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The Cricket Interview/Laxman Sivaramakrishnan

"If Robin Singh can come back after nine years, why not me?"

But you did play the 1987 Reliance World Cup, didn't you?

Not really, I only played the two league games against New Zealand and Zimbabwe and after that I was out of the side. (Siva's figures against New Zealand were 8-0-34-0, against Zimbabwe 9-0-36-1)

And then you were dumped... you were, what, 21, 22 then? The age at which players generally make it to the national side?

22, that's right. Actually, I was in effect dropped the previous year itself, for the 1986 tour of England. I came back for the Reliance Cup, played two games, and that was the end of my career.

And now, ten years after the Reliance Cup, all of 32 years old, you are trying to make a comeback. Is that realistic? Don't you suppose you just might have left it too late?

No, it is not unrealistic. I mean, right now I am bowling well, my fielding is as sharp as ever, and my batting is fine too. Also, when trying to make a comeback, you look at the possibilities realistically. What is the problem with our team now? The lack, among others, of a spinner who can bowl 10 for 35, 40 runs and pick up two, three wickets in the middle overs. One point needs to be made, really -- when we had an attacking style of bowling in the middle overs, teams struggled to get past 200 against us. Now, we are defensive in our bowling strategy -- and teams routinely go above 250, 275.

There is a thinking that the first 15 overs and the last 10 overs are the key to one-day games -- but the fact is, the real key for a bowling side lies in getting wickets during the middle overs. Get enough of them, and you not only check the run rate, but also ensure that the batting side can't give you the charge in the death overs. And that being the case, if I can get the wickets we need, then why not?

But that is equally true of any time these past ten years, so what took you so long? And besides, you haven't even made the TN Ranji Trophy side recently, have you?

One factor is the way we think. Once a player is dropped, we rarely if ever consider him again, preferring to go for a new name instead. I mean, we've had something like 35, 40 players play for India in the last year and a half, right? Can you think of any other team with that kind of turnover? Sri Lanka does drop a batsman for lack of form -- but if he is talented, then he gets help to find his form again, and is then recalled. Even Pakistan, missing three of its stars in recent times, hasn't used as many players as we have.

And to get a recall, what is it I have to do? Take five, six wickets at the Ranji level? Look, let's be realistic -- for quite some time now, domestic cricket is a batsman's game. Flat batting tracks are prepared and games are mostly decided on the basis of which team makes more runs in the first innings -- you don't often get spinning tracks on which you can run through sides. It would be one thing if the state selectors were watching your performance in league games, or the national selectors watching Ranji games -- that way, they could see you bowl and judge on that basis. Because sometimes, you bowl very well and go wicketless for no fault of your own -- like on flat batting wickets for instance. Here, though, the selectors at state and even national level rarely bother to see people like me play - what they go by are the scorecards.

As for making a comeback at this age -- well, as you can see, I am exactly the same weight I was when I was in my teens, I am fit, my footspeed is still good. In the field I am worth a good 15 to 20 runs even now. And if Robin Singh can come back after nine years in exile, why not me?

But like you agreed, you can't go before the selectors and argue all this -- so how exactly do you hope to try and break back into the squad?

Right now I am working in the nets on some little technical things. My first real chance is in the Moin ud Doula Trophy, beginning September 20 in Hyderabad, where all the top club sides will be playing. My team, India Pistons, is taking part. A good performance there should hopefully be noticed by the state selectors... a good performance at the Ranji level should put me in the national reckoning...

Sounds wildly optimistic, doesn't it? (said, smiling) But then, what other choice do I have?

Laxman Sivaramakrishnan's Career Record