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There is a remarkable dissimilarity in approach when the batsman Srikkanth met  the ball and the cricketer-turned businessman Srikkanth meets his guest now, with a warm handshake.

As a batsman he was fearless, adventurous, unpredictable, explosive and always eager to dominate the proceedings. His free-spirited batting made it look as if he had scant  respect for the situations. That he failed to do it consistently is another fascinating aspect of the game of cricket. A great leveler.  

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On his day he mauled the bowlers and compelled them to surrender by inventing a wide repertoire of outrageous and exhilarating strokes. Undefined  in any coaching text.

After watching him use the piece of wood like a sledge hammer and  bat like a man possessed by over zealous mysterious spirits, I formed  a different opinion about him. The preconceived notions about this restless dynamo  inflated my sense of uneasiness. I was feeling uncomfortable as the appointment time was fast approaching. All that evaporated the moment I walked into his office, at Adyar.

He was there at the door sporting a trendy French beard and a pleasing smile. The warm handshake that followed  assured  me that Srikkanth without a bat in hand was the most amicable person.

You were an Engineer but ended up playing cricket for India. How did it happen?
I come from a typical Brahmin family, where the first son was always supposed to study. My childhood ambition has always been to be an Engineer. Cricket, just happened. I never had any ambition of becoming a Test Cricketer.

Till my third year Engineering, I did not realize that I had the potential to play cricket. Incidentally, in the same year I was appointed Captain of India Under –19 Team. My friends told me, Cheeka if you do well here you could probably play for India.

Cricket has always been my passion since childhood. Like any other cricket buff in India I played cricket on the streets, on the verandah, and I even played book cricket. But I never had any ambition to play for India. Now I am happy that I’ve contributed something for the country.

From the infamous run out against England to the memorable square drive of the great Andy Roberts in the 1983 World Cup Final. Long journey. How did you cope with the initial failure?
Initially I had many setbacks. And my success was not so good. I went to England then to Pakistan. Then I was dropped. I had many ups and downs. But I concentrated on my game. My kind of cricket was new to India and the world. It was something very different. No one expected I would play that kind of cricket in those days. And one-day games suited me. I am happy that the management and the players backed me very well.

How was the team morale when you left for England for the World Cup?
Probably not many expected much of us. No body expected that we would even qualify for the semi-final. That way we did not have any pressure. But we had a decent team. Kapil was a dynamic captain. He had a positive approach. We too were quite positive. Not of winning but of doing well. And our positive attitude brought us victory.

The final, a big moment for Indian Cricket. But a small target to defend. Did you feel you could rewrite history?
Frankly speaking we thought victory was out of question after getting out for 183.We thought we will do our best and not give up easily.And that produced an unexpected result.

The square drive of Andy Roberts was voted as the shot of the World Cup. How special were the shot and the innings?
When you look back you realize that I scored only 38 runs. But that was the top score in the finals. Tomorrow I can proudly tell my children that look I have top scored in a World Cup Final.

The square drive was and is very special to me. It was played on pure instinct. When I played that shot the first thing that came to my mind was Gundappa Vishwanath. Only he was capable of playing that kind of shot. Vishy was watching from the dressing room. And when I went in I told him that the first thing I remembered when I played that stroke was you.

Any special memories of the Benson and Hedges cup in Australia apart from the dropped catches of Lance Cairns in the Semi-Final.
We had a lovely tour of Australia. We were happy that we defeated every team convincingly. We proved that the World Cup victory in 1983 at Lords was not by stroke of luck. Personally I had a satisfying tour because I performed very well in all the matches and I was happy to have won the man of the match award in the final.

He made his debut at a time when fast bowlers were venerated. Batsmen of any country, of any class, had to pay obeisance  to their  power and pace. But he was daringly different. He refused to be bulldozed by their antics. In a nutshell, he loathed the fast bowlers hegemony.

