MS Shanker
As I continued my deep dive into the revival of Hyderabad cricket, I had the privilege of meeting yet another remarkable former Ranji star—Maheshwar Singh. A dynamic and aggressive batsman, Singh played in an era before the likes of Krisnamachari Srikanth, Virender Sehwag, or even Rohit Sharma brought their attacking flair to Indian cricket. However, his promising career was cut short due to favouritism and nepotism, denying him the opportunity to further showcase his talent at the highest level.
Recounting his playing days, Maheshwar Singh vividly remembers a moment of frustration when he confronted his Hyderabad Ranji team skipper. “How many centuries do I need to score to get selected?” he had asked, a question that remains unanswered to this day.
Singh also recalls an incident with a state selector who mockingly told him he could only play square cuts. “Was my ability limited to one shot? If so, how did I manage to score consistently and play alongside legends like Jayantilal and Abbas Ali Baig?” he questioned.
Critics pointed to his fielding as a weakness, but Singh countered with facts. “I took seven catches in a Ranji season (despite not playing all matches), the same as my teammate Jyothi Prasad. If that’s considered poor fielding, I leave it to the wisdom of those who kept me out of the team.”
Moreover, he holds the rare distinction of being the second-highest run-scorer in the matches he played that season, amassing 374 runs—second only to Jayantilal.
Despite scoring prolifically in local leagues and tournaments, he was repeatedly overlooked in favour of players with stronger political or personal connections. One of his biggest disappointments was being promised a spot in the next match, only to see the captain favour another player with influence instead.
When asked about how Hyderabad cricket can regain its former glory, Maheshwar Singh firmly advocated for the return of a structured and competitive cricket calendar. According to him, a robust 50-over league system, played extensively throughout the year, is crucial to identifying and nurturing talent.
Singh holds an unconventional but compelling view—that real cricketing development happens not in academies or coaching centers but through competitive match experience. While he acknowledges the value of structured practice, he insists that nothing substitutes for the rigor of playing tournaments. He points to players from other state teams who benefit from greater tournament exposure, which helps their teams perform better. For instance, Tamil Nadu players compete in Karnataka and vice versa, ensuring continuous high-level competition. In contrast, Hyderabad’s cricket administration has itself to blame for mismanagement—failing to complete league matches within a calendar year and even scrapping several tournaments, including junior and senior zonals, which were once crucial pathways for state team selection.
He supports his argument by citing past Hyderabad greats like Mohammad Azharuddin, VVS Laxman, Abbas Ali Baig, Jayantilal, Govindraj, and Krishna Murthy. “All of them emerged from a rigorous system that included 12-15 structured league matches and four knockout tournaments each year. This exposure allowed them to showcase their talent and rise to state and national selection,” he explains.
Singh’s views align with those of former Hyderabad stalwarts like Jyothi Prasad and MV Narasimha Rao, who have also emphasized the importance of reviving the traditional cricket calendar that spanned from June to March. This system, he insists, was instrumental in Hyderabad’s past successes.
Notably, Singh was also a key member of the Hyderabad selection panel that helped the team clinch its first-ever Ranji Trophy in the post-independence era in 1986, exactly fifty years after its 1936-37 triumph.
As the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) grapples with administrative turmoil, Singh, like many others, calls for governmental intervention to cleanse the system of political interference and personal agendas. “It’s time to prioritize the game over individual ambitions. Even former players who turned into administrators have contributed to the decline, rather than the development, of Hyderabad cricket,” he laments.
The hope remains that those in power will take decisive action to restore Hyderabad’s lost cricketing legacy, ensuring that deserving players, like Maheshwar Singh once was, never face the same injustices again. (To be concluded)
