ICA Treasurer Krishnaswamy resigns

Frustrated with the lack of progress despite his best efforts over 18months, former TN opener and IOB mentor V Krishnaswamy has graciously stepped aside as the ICA Treasurer 

No direct access to the BCCI Top Honchos to discuss the real welfare initiatives for former cricketers and an inability to move in the direction of ICA's 2019 objectives the reasons for his decision to quit a year ahead of his full term in office

Within two years of his taking up the post as the Treasurer of the Indian Cricketers Association (ICA),  former TN Opener and Banking professional V Krishaswamy ( Kicha) has resigned from the post.

In October 2019, this section was the first to write about his appointment as the Treasurer of the newly formed ICA and how he was ideally suited to the post having had both strong cricketing and banking experience. He saw it as a new and a challenging engagement, for the ICA was to be a first of its kind recognized players’ association for former cricketers – both men and women – in India and he was to be the first Treasure of this professional body. At that time, he was all excited and raring to go.

In the first year and a half, he worked hard, as he had done all through his Banking years, setting up the professional infrastructure at the ICA. A man with great banking experience, he also personally managed the fund raising and distribution of funds to former players during the Covid times.

Financial Support to former cricketers during Lockdown

Within six months of the launch, the ICA organised financial relief for former cricketers who were in distress especially at the start of the Covid driven Lockdown. This section had featured two stories on  former Ranji players from Tamil Nadu who were thus supported - Najam Hussain (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2020/10/najam-hussain-80th-birthday.html) and Peter Fernandez (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2020/05/peter-fernandez-ica-financial-assistance.html) - by the ICA in mid 2020.

July 2020 - The Ashok Malhotra  Public Spat

It was looking at that time, that things were going in the right direction and Krishnaswamy was hopeful of making postive progress. In July last year, things turned sour at the ICA. End of July 2020, this section had featured a story on the big differences and ego clashes that had cropped up within the ICA Board. The public statement of ICA’s President Ashok Malhotra hitting out against the BCCI, Apex Council members and even his own directors has left a poor taste on the functioning of the ICA in the very first year of its launch. He had accused his contemporaries Anshuman Gaekwad and Shantha Rangaswamy of not taking up the issues relating to the former domestic cricketers with the powers that be at the BCCI. 

Krishnaswamy had told this writer last year that he was hopeful of a positive development in 2020 on the issue relating to pension for first class cricketers who had played less than 25 matches. He had told this writer at that time that the team at ICA had been working tirelessly on the medical insurance for former domestic cricketers and that something concrete was to emerge on that front as well. He was also in the process of putting together a fullfledged independent office for the ICA.

But as the Pandemic year turned out, he found that only a few ( President/ Secretary) had access to the BCCI officials and that he as the treasurer was not able to communicate the issues relating to the former players directly to the powers that be at the BCCI. Into this year, he found that the ICA was not making much of a headway in the direction of the objectives  for which it had been formed in 2019. 

Except for some medical reimbursement to the members, the ICA had not been able to progress much in the first 18 months of its launch though Krishnaswamy had told this writer last year that he was hopeful as he was silently working hard and slogging it out in the background without any visibility for himself.

Respectfully steps aside

In a gesture that is so typical of Krishnaswamy, instead of hanging on to this prestigious post for the full term of three years that would have run till October of 2022, he resigned recently with his head held high and with his conscience clear that he had tried his best in the first 18 months or so to make things happen for former cricketers, many of whom were his colleagues or opponents from the 1960s and 70s. 

After his cricketing stint with the State, Krishnaswamy had shifted focus to a career in the Banking industry. During his over three decades with Indian Overseas Bank, he rose to the post of GM.  Subsequent to his retirement from IOB last decade, he led Karur Vysya Bank for three years as the Bank’s Managing Director.

Both during this cricketing days (initially as a player and subsequently as a mentor) as well as during his several decades long stint as a Banking Professional, Krishnaswamy had earned the reputation of being  straightforward and a strict disciplinarian, who minces no words when it comes to pointing out the wrongs in the system and in the players/ banking personnel. At the same time, when he spotted potential in youngsters and a desire in them to taking the ‘work hard route’ to success, he mentored them in their career path.

Given this strong credibility with the players and his rich experience in the financial sector, it was expected that Krishnaswamy would make a great contribution to the ICA in cleaning up the cricketing system in the country and to take care of the interests of the former cricketers, especially those that had played less than 25matches for the state. 

However, it looks like very little has changed in terms of the operations at the BCCI. On the contrary, it is heard that former Delhi wicket keeper Surinder Khanna who had been on the ICA committee had been replaced by Pragyan Ojha recently.

Without current players on board, ICA cannot succeed

India Wicket Keeper from the 1970s Bharath Reddy was the one who had ideated this whole process of a player's association along with Kapil Dev and Gaekwad. When he was asked to stand for the top post in the ICA in 2019, Bharath Reddy categorically refused on the grounds that the ICA had to include the top current players for it to be successful. He had told this writer before the launch of the ICA that without the presence and support of the current players, this to be newly formed professional body could not be successful. 

While he stayed away from the contest, Bharath Reddy did campaign for Krishnaswamy, first when he was to stand for the treasurer's post in the state body and later when he stood for the post in the ICA. 

Bharath Reddy is not particularly surprised at Krishnaswamy resignation "Like I had mentioned to you in the past, this body cannot be successful without the current players' support. Not much progress has been made in the two years and obviously someone like Kicha would have been frustrated at not being able to do what he had set out to when it was formed."

It is a disappointing end to what one had hoped would have been a great opportunity for this former cricketer turned banking professional to take care of the welfare of the former cricketers in the country. But this one has ended as a short innings for Kicha. Hope he can now set his eyes on an association with the TNCA and contribute to the development of cricket in Tamil Nadu.