'Managing people comes naturally to us'

This is exactly what Anil Kumble and Javagal Srinath, the President and Secretary aspirants respectively in the forthcoming elections to the Karnataka State Cricket Association, averred during their interaction with the media here on Friday evening.

Kumble, the former India captain who played international cricket for 18 years, is in direct contest with incumbent Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wadiyar while Srinath, who played top-flight cricket for 13 years, faces opposition from former Karnataka skipper AV Jayaprakash during the November 21 polls.

“The whole objective of our endeavour is to unite Karnataka cricket," noted Srinath, dismissing charges that Kumble’s team didn’t possess the managerial skills to run an association. “Our managerial skills are being questioned. Let me say one thing -- when you play cricket for 13 years, unless you know how to manage people, it is impossible to play this game. Managing people comes naturally to us.”

The former India speedster, who is also an ICC match referee, said it was their natural responsibility to give something back to the game. “Factions have really caused problems for Karnataka cricket. We don’t want those problems. Our motto today is that we are on cricket’s side. We’re with neither group. There’s a bit of recognition for us today. It’s our natural responsibility to take up administration and Anil and I have accepted it wholeheartedly,” he remarked.

Srinath also stressed the need to improve facilities in the State. “When we go around the world, we look at the facilities, the way things are organised, how academies are run, how cricket is played; and then when we come back here, it hurts us. But what’s the point if we only complain and not do anything about it? So this is why we thought of getting into the system and doing things.

“I know it’s not an easy job. We’ll have to meet people and try to convince them of our mission and our objectives. If we don’t take this responsibility, then who will? While playing cricket, we were answerable to millions of people but our responsibilities are ten times more now,” he explained.

Like Srinath, Kumble too dabbles with multiple responsibilities, but the ace leggie said his team would make time. “People ask if we have time... we will have to make time and we will make time for this game,” he started. “If people have the impression that just because we were cricketers we don’t have the time or we don’t have the necessary administrative skills, then we need to address that. Even if one member raises that question, I think it’s our responsibility to answer that.

"We feel that since this is an opportunity for all of us to ensure that whatever vision for Karnataka and Indian cricket we have can be met through this, we have to achieve that.

Hopefully, tomorrow onwards, people will stop looking at us in that way. The whole purpose of us coming together and getting involved in KSCA administration is to bring in corporate governance, to bring in professionalism and that’s the reason we have this team,” Kumble elaborated, while listing out the success of his team members in their chosen profession.