MS Shanker
A Spinner’s Straight Talk: Venkatapathy Raju on HCA’s Decline and the Way Forward
In my continuing series on the downfall—and the much-needed revival—of Hyderabad cricket, I’ve spoken to several former players and insiders. Each has offered a distinct insight into the rot that has gripped the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA). But none have been quite as illuminating—or as candid—as my latest conversation with Venkatapathy Raju, the soft-spoken left-arm spinner who once turned matches for India and is now trying to help reverse the declining fortunes of cricket in his home state.
Unlike many others who have either chosen silence or are too deeply entangled in the system to speak freely, Raju, a former Vice President of HCA, speaks with rare clarity. Not only because he has been a vital cog in the Indian spin machinery of the 1990s, but also because he brings a lived understanding of the sport at all levels—from school and club cricket to the national stage, and now administration.
Before delving into his administrative insights, let’s revisit the fascinating journey of this unassuming cricketer from Hyderabad Public School, Ramanthapur. Born right-handed in terms of bowling but naturally left-handed for everything else, Raju’s transformation into a left-arm spinner was, interestingly, a matter of mistaken identity—or perhaps fate. His school’s physical education teacher, Anjaneya Sastri, assumed that since Raju wrote with his left hand, he must bowl with it too. Perhaps, his insistence was that there was a shortage of left-arm spinners then. Instead of correcting him, young Raju took up the challenge, switched arms, and soon began spinning webs that would later trap the best in the world.
This quiet adaptability and discipline would come to define his cricketing journey. Rising swiftly through the ranks—Under-12, Under-15, Under-18—Raju broke into the Hyderabad Ranji side in the 1985–86 season. Remarkably, that was also the year he represented India at the Under-19 Youth World Cup in Australia. Within just three years, he was a Test cricketer, making his debut in 1989.
And mind you, his entry into the Hyderabad team wasn’t a cakewalk. The side already boasted stalwarts like Shivlal Yadav, Arshad Ayub, M.V. Narasimha Rao, and Kanwaljit Singh. That Raju could squeeze his way into such an illustrious setup speaks volumes about his raw talent and perseverance.
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India’s Lion-Hearted Spinner
They called him “Muscles”—a nickname that was more affectionate than descriptive. Raju was not an intimidating figure by build, but he had the heart of a lion. Never one to shy away from flighting the ball or inviting the big shot, he believed in challenging batsmen. And for a few shining years, it worked like magic.
In the 1990–91 season, Raju bowled India to victory in a lone Test against Sri Lanka, cementing his place in the side. Alongside Anil Kumble and Rajesh Chauhan, he formed India’s spin troika during the early 90s—a transitional phase following the Kapil Dev era.
Raju’s high point came in the 1994–95 series against the West Indies, where he picked up 20 wickets in just three matches, dismissing world-class batters including the legendary Brian Lara. Yet, ironically, this stellar performance was followed by his abrupt exclusion from the very next series against Zimbabwe—a snub that still stings.
“Had I been given the chance in that series,” Raju reflects, “I was confident I could have picked up 100 wickets.”
His Test record at home—70 wickets in 15 matches—far outshines his overseas tally (22 in 12 Tests), suggesting the kind of spinner he was: a domestic match-winner on Indian soil. Though his international career faded after 1997–98, he remained Hyderabad’s rock in domestic cricket, taking the team to the Ranji Trophy final in 1999–2000 and ending his career in 2004 as the state’s highest wicket-taker with 368 scalps—a record yet to be broken.
The HCA in Decline: A Cricketer’s Honest Lament
With this wealth of experience behind him, Raju’s views on the HCA’s current dysfunction demand serious attention.
He minces no words: the rot began in the early 2000s and has only worsened. The electoral process for the HCA, according to him, has become a joke—manipulated by club secretaries who are more interested in wielding influence than nurturing talent. Nepotism, lobbying, and opaque selection processes have replaced merit-based progression. The consequence? Hyderabad cricket’s steady nosedive in the Ranji Trophy and other formats.
Raju draws a stark contrast between his playing days and today’s opportunistic system. Back then, the path to the top was long and steep: inter-school, inter-college, university tournaments, zonals, and then the state side. Today, players with the right contacts can leapfrog this entire pyramid and land directly into IPL trials—sometimes without playing a single first-class match.
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He speaks with evident pain about the demise of once-prestigious tournaments like the Moin-ud-Dowlah Gold Cup, once a litmus test for India hopefuls. “Back in the day,” he says, “Moin-ud-Dowlah was like a selection trial for the Indian team. Today, the tournament has disappeared, and no one even knows where the Cup is.” He adds that while modern formats like the IPL and T20s have their place, traditional tournaments could have coexisted had administrators shown foresight and will.
Reforms: Bold Ideas, Not Cosmetic Tweaks
Unlike many former cricketers who stop at lamentation, Raju suggests tangible solutions. First, he calls for a total clean-up of league teams—many of which have become “milking cows” for their owners, manipulated for power and perks. These should be managed by professional cricketers, not power brokers.
Second, he proposes a robust administrative overhaul: a panel comprising 4–5 former cricketers, an IAS officer, an IPS officer, and a judicial representative, all given a fixed 2–3 year term. Their mandate? Revive Hyderabad cricket and insulate it from political and financial interference.
Most interestingly, he wants to democratize the voting structure in HCA elections. Currently, only international players have voting rights—a minuscule number. Raju suggests extending this to former Ranji players as well, so that those who have truly invested in the sport can shape its future.
The Road Ahead
Venkatapathy Raju is not just a nostalgic former cricketer yearning for the values of a bygone cricketing era. He was a proud member of India’s World Cup squads in 1992 and 1996 and served as the Cricket Development Officer for the Asian Cricket Council.
He is a realist who understands that modern cricket has changed, but believes institutions like the Hyderabad Cricket Association must evolve with integrity, not collapse under the weight of greed.
His is a voice of experience, disillusionment, and hope. It’s time Hyderabad cricket listened—before its storied legacy fades completely into the shadows.
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