In a career of sweat, struggle and scalps, Sunil Subramaniam comprehended how to cope with disappointments.
The left-arm spinner came close to donning the India cap — only to find the honour eluding him by a narrow margin. There was always this feeling that the former Tamil Nadu and South Zone bowler with 285 wickets in 74 first class matches at 23.53 was denied a fair chance.
Now he will be with the India team in a different capacity — as its administrative manager. “It feels good,” was his response when the news broke out on Friday.
The last few days have been nothing short of remarkable for Sunil, who has coached R. Ashwin at different stages of his journey.
Fitting the bill
It was only on July 15 that the 50-year-old Sunil saw a pop-up from the BCCI app on his mobile that indicated to him that the Board was looking for an administrative manager. His son Siddarth, a promising sailor, had a closer look at it and said, “Dad you fit all the BCCI criteria for the job. You should definitely have a crack at this.”
Recalled Sunil in a chat with The Hindu , “We then had brainstorming sessions over the next three days where every aspect of the job was dissected. I did fit the bill.”
On July 20, Sunil applied for the job. On 25th, he flew down to Mumbai where he was interviewed by Diana Edulji, a CoA member, and then interacted with BCCI CEO Rahul Johri via Skype. And now comes his appointment. Sunil will travel to Mumbai on Monday where he will be briefed about his exact role.
Sunil’s tenure will be for a year — an extension is always a possibility — and he will join the team before the second Test in Sri Lanka.
In a job where he will have to interact closely with the India captain and coach, Sunil said, “The team has a fantastic support staff. I have played with some of them.”
One of Sunil’s jobs will be to send his reports to the BCCI on “what the players do on and off the field, the general atmosphere in the team.”
Sharing his experience
Being a former cricketer should help him greatly. “I would know how they prepare for a match, what goes through their minds in tough situations, how they react under pressure and the difficulties they face,” said Sunil.
Will he share his knowledge about spin bowling with the Indian bowlers? “Certainly, if the coach asks me to,” he said.
And he was delighted to be meeting his student Ashwin. “I will be with my boy again but then all the players in the team are my boys.”
Having 15 years of experience in the corporate world, apart from being a respected cricketer, Sunil is aware of the responsibilities as India’s first ‘professional’ administrative manager.
