Published: May 20, 2026 at 4:35 pm
Memories are made of these. To walk down memory lane is like uncorking a bottle of bubbly champagne. Though all these nostalgic moments are from our black and white to technicolour days, many a sweet past occasion or interludes are still colourfully interwoven in the tapestry of our minds. My Time Machine is set to trigger a cascade of glorious yet unforgettable past reminiscences into this active present. Indeed, a perfect blend of joy and happiness.
Just the other day, my good friend Clayton Murzello, an ardent follower of local sports and one who promotes young talent in a big way through his writings in Midday Mumbai, wrote in his weekly column headlined ‘Those days of easy access’ wherein he mentioned about the difficulties of a journalist of talking to cricketers now because of excessive restrictions, whether it is a domestic, international or an IPL tournament. He mentions the past about the hotel room interviews and dressing room interactions…. those days of easy and remarkable access. He further writes: “With the authorities imposing stricter restrictions after recent transgressions in the IPL, it’s getting harder for journos to interact with cricket stars, a far cry from what used to happen before.”
Access to players, coaching staff
The article prompted me to write this piece on how we enjoyed those glorious days when we interacted, interviewed, moved with the players and how I had the privilege of even sitting in the dressing room of the Hyderabad Ranji team. There were no restrictions, either near the dressing or dining rooms. Much before the stadium came to Uppal, most of the matches were held at the Lal Bahadur Stadium and Gymkhana. The press was allotted designated places, with a tent at the Far End or near the Players’ Pavilion or on the first-floor terrace.
A small group of dedicated sports journalists would watch the action from morning 9.30 am till the end of the game. Players like late Abdul Azeem or late MV Sridhar would sit with us after their batting stints. They would cut jokes with us and most importantly, would indulge in discussion on the game.
In the pre-match sessions, we would freely go and see the players during the practice sessions and interact with the captains. When the legendary late ML Jaisimha, who was the coach of the Hyderabad team in the late 1990s, we were assured of a good copy because of his perfect briefings.
With Rahul Dravid
In fact, it was a pleasure to cover the cricket matches. I still remember once when Sachin Tendulkar came for the Moin-Ud-Dowla Gold Cup tournament, we got to talk near the centre of the wicket. A big crowd had gathered there but interestingly enough, Tendulkar was easily able to identify non-journalists and he asked the ground staff to keep them at a distance. Even during international matches, we would sit in the reception hall of the now non-operational Taj Banjara Hotel for players’ interaction/interviews or even go to their rooms. We had a jolly good time with players like Mark Waugh, Shane Warne etc.
Bonding with team
I had the privilege of sitting in the dressing room and traveling with the team. Jaisimha would often ask me to come to the dressing room. I had my own reservations, but Jai was Jai. He would just order me to come in. There was a funny incident when he was a little unhappy with the team combination. He called me and said to get a paper, I am resigning as coach of the team. Or during the famous Hyderabad-Karnataka match when off-spinner Kanwaljit Singh took 14 wickets, seven apiece, he forced me to sit next to him near the Pavilion end under the tree. For me, it was one of the greatest moments. I could see his reading of the game. The moment the ball would leave Kanwaljit’s hands, he would say it was a wicket. He was a good reader of the game.
In fact, quite often I was in the pre-match strategy meeting where myself, Jai, Venkatapathy Raju, MV Sridhar and Kanwaljit would have a late evening session. It was an honour and I learnt the finer points of the game. During this match, I remember how Karnataka skipper Rahul Dravid walked up and talked with us on the terrace after the match.
Having fun with Venkatapathy Raju
During three trips to Goa to cover the Hyderabad Ranji team, I was invariably with the team. The players would ensure that I would get the best treatment. They trusted and liked me. I travelled with the team on the bus to Goa or when I went in train in second class, they ensured that I would be with them in the first-class coupe. In Goa, I would be moving with the team and even shared the room with the players. During one of my Goa visits, former Indian skipper Mohammed Azharuddin was very concerned when I had to bring the players’ kit from Hyderabad. The players had left three days before the start of the match so Madan of Indiana Sports, requested me to take the kit for the players. Azhar ensured that I would get the best treatment during our stay and make it a point to have dinner with the team.
Lost days of joy
On another occasion, I had an upset tummy, the entire team, including Jai, Venkatapathy Raju, MV Sridhar, VVS Laxman and others, gave me all the necessary medical assistance. When the match was over in three days, the entire team insisted that I should travel to Vivek Jaisimha’s resort, who was residing in Goa then. I remember how I slept on VVS lap during our 45-minute drive to the resort. These are a few examples of the bonhomie I had with the team in the past. In fact, during this trip, Jai, R Sridhar (former Indian fielding coach) and I would move around the ground. It was an education to me. So was R Sridhar listening to the legendary Jai.
With VVS Laxman and his parents
It is history now. It is no longer the same while covering domestic or international or IPL matches. There are a lot of restrictions, and it is irritating at times. The over-zealous officials even try to act too smart and thereby make the life of media persons miserable. During the T20 Syed Mushtaq Ali tournament in Hyderabad, a BCCI observer began to behave nastily and even humiliated the Hindu scribe.
It has now become a real pain rather than deriving any joy or pleasure in covering cricket matches.
