31 yrs after Sunny’s 36 n.o. crawl at Lords, Venkat says: He let team down

Speaking to The Indian Express Editor-in-Chief Shekhar Gupta on NDTV 24×7’s Walk the Talk programme, Venkataraghavan admitted, “That match left a bad taste in the mouth. (Gavaskar’s innings) was simply inexplicable, unimaginable. He let the entire team down, the spectators who had come to watch the match; he let the entire spirit of the game down. If you ask him at this point of time, he probably might regret it, in his heart of heart, I am sure. I don’t know what went through his head at that point of time.”

Venkataraghavan said he did have a “gentle discussion (with Gavaskar) after the match… I believe in diplomacy. I say diplomacy is the art of having the other man have your own way,” he added. “But that innings was highly disappointing and remains the only regret of my playing career.”

(Full interview tomorrow).

In a veiled criticism of the International Cricket Council (ICC) on the chucking issue, Venkataraghavan, who was in the ICC elite panel of umpires before he retired in 2004, said it’s difficult for the man standing in the middle to judge its authenticity.

“It’s upto the ICC to say which delivery is legal. The ICC has brought in (the theory of) various degrees. How do you expect the man in the middle to decide whether it’s 12 degrees or 15 or 17? We can only judge it on our sense. Period.”

On Sri Lankan Muralitharan’s action, he said: “He’s got a different grip and action to bowl the doosra. Murali has proved his class. There has been suggestion about his action but that’s upto the ICC to decide. He’s been reported before, taken to Australia for correction. What the umpires can do now, if they feel the action is suspect is to tell the ICC through the match referee.”

The 61-year-old off-spinner admitted that he was one of the main men behind Greg Chappell’s appointment as Indian coach. Venkataraghavan, who along with Sunil Gavaskar and Ravi Shastri were the three former cricketers appointed by the BCCI to select a new coach, said “Yes, I was instrumental in Greg becoming the coach. He’s done a good job, atleast he’s made the youngsters believe in themselves. He’s made each player believe that my contribution is important.”