For him cricket was a batsman's game. He derived  constant pleasure by mercilessly hitting the ball over the top and inflicting insults on the bowlers. Clive Lloyd’s well groomed and feared pace quartette comprising of Andy Roberts, Michael Holding, Joel Garner and Malcolm Marshall were the first to realize it in the 1983 World Cup Final. And in one instant he even swept a ball from none other than the great Andy Roberts.

His aggressive intentions made him a total flirt, in the cricketing sense. His blind dates with dame luck were an integral part of his batting and now a part of history.

Your stance and strokes defied convention. But you displayed a wide range of strokes. How?
Cricket is a game that comes to you naturally. I was happy that it came to me like that. Right from my childhood I played aggressive cricket. Even in school and college I used to play like that and got accustomed to it. By nature I am impatient. I can’t sit in one place for more than 2 minutes. I feel I am a frank and open person. Cricket is nothing but a reflection of your personality. My approach was casual and friendly. And that’s the way I played the game too.

Your partner Sunny Gavaskar played copybook cricket and you were just the opposite. How did you team up as a good opening pair?
My game was different and every one appreciated it. Gave me a free hand and let me do whatever I wanted. In team meetings, rules were formulated. Every one was given specific instructions. One player was asked to stay at the crease while the other had to keep the score board moving. At the end of the meeting they used to say this doesn’t apply to Srikkanth. That’s the kind of freedom I enjoyed in the team.

If any thing was certain when Srikkanth was at the crease, it was uncertainty. With his mercurial batting he succeeded in frustrating the bowlers. He would dispatch a ball to the boundary which if bowled to any other batsman would fetch the bowler a wicket. Or would get out to a ball which most batsmen would thump to the boundary.He had no defined rules while playing cricket.He did not swear by any coaching manual. He simply played the game on instinct.

His inconsistent performances, did not dampen the mood of cricket lovers who thronged the stadium whenever their hero was at the crease. They did not hold any grudges against him. They knew he was doing something which most Indian batsmen at that time would have feared to do even in their wildest fantasies. They thoroughly rejoiced and savored his enterprising and exciting style of batting.

It would be no exaggeration to admit that Srikkanth was the only batsman whom the crowd judged on how he scored, rather than how many he scored. That’s how they pampered him. Their adulation mesmerized him and pushed him to such an extent that he messed up many scoring opportunities.

Your touch used to dispatch even good balls to the boundary. What was the Srikkanth mantra?
I don't know. The shots I played just happened. I don’t know whether it was eyesight, technique or footwork. But eyesight and sense of timing were my strengths. I was not a strong fellow but I could hit the ball harder than anybody else.

Out of 145 one-day innings, which do you consider the best. And why?
The innings against England in the Benson and Hedges World Championships where I scored 57 of 53 was my best. Right from the first ball I started striking the ball very well. That was the innings when I started to hit the ball over the top. Not many people have seen that innings but that was my best innings. In those days scoring at such a rate was considered extraordinary. The other innings I consider best was the century against Pakistan at Calcutta. Unfortunately we lost that match. But I really enjoyed both the innings.

You were the only captain to have returned from Pakistan unconquered. A proud achievement….
It was a great series though I was leading a very inexperienced side. Sachin was making his debut. I was happy that we performed very well. I am happy that I am remembered for that and I am proud that the best batsman in the world made his debut under my captaincy.

As an aggressive batsman how did you enjoy the battle between a 16 year old Sachin and great bowlers like Imran,Wasim,Waqar and Abdul Qadir?
It was terrific. That’s when every one knew that this boy would go places. And his assault on Abdul Qadir in the exhibition match where he scored 27 runs in an over was out of this world.

On the flip side you had a disastrous tour as a batsman.What went wrong?
There are so many factors. I was confident of playing Imran and Qadir. When I saw Akram was bowling well I wanted to see him off. In the process I turned too cautious and got out.

A lot was expected of you in 1992 World Cup. But your performance did not match the expectations.
I played well in the triangular series prior to the World Cup. Unfortunately the good form did not continue in the World Cup. It happens and we have to live with it.

