Srinivasaraghavan Venkataraghavan
Encyclopedia
Srinivasaraghavan Venkataraghavan ; (informally Venkat, born 21 April 1945) is a former India
n cricket
er. He played for Derbyshire
in English county cricket from 1973 to 1975. He played Test cricket
for the Indian cricket team
, and later became an umpire
on the elite International Cricket Council
Test panel. His Test career was one of the longest for any Indian player.
bowler, he was one of the famed Indian quartet
of spin bowlers
in the 1970s (the others being Bhagwat Chandrasekhar
, Bishen Bedi and Erapalli Prasanna). He was also a strong close-in fielder and a useful tail-end bat. Venkat came on to the Test scene at the age of 20 when he was selected to play against the touring New Zealand
side. By the end of the series he had emerged as a world-class spinner, taking 12 wickets in the Delhi test that led India to victory. He was the vice-captain of the Indian team that toured the West Indies and England
in 1970-71. India won both series. Venkat played an important role, claiming five wickets in the Trinidad Test and 13 wickets in the three Tests in England. He captained India in both the 1975 and 1979 World Cup competitions. He also led India in a four-Test series against England in 1979. In domestic cricket, he led South Zone and Tamil Nadu for over a decade.
Venkat retired from first-class cricket
in 1985. He became a cricket administrator and managed the Indian Test side. He was honoured with the Padma Shri
in 2003. He is a mechanical engineer by profession.
. He gained a place on the inaugural International Umpire Panel when it was formed in 1994, and was selected by the International Cricket Council
on a regular basis to umpire in Test matches away from home as the neutral umpire. In 2002 the ICC created an Elite Panel
of the top eight umpires, who were employed on a full time basis and would cover all Test match officiating. Venkat was duly included in the inaugural Elite Panel, of which he remained a member until his retirement in January 2004. That he remained among the top echelon of international umpires for the entirety of his career is testament to his umpiring ability.
The highlights of his umpiring career include six Ashes
Tests and appointments to three World Cups
in 1996, 1999 and 2003. In both the 1996 and 1999 tournaments he was appointed to stand in a semi-final, and was the third umpire of the 1999 World Cup final between Australia
and Pakistan at Lord's. In total he officiated on-field in 73 Test matches and 52 One-day Internationals during his career.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
er. He played for Derbyshire
Derbyshire County Cricket Club
Derbyshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the England and Wales domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Derbyshire...
in English county cricket from 1973 to 1975. He played Test cricket
Test cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
for the Indian cricket team
Indian cricket team
The Indian cricket team is the national cricket team of India. Governed by the Board of Control for Cricket in India , it is a full member of the International Cricket Council with Test and One Day International status....
, and later became an umpire
Umpire (cricket)
In cricket, an umpire is a person who has the authority to make judgements on the cricket field, according to the Laws of Cricket...
on the elite International Cricket Council
International Cricket Council
The International Cricket Council is the international governing body of cricket. It was founded as the Imperial Cricket Conference in 1909 by representatives from England, Australia and South Africa, renamed the International Cricket Conference in 1965, and took up its current name in 1989.The...
Test panel. His Test career was one of the longest for any Indian player.
Playing career
An off spinOff spin
Off spin is a type of bowling in the sport of cricket which is bowled by an off spinner, a right-handed spin bowler who uses his or her fingers and/or wrist to spin the ball from a right-handed batsman's off side to the leg side...
bowler, he was one of the famed Indian quartet
Indian spin quartet
The Indian spin quartet is the collective name given to the Indian spin bowlers of the 1960s and 70s: Erapalli Prasanna and Srinivas Venkataraghavan , Bhagwat Chandrasekhar , and Bishen Singh Bedi . Between them, they played 231 Test matches taking 853 wickets...
of spin bowlers
Spin bowling
Spin bowling is a technique used for bowling in the sport of cricket. Practitioners are known as spinners or spin bowlers.-Purpose:The main aim of spin bowling is to bowl the cricket ball with rapid rotation so that when it bounces on the pitch it will deviate, thus making it difficult for the...
in the 1970s (the others being Bhagwat Chandrasekhar
Bhagwat Chandrasekhar
Bhagwat Subramanya Chandrasekhar is a former Indian cricketer who specialised in leg spin. Considered amongst the top echelon of leg-spinners, Chandrasekhar along with E.A.S. Prasanna, Bishen Singh Bedi and Srinivasaraghavan Venkataraghavan constituted the Indian spin quartet that dominated...
