The selector’s choice!

September 14, 2016 11:19 pm | Updated November 01, 2016 06:28 pm IST

Vikram Rathour is as flamboyant and entertaining across the table as he was at the crease

DISCIPLINE IS THE MAIN INGREDIENT Vikram Rathour at Made In India restaurant in Noida’s Radisson Blu

DISCIPLINE IS THE MAIN INGREDIENT Vikram Rathour at Made In India restaurant in Noida’s Radisson Blu

Sportstar magazine once ran a column in which a star cricketer would pick a few youngsters to watch. Sachin Tendulkar gave me a few names and then, a couple of days later, added a player – Vikram Rathour. “Make sure his name is included,” the master reminded me at the ground. I assured him the deadline was not over yet. I did add the name and not before Sachin had made one more anxious query. Sachin’s anxiety to see that I don’t miss adding Rathour’s name was a reflection of the potential that the Punjab batsman boasted of. That was 1996. India was touring England.

Rathour made his Test debut but did not justify his brilliant form — 759 runs in the tour games. The three Tests fetched him scores of 20, 7, 15 and 4. He went to South Africa later that year, made 7, 2, 13 and 44, the last knock against Allan Donald, Shaun Pollock and Brian McMillan, but was lost to Indian cricket. His career aggregate of 11473 runs in 146 first-class matches with 33 centuries does not really represent his awesome ability to dominate the bowlers.

A National selector now, Rathour spends as much time at the ground as he did as a player. In fact, in his four-year tenure as a National selector he has spent 800 days at the ground. A disciplined cricketer, he had an impeccable record of never reporting late for nets and team meetings. “Do you go late to school? Cricket ground was our institute of learning lessons of life and the game. I have never been late for any appointment,” averred Rathour. We meet at Made in India, the Indian restaurant at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Noida, promising an epicurean journey with futuristic cuisine. The dorra kabab is among the restaurant’s specialities.

Bhupender Kumar, the pleasant restaurant manager at Made In India, makes us feel at home. Rathour leaves the course of food to him. “But only non-vegetarian,” Rathour declares his priorities. Watermelon juice is the opening shot of Rathour’s innings with us. “I’m not a foodie. Actually, I have very few choices. Home food is most welcome, especially rice and maa-chhole made by my mom and anything that has paneer. I am from Himachal and we have a simple course of dal and phulkas. At home non-veg is once a week. I love mattar-chawal and paneer combination. Never liked sea food even though at different times I’ve had Sachin and Virat (Kohli) trying in vain to convert me,” he smiles.

The platter arrives — fish mahi tikka, behari kabab and galoti kabab. Rathour does not waste time and digs into the offering with the ease that marked his batting at the crease — flamboyant and entertaining. “Cricket has changed a lot,” he mumbles. How? “Look at the infrastructure, grounds, facilities for playing and even for training, are class apart. The players are supremely fit and fielding with such alacrity. It makes an engaging sight.”

What else has made Rathour, 47, sit up and make note of modern cricketers? “They are much fitter and I think they are certainly better players against fast bowling than most batsmen from my era. But we were certainly better players against spin. It’s all about the mindset. How you play the fast bowlers and how you play the spin bowlers. We insist on grass on the pitch and promote fast bowlers because we want our batsmen to be good against speed. But in the process their skills to play spinners are also diminishing. I remember a few years ago when I was coach with the Punjab team I don’t remember having a drill to play spinners. We would practice certain shots to be played against the spinners but this generation doesn’t sweep or step out against the slow bowlers. Today you have lot of pace bowlers’ academies but nothing to develop spinners.”

One more round of kabab platter is requested, and Rathour explains, “Cricket is still exciting to watch. I always loved Sachin’s batting and now Virat’s brings class to the game with his amazing stuff. But I don’t like the over-analysis that some of the youngsters indulge in. It was not in my time. This self-coaching is not good. I think the Board should make it mandatory to stop domestic players visiting the video-analyst without the permission of the team coach. Too many changes without sanction from the coach can harm your game.”

Main course? Rathour has a simple menu. Murg nawabi lukma, a spicy chicken curry made in tomato sauce, with crisp rotis. It is delightful stuff as we continue the conversation and Rathour reflects on his coaching assignments. “It can be a lonely job. And boring too. There are times when you are watching the match without any company. I loved the job. It comes with lot of responsibility. I do my research and study on every individual I’m supposed to watch. I know my reasons to back a particular player. Basically, a selector has to be clear in his thoughts. It’s not a tough job really because in any team you have ten to twelve members who pick themselves. One thing I always tell myself is never to write off any player. I look at X factor because biggest challenge is to translate ability into performance at the biggest level. Grooming is fine but not at the expense of ability. Also age should never be a factor. Look at Ashish (Nehra). He made a comeback at 37.”

As a senior, he has advice for this generation of cricketers. “Nothing comes without hard work and good technique. It helps you become successful. You have to have proper work ethics and the mindset to compete. But you can’t always blame technique for your failures. Sometimes it can be a poor shot and it may have nothing to do with your technique. I realised late in my career that having fun should be an important segment of your journey. We tend to expect too much from ourselves but cricket should be treated like a game. There is no point in playing a game if you are not enjoying it.”

Rathour is done with the lunch and signs off with a phirni for dessert. What can he eat 365 days a year? “I can have any paneer dish with roti all the year. Or butter chicken with roti for 365 days. For survival, I can make egg bhurji and toasts. I’m good at it,” he claims with a hearty laughter as we take leave of the restaurant manager. It’s been an afternoon well spent with one of the best cricket brains in contemporary Indian cricket.

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