Indian hand bats for Aussie cricket board

If Ranbir Singh Mahendra needs some expert, non-partisan tips on how to improve the BCCI8217;s administration, he can ask Dr GK Harinath. ...

If Ranbir Singh Mahendra needs some expert, non-partisan tips on how to improve the BCCI8217;s administration, he can ask Dr GK Harinath. 8216;Harry8217;, as his friends call him, is the first person of Indian origin to become a director of Cricket Australia, unarguably the sport8217;s best-run, most professional organisation.

Now in Bangalore to watch the First Test, Harinath 8212; born in Hyderabad, settled Down Under since 1970 8212; was nominated last month to the CA board from New South Wales along with former Australian captain Mark Taylor. His role on the 14-member board, whose members include Allan Border, involves international relations and game development, he says, which is what8217;s brought him here.

Harinath, a doctor in sports medicine, has been actively associated with cricket since 1977 and is a familiar face to all Indian touring teams since Bishen Bedi8217;s team visited in 1977-78.

He cut his teeth in cricket as club doctor for nine years with UTS Balmain Cricket Club, whose rolls at various times included Erapalli Prasanna and Mike Gatting, before becoming chairman. Ten years ago he was elected to the Cricket New South Wales committee and became director in 1998.

As he applauded Anil Kumble8217;s 400th wicket in a cosy VIP box, one question popped up: Just whom does he support, Australia or India? 8216;8216;Australia for sure,8217;8217; Harinath says in a typical Aussie drawl. 8216;8216;I went there when I was 26 and now it8217;s been 34 years, so my heart is with Australia.8217;8217;

He describes how his wife fought with him during the Sydney Test last year. 8216;8216;On the last day India had a chance to win, but I was cheering for Aussies, while she kept praying for India.8217;8217;

He was warmed up nicely to face the first teaser of the interaction. The biggest bane of Indian cricket is the ad-hoc manner it8217;s run by 8216;8216;honorary8217;8217; officials. Just how different is it in Australia? 8216;8216;We do have honorary directors in CA,8217;8217; he admits, 8216;8216;but we very much have a paid CEO with a full-time paid staff, who does the job. The CEO is answerable to the board.8217;8217;

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It8217;s not just CA; Harinath explains how New South Wales runs its cricket. 8216;8216;There are four major departments run by paid professionals looking after commercial and financial, marketing, game development and cricket operations with each having its own office. We have a paid staff of around 60 people, plus a CEO responsible to the chairman and 9 honorary board directors.8217;8217;

So what would he suggest for the BCCI? 8216;8216;I don8217;t know much about the way cricket operates with the BCCI8217;8217;, he says diplomatically.

8216;8216;But if you were to ask me, having a paid professional structure to run the game is the right way to go about it.8217;8217;

Can things change in India? 8216;8216;Change can happen but that has to come from within. One way of bringing it on is by having more young people on the board, so administration will become more vibrant.8217;8217;

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Oh, one small point: Harinath is not the first Indian to help Australian cricket. The national women8217;s team, the Southern Stars, currently features Lisa Sthalekar 24, born in Pune and a leg-spinner also from Sydney.

And, Harinath says, there8217;s more on the way. A young boy called Manavjot Singh 15 will be heard of more often in the future. 8216;8216;It won8217;t be long before he wears the Baggy Green. He8217;s right now just playing grade cricket.8217;8217;