Raju: There's no point crying about being dropped

Venkatapathy Raju ©Stamp Publicity (Worthing) Ltd

Some cricketers always walk off the field with a smile. No matter how hard the day was, no matter how many disappointments they have to face. The philosopher Nietzche said, "what does not kill you makes you stronger." Venkatapathy Raju must be one hell of a strong guy by now. From the time he made his debut for India, this jovial Hyderabadi left arm spinner has been given a raw deal by the selectors. Despite taking 20 wickets in just 3 Tests against the West Indies in 1993-94, Raju was dropped. After that he could not force his way back into the Indian team. However, he has continued to perform for his state and the company he represents.

Raju was in Chennai to represent MRF in the Buchi Babu invitation tournament and spoke exclusively to CricInfo's Anand Vasu.

AV: Every cricketer looks back at his debut fondly. What did it feel like when you played your first match?

SLVPR: For two years before I made my debut, I was doing quite well in domestic cricket. In 1985, when the Australian Under-19 side toured India, everything changed for me. After that I played in the Youth World Cup. That was a good experience. The year I finally got picked, I did quite well in Duleep Trophy and other local tournament. People told me that the New Zealanders were not good players of spin. That relieved the pressure. It was just like playing another match. That was the day my dream came true.

AV: You had a very good match against Sri Lanka in Ahmedabad in the 1993-94 series when you picked up 11 wickets. Were you bowling exceptionally well or was the batting poor?

SLVPR: Pakistan and Sri Lanka have good players of spin. Sri Lanka had many left hand batsmen at the time. Before this match, I had only played in New Zealand. This was my first Test match in India and I picked up 6/12. There were a lot of strokemakers in the Lankan team and that gave the spinners a chance. I think I utilised this fact better than others did.

AV: You took 6/12 in that one Test innings, but in all the One- Dayers you played, you didn't return a single five wicket haul. Is that a regret?

SLVPR: Not really. Basically in a One-Day match you try to control the game. That was the situation in those times. I usually tried to get through my overs without giving too many runs. If I picked up a couple of wickets that was a bonus.

AV: Which One-Day match do you remember most fondly?

SLVPR: The one I played against the West Indies in Jaipur. Then needed about 10 runs to win in one over with 4 wickets in hand. Manoj Prabhakar was supposed to bowl that over. But the wicket was taking a bit of turn and keeping low, so Jadeja suggested to Azharuddin that a spinner should bowl. In the end, there was one run out, I took the other three wickets and we won the game.

AV: In the 1994-95 series against the West Indies you picked up 20 wickets in three Test matches. Since then you've not really held a place in the Indian team?

SLVPR: They had five or six left handers in the team. Before the tour began Anil Kumble and myself thought that Rajesh Chauhan would be the most successful. I got my rhythm right from the first match, dismissed Lara a couple of times. This gave me some confidence. Sometimes when that happens, things go your way. I think that was the best I ever bowled.

AV: History is littered with cases of talented players not being in favour with selectors. When they talk to the press, if they talk to the press about it people say they are complaining or whining. If they don't say anything about it, people say they don't care enough. What does Venkatapathy Raju genuinely feel about being in and out of the side?

SLVPR: When Anil Kumble came into prominence he was the strike bowler. We all bowled around him. Our job was to keep one end quiet and maybe pick a couple of wickets. This is exactly what I did. I never knew why I was dropped and so can't really explain it. Initially I thought it was a one off thing but it happened regularly. I just took it easy. There's no point crying about not being picked. Even if you do cry, the result is the same - you're not playing. That's the way I am. I went to a boarding school right from the beginning of my education. I am always with my friends. They help me, laugh with me and make things easier. You feel bad sometimes, but just can't help it.

AV: Did you ever lose hope?

SLVPR: Not really. I was a bit depressed sometimes. When you do really well in a series, end up as highest wicket taker and then get dropped, you feel bad. Naturally that really hurts you. As I said, I slowly got used to it. People think I've lost hope, but if you see my domestic performances in the last two years it tells a different story. If I lost hope I wouldn't have been playing. I certainly wouldn't have been doing that well.

AV: Playing for Hyderabad, you bowl alongside someone who will understand your position well. The experienced Kanwaljit Singh has been performing for years together and yet has never got the India call.