How difficult it is to be the captain of the Indian Cricket team?
Captaining any side is difficult. In my opinion captaincy is nothing but man management. You should be able to manage people of different temperaments and motivate them to perform to the peak level within their limits. One good thing about me is that I encourage people very well. That made me successful both as a captain and as a manager.

As a manager of the junior team you had a great tour of Pakistan.How did your boys do it?
The spirit was there and I had to only encourage them to play well and they did it. They were not afraid to play a superior Pakistan that had discards like Shahid Afridi, Aaqib Javed, and Asif Mujtaba. As a manager I did my best and they responded well with a great performance. I am proud of the lads.

Ajit Agarkar’s inclusion has strengthened the Indian pace attack. Do you feel your views on him influenced the selectors?
Being the manager of the Under-19 Team I had the opportunity to see him closely. I discovered that he was a very talented cricketer. He bowls well and bats well too. I thought he should be given a break as soon as possible. I am very happy that the selectors took my words seriously.

If you were Rahul Dravid’s mentor what suggestion would you give him?
In one-day matches he has to make a few technical adjustments. Once he makes them he stands a good chance. When it comes to test cricket he is too good. I hope that he finds a place in the one-day team as soon as possible.

Azhar has been more successful in his second term. Do you see any change in his style?
Azhar is a friendly guy and I am happy that he is doing well now.

After a long time India seems to have found the ideal team for one-day cricket. Do you feel India can do it again at Lords in 1999?
We have a decent team and we have good chances of winning.

If you are appointed as the manager of the Indian Team what changes would you make?
As a manager I would like to have Rahul and Srinath in the side and also tell the guys to play positive cricket.

After the series against Australia, Sachin has been compared to the great Don. What do you feel?
I can’t comment because I haven’t seen the great Don. In my opinion he is the greatest batsman I have ever seen after Vivian Richards.

After spending such an active and successful life making a name for yourself in cricket, how do you tackle your post-retirement life?
I manage my business. I am also busy as the Manager of the Under-19 Cricket Team.

When the cricketeer turned businessman is not thinking of business or cricket, what does he do?
I love to chat with my friends or laze around.

When you’re at home in Chennai, what kind of food do you relish?
I love typical South Indian food – sadam, sambar and fried potatoes.

If you were to relive your life how would you like to live it?
Definitely as a cricketer. Cricket is so popular in India and people are so crazy about it that I wouldn’t want to be anything other than a cricketer in my next life.

How far have you contributed to your sons choice of career and growth?
I have two sons and both play cricket. Not that I have influenced them or asked them to follow in my footsteps. At the moment my elder son is playing for the Tamil Nadu Under-14 Team.And it takes some time for the younger one to decide his career.Whether it's cricket or any other profession I'll not object to their choice.

You have travelled extensively on your cricket tours. How did your wife cope with your busy lifestyle?
My wife used to accompany me on many of my tours so it was not too difficult for her to cope with my lifestyle.

In which role does he find himself most successful – a cricketer, a businessman, a son, a husband or a father.
I am a very good husband but I don’t know whether I can call myself an equally good father.

His test average (29.88) will tell you that he was a disappointment. But he was a major contributor to the team's success in the shorter version of the game. He was a prominent member of the Indian side, which reached the pinnacles of glory by winning the World Cup in 1983 and the Benson and Hedges World Cup in 1985. In both the prestigious tournaments he scored sumptuously.

This dare devil character who relishes sadam, sambar and short pitch deliveries alike, might have failed to secure a place in the books of purists who believed in the copybook style of scoring runs. But that’s of little significance. He carved a permanent place in the hearts of millions of cricket lovers who enjoyed his breathtaking stunts with the willow and remember him as the only Indian captain to have come for the rival territory, unconquered.

Video Clippings: Courtesy Kris Srikkanth's Sports and Entertainment

- Rama Krishna Prasad

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