Javagal Srinath: a benevolent fast bowler
Woorkheri Raman - 11 December 2001
In the late 80's, there was an opinion in Karnataka that a certain
Javagal Srinath was the batsman to watch. This was because of Srinath
getting a good hundred in one of the inter-district matches. It did not
take him too long to let everyone know that his future lay as a fast
bowler. Everyone who saw him bowl at the Indian nets in 1990 before the
tour of England was convinced that he was a speedster in the making.
As a cricketer, he has done tremendous service to the
country and still has a few years of cricket left in him. At this stage
of his career, he has a bigger responsibility - that of ensuring India
has good pace bowlers in the future too. A trip down memory lane will
remind him that he had to sit out on turners when playing at home and
also that he hardly had guidance.
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Srinath did not delay his entry into the big time as he did well in the
1990-91 domestic season; he was picked for the tour of Australia in
1991-92. Srinath was the back-up seamer for Kapil Dev and Manoj
Prabhakar on that tour and, though he did not get many wickets, he
looked impressive, generating good pace. He has come a long way since
then and has created a niche for himself in Indian cricket. The
speedster was the butt of some light-hearted conversations when his
naivete was evident in his early days of exposure to cricket but, being
the good sport that he is, he took no offence and today tries to take
the mickey out of others at every possible opportunity.
As a cricketer, he has done tremendous service to the country and still
has a few years of cricket left in him. At this stage of his career, he
has a bigger responsibility - that of ensuring India has good pace
bowlers in the future too. A trip down memory lane will remind him that
he had to sit out on turners when playing at home and also that he
hardly had guidance. Srinath had to seek the help of Dennis Lillee
frequently at the MRF Pace Foundation. There were times when he felt
frustrated because he was not getting a game. That was understandable,
since he was young and keen to play, having reached the top after a
struggle; the struggle may have had to do more with flat pitches and
humid conditions, but sitting out was still difficult.
Today, Srinath is highly experienced and aware of the difficulties of
being a fast bowler in India. He has just returned to the side after
recovering from an injury, and he will share the new ball with Tinu
Yohannan, a product of the MRF Pace Foundation. This is where Srinath
has to contribute a lot. In recent times, quite a few young seamers have
been tried out, with Yohannan merely the latest to join the long list.
Srinath would do the nation a great service if he takes the youngsters
under his wing. Being a fast bowler in this country is not the easiest
of jobs, and it is paramount that Srinath imparts all the knowledge that
he has gained through his experience.
It is rather unfortunate that Zaheer Khan and Ashish Nehra have been
discarded, but this is a big opportunity for young Yohannan. There has
been a lot of effort put in by him and his tutors at the Foundation in
the last four years. Now there is no better person than Srinath to guide
him. Yohannan apart, other promising bowlers like Nehra and Khan should
also look up to Srinath for guidance, as India is slated to tour England
and the West Indies in the near future. As the quicker bowlers have a
major role to play in these countries, this would be the perfect time
for Srinath to play the Pied Piper's role. He is intelligent enough to
realise that it is very easy for talented youngsters to lose their way
for lack of guidance and has shown the inclination to help them with
their game. But in order for Srinath to be the benefactor, it is
important for the youngsters to be willing learners as well. As the
saying goes, it takes two hands to clap.
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