SLVPR: The best complement that Kanwal got was probably from the captain of the England 'A' team that toured India sometime back. He said, "If anybody is better than him (Kanwaljit Singh), he must be exceptionally good." If you see his performance in domestic cricket over the last four years you'll be surprised. I think he has taken more than 200 wickets. That itself shows his class. Whenever Hyderabad needed him, he always gave us the breakthrough. I thoroughly enjoy bowling with him. In India, by the time you are thirty, people say you are already old. Kanwal is forty odd, but still has the fire in him. Although most people his age would not have much enthusiasm, Kanwal has energy that youngsters can learn from.

AV: Nowadays people tend to try and be all round cricketers. A spinner tries to bat a bit, a batsman bowls a bit. Although you have a reputation of sorts as a batsman, you haven't really performed at the international level.

SLVPR: I wouldn't put it that way. Even for my state I only go in at number eight. In the Indian team naturally most of the other batsmen are better than me. Basically I was picked as a bowler. I wouldn't have ever won matches on my batting alone, but at least I could stay at the wicket against the best of attacks. I have been hit all over my body and yet have never moved away. At least I was at the crease to partner somebody else. In the One-Day game, if I have to bat, it means that we are already in a losing position. Everybody can't be a good batsman. I have my limitations.

AV: As a left arm spinner, you can't always attack. Sometimes you have to give it a bit of time. That needs patience. Did this have a bearing on the fact that you were usually a jovial person on and off the field. Did the game teach you that?

SLVPR: Like I told you earlier, I was in a boarding school all my life. This means I was away from home right from a tender age. You learn many things in that way. Although you miss home, you learn how to be with your friends and keep smiling. That is my nature. People sometimes thought I was too friendly. That was strictly off the field. On the field you can't be friendly with anybody. You can't ask a batsman not to hit you. On the ground I was always dead serious, but people sometimes thought otherwise.

AV: This links up with your famous friendship with the South Africans_ The time you earned yourself the nickname 'Muscles'

SLVPR: During that series it was Brian McMillan who gave me that nickname. When I go out I always make friends. It's always nice when you go to a foreign country and have friends. That's my nature, but people misunderstand it. You go to a foreign country and learn about their culture. I like to sit down with friends, have a chat and take out my tensions.

AV: In 15 Tests at home you took 70 wickets and in 12 Tests abroad you took only 22 wickets. Given your talent, do you think your record could have been more uniform?

SLVPR: Basically abroad it was the fast bowlers who were operating. I was only bowling in patches. It was not like I never got a long spell. My job was to provide variety and keep one end tight. In Australia you have mostly bouncy tracks. Unfortunately I couldn't play in Sydney, because India fielded only one spinner. That's the only wicket that has anything in it for the spinner in Australia. On most tours I never played the first games, it was always the second or third games in a series. It takes some time to get into a groove. Naturally you have to come into your own before you can perform.

AV: You have seen a lot of ups and downs in your career. You seem to have taken it all rather well. What are your words of advice to a young spinner?

SLVPR: When I started playing international cricket, I already had five years of experience in Ranji Trophy. I started off as a Test player. After gaining experience and learning how to handle pressure I played One-Dayers. Nowadays you have to be prepared to play both. That puts pressure on a cricketer because One-Dayers are totally different from Tests. When we played One-Dayers, the first 15 overs were a time when batsmen tried to preserve their wickets. Now they hit you all over the place. As a result of this, people tend to bowl flatter. In a way, One-Day cricket doesn't allow you to bowl the way you want to. You can't blame the youngsters.

AV: What goals have you set for yourself? Even in the event that you never get picked for India there's a lot of cricket ahead of you - playing for your state and representing your employers.

SLVPR: In 1987, when Hyderabad won the Ranji Trophy I was in the 15 man squad. This year, we came to the finals, but could not win. The only ambition now is to win the Ranji Trophy. In the last three or four years, Kanwal and I have been bowling really well. In some ways, we have brought the team back into reckoning. I would also like to guide youngsters till they are good enough and then fade away slowly. Because of cricket we have got jobs. If not for cricket we would not have got such good jobs. Any recognition we have got, in my case in Andhra Bank, Mafatlal and now Pentasoft, is only because of cricket. I have seen so many people who have done brilliantly in academics who are struggling to get jobs. We (cricketers) are very fortunate that way. And we have to give it back to the game in some way.