One of our selectors is from Hyderabad. And he was a spinner. Yet....

I guess having a selector from your own zone is not enough.

You are an attacking bowler, keen to take wickets than to save runs. Perhaps, that was why you were not considered for the one-dayers.

That is true. But don't forget I played in two World Cups. You see, no one can be consistent in one-day cricket. In a recent Sharjah tournament, I was hit about by the South Africans. But all the Indian bowlers got the same kind of treatment. You may bowl eight good overs, but still get hit about in the final two. Even the good balls get hit all over the place. That is one-day cricket.

Sunil Joshi, these days, gets the nod because he is a better batsman. Do you agree?

Yes, that is true. I can be considered only on my bowling strength.

But there must be something which went against your selection. I mean, no one can question your bowling talent.

I enjoy playing cricket, I enjoy life. I am popular even with our opponents, once the day's game was over. Some people did not like that. They thought I lacked seriousness. But without seriousness, I could not have played international cricket for seven years. With a fair degree of success.

I can see that. Everyone calls you 'Muscles'. You agreed to do this interview without any fuss and it's nice chatting with you.

Thank you. That is the kind of person I am. Once the game is over, I am with my friends, laughing and chatting, going out to dinner or long drives.

Marriage, obviously, has not changed you.

Why should it? I joke and laugh with my wife too.

Did you make a remark recently in an interview that you were tired making comebacks?

Certainly not! That is rubbish! Cricket is my life. I am working hard, bowling plenty of overs, taking part in domestic cricket, maintaining fitness and hoping to return to the national team. Such remarks attributed to me can damage my career. I cannot imagine life at present without cricket.

Who is your hero in cricket? Particularly among the bowlers?

Dilip Doshi. That guy made his Test debut at the age of 33, was a front-line bowler throughout and took more than 100 wickets in no time. He had skills, guts and everything else.

Our attack had always been spin-oriented. Ideally, we should have two medium pacers and three spinners on any kind of track.

That is true. But everyone says that the game had changed so much.... Our wickets at home had always helped spinners. That was our strength. I, Kumble and Chauhan enjoyed bowling on home wickets, we complimented each other.

Now you are dropped and there is a question mark over Chauhan's bowling action?

I don't understand that. If a bowler was to be penalised, it should be the job of the umpires. Chauhan had bowled all over India and most cricket-playing nations. No umpire had ever called him. How can the ICC raise doubts over his action after seeing some films? Leave the issue to the umpires.

You have bowled against the world's top batsmen. Is Brian Lara the best?

The best attacking batsman. He is always out to dominate you and in the process gives you a chance to dismiss him. But the Waugh brothers are terrific. Steve Waugh always emerges as the man of the occasion. His temperament is good.

How would you rank the present test playing nations?

I guess Australia is at the top. Pakistan, on its day, can defeat any one. South Africa, I think, is a better one-day team. But no one had been consistent enough for long periods like the West Indians under Lloyd and then Richards. That is the hallmark of greatness.

The lunch break was over. As the umpires signalled to the players, Raju, put aside his lunch box, thanked me and changed into his cricket clothes. The afternoon was hot and sultry. But he knew he had to bowl many, many overs. 'Muscles' was back in action.