, Bishen Bedi and Erapalli Prasanna). He was also a strong close-in fielder and a useful tail-end bat. Venkat came on to the Test scene at the age of 20 when he was selected to play against the touring New Zealand
New Zealand cricket team
The New Zealand cricket team, nicknamed the Black Caps, are the national cricket team representing New Zealand. They played their first in 1930 against England in Christchurch, New Zealand, becoming the fifth country to play Test cricket. It took the team until 1955–56 to win a Test, against the...
side. By the end of the series he had emerged as a world-class spinner, taking 12 wickets in the Delhi test that led India to victory. He was the vice-captain of the Indian team that toured the West Indies and England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
in 1970-71. India won both series. Venkat played an important role, claiming five wickets in the Trinidad Test and 13 wickets in the three Tests in England. He captained India in both the 1975 and 1979 World Cup competitions. He also led India in a four-Test series against England in 1979. In domestic cricket, he led South Zone and Tamil Nadu for over a decade.
Venkat retired from first-class cricket
First-class cricket
First-class cricket is a class of cricket that consists of matches of three or more days' scheduled duration, that are between two sides of eleven players and are officially adjudged first-class by virtue of the standard of the competing teams...
in 1985. He became a cricket administrator and managed the Indian Test side. He was honoured with the Padma Shri
Padma Shri
Padma Shri is the fourth highest civilian award in the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan...
in 2003. He is a mechanical engineer by profession.
Umpiring career
Venkat made his international umpiring debut in the One Day International between India and England at Jaipur on January 18, 1993. He made his Test umpiring debut in the same month, with the match between India and England at KolkataEden Gardens
Eden Gardens is a cricket ground in Kolkata , India. It is the home of the Bengal cricket team and the Indian Premier League's Kolkata Knight Riders, as well as being a Test and One Day International ground. It is the largest cricket stadium in India by seating capacity...
. He gained a place on the inaugural International Umpire Panel when it was formed in 1994, and was selected by the International Cricket Council
International Cricket Council
The International Cricket Council is the international governing body of cricket. It was founded as the Imperial Cricket Conference in 1909 by representatives from England, Australia and South Africa, renamed the International Cricket Conference in 1965, and took up its current name in 1989.The...
on a regular basis to umpire in Test matches away from home as the neutral umpire. In 2002 the ICC created an Elite Panel
ICC Elite umpire panel
The Elite Panel of ICC Umpires is a panel of cricket umpires appointed by the International Cricket Council to officiate in Test matches and One Day Internationals around the world....
of the top eight umpires, who were employed on a full time basis and would cover all Test match officiating. Venkat was duly included in the inaugural Elite Panel, of which he remained a member until his retirement in January 2004. That he remained among the top echelon of international umpires for the entirety of his career is testament to his umpiring ability.
The highlights of his umpiring career include six Ashes
The Ashes
The Ashes is a Test cricket series played between England and Australia. It is one of the most celebrated rivalries in international cricket and dates back to 1882. It is currently played biennially, alternately in the United Kingdom and Australia. Cricket being a summer sport, and the venues...
Tests and appointments to three World Cups
Cricket World Cup
The ICC Cricket World Cup is the premier international championship of men's One Day International cricket. The event is organised by the sport's governing body, the International Cricket Council , with preliminary qualification rounds leading up to a finals tournament which is held every four years...
in 1996, 1999 and 2003. In both the 1996 and 1999 tournaments he was appointed to stand in a semi-final, and was the third umpire of the 1999 World Cup final between Australia
Australian cricket team
The Australian cricket team is the national cricket team of Australia. It is the joint oldest team in Test cricket, having played in the first Test match in 1877...
and Pakistan at Lord's. In total he officiated on-field in 73 Test matches and 52 One-day Internationals during his career.
Umpiring Statistics
| First | Last | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tests | India v England at Kolkata, January 1993 | South Africa v West Indies at Centurion, January 2004 | 73 |
| ODI's | India v England at Jaipur, January 1993 | Australia v New Zealand at Faridabad, October 2003 | 52 |