There is a bounce in his step, despite back-to-back interviews before the launch of his autobiography. The eyes are bright, and the smile large when he sees a familiar face; it is only a fraction less wide when he meets me for the first time and I introduce myself. (Later that evening, after the book launch, when I am invited by his publisher to join a private party with him and his Mumbai friends, he spots me at the buffet and this time, our second meeting, I get more wattage in the grin.)
V.V.S. Laxman may be a kilo or two heavier than he was at his playing weight, but he looks lighter. Perhaps it is because for many of us, the go-to mental visual of the man is with the weight of India on his shoulders, in that innings, the one his book is named for: 281 And Beyond. That innings at Eden Gardens, that partnership with Rahul Dravid, and that win, most cricket fans agree, marked the moment Indian cricket began to believe in itself, to believe that it could win against the best in the world.
The first chapter and a bit of the last was all I had time to read before we talked — the book had got to me just before we met — but he smiles my apologies away, as he does my embarrassment about being someone ignorant of more than the broad strokes of cricket, and we get to business.
He has always been an avid reader, he says, even more so on tour. “It’s very important for your mind to recover, not to think about the game, so that when you’re put there for the next match, you’re mentally fresh. Reading for me was that kind of distraction.” His favourite reading: autobiographies. “Some of the situations I was in — when you go and read the books of legends in various fields, you find that even though the situation or context is not the same, how they handle failures, bounce back, handle pressure — I was able to get some cues, derive solutions.”
Favourites? “[Late President] A.P.J. Abdul Kalam’s books. How he felt when he was a scientist, what was his mindset; he wanted India to be on the global map with scientific innovations. How passionate he was about spreading knowledge to younger generations. I got really inspired: after that I felt it was my responsibility to share with younger generations. And then Phil Jackson, the coach of the Chicago Bulls (Sacred Hoops, 2006). While they were one of the best teams, he also had the challenge of handling Michael Jordan, a superstar. That also helped me when I was captain of various teams, and now as a mentor to the Sunrisers team. I know there are some superstars, but it’s very important that you have a good mix, create the team environment where everyone is important, but at the same time give a little bit of importance to the players who are superstars.” Aside from these mind-improvers, he is partial to the fiction of Jeffery Archer, whom he calls a friend.
How about cricket books? “I really enjoyed listening to Richie Benaud and Bill Lawry, it was a special learning experience for me, especially during my early days. As far as writing is concerned, I’m still very old-fashioned; I still love what Neville Cardus wrote, I still enjoy reading some of the books which Benaud wrote, still have got a lot of them. Reading these books, you almost visualised what was happening on a cricket field. At that time, television was not there. Growing up, I read them, but since I started playing, I never read cricket books.”
As to his own book, he has been wanting to write one since his playing days. This came from the belief that it would be useful to people who admired him, in much the same way that he had found inspiration in autobiographies he read. After he quit the game, though, other commitments got in the way.
But one of those post-retirement engagements gave him a nudge. “I give a lot of corporate talks, keynotes, motivational talks. One-and-a-half years ago, there was an event in Goa, and one elderly person came forward and said that what he heard from me in that 45-minute session inspired him. He said [if I were to write a book], not only would it help him, but also his son and grandchildren. I started writing the book then.”
Childhood love
Not quite typing it out himself: he would sit with sports journalist R. Kaushik, who has known him since he was 16 and whom he considers a good friend, and talk; Kaushik would go off and put together the narrative. “I am very happy with the way the book has come out. He has penned it really well, in a very simple manner, which even a lay person would enjoy reading.”
The structure is simple. After describing the all-important innings and series in the first chapter — “got that out of the way” — the rest is pretty much in chronological order: the childhood love for the game, a good academic record that left him in a dilemma about whether to choose cricket or medicine, growing as a young cricketer, living the dream (and the challenges) of playing for India, right up to his retirement.
And it’s less about the events — he’s conscious that playing cricket for India, everything he did on the field is copiously documented — and more about what went on his head. “Everyone who has followed the game knows when I got a hundred, when I got a double-hundred, when I didn’t score runs, when I was dropped. [The book is about] what was my mindset when I scored those runs, what were my thoughts when I didn’t score, how did I feel when I was dropped from the World Cup — which was probably my toughest moment, when I almost left the game — what got me back. I don’t use the term depression, but how tough was it when I was lonely, when I was not performing, when the team was not performing. Everything is there in the book. It is a true story, about everything I went through, as a cricketer and before that.”
How, in a country where everybody has an opinion on cricket and, thanks to social media, has the platform to voice it, does one keep sane? “I learnt it the hard way.” His first four years were tough; he was playing to fulfil the expectations of everyone around him rather than his own, and he felt unable to handle the pressure. “That’s when I realised I had to only think about the things in my control. I really don’t get agitated or distracted, or carried away with what people are saying.” The key was something his grandfather taught him. “The 12 chapters of Bhagvad Gita known as Bhakti Yoga. In that, it is clearly mentioned that you have to be equanimous whether someone praises or criticises you. I was able to practise that during my career. As you rightly mentioned, nowadays it’s much tougher. Cricket is a game; while it’s very skillful, it’s a game of the mind, so if you’re emotionally disturbed, your mind is perturbed; your best performance comes when your mind is relaxed. You also have to realise that as a media person, or as a fan of the game, they are expressing their views. Everyone has got the right to express their views; it is not necessary that you have to accept or feel that that is right. You should be in control of your emotions, and I’ve always been in control of my emotions.”
Shelf life
What’s it like stopping doing what you love at a relatively young age? “That’s part and parcel of being a sportsperson: there is a shelf-life, because it’s a physical activity. You may be fit, but you may not be explosive. It’s not necessarily age: it’s the amount of years you play the game, the wear-and-tear on the body. Some are lucky genetically, some work hard on fitness so the wear-and-tear, they monitor it, and still maintain good fitness, that’s why they have longevity. But at some stage you know that the career has to end. I don’t like the term retirement because, yeah, you’re stopping the game, something you love doing, and that’s a very tough decision. But you know you can’t do that for the rest of your life. Whoever is willing to accept that and move on will be very happy and contented. I was fortunate I was able to play till nearly 38: a long career, 16 years for India. The day I announced my retirement, I was very, very content. I gave my best; I was very satisfied with the way my career had gone. Not once did I feel disappointed that I left the game.”
And what has life been like since then? “You’re 38 and you’ve stopped doing something which you love, but it’s important to find something else you love doing. It may not be hitting the cricket ball or scoring runs for your country, but now it’s important for you to identify your passion. If you don’t love something, then your life will have no meaning. I was very fortunate that it happened by default. I am still involved with the game in various capacities, and I’m very passionate about giving opportunities to underprivileged children to realise their potential. The best gift you can give a child, rich or poor, is education. And education is academics coupled with exposure to sports, extra-curricular activities, and the all-round development a child should have to face challenges. That is my passion, through my foundation. We’re supporting 92 children in Class VII and above, and close to 40 IIT students, and the ultimate goal is to start a school for underprivileged children. It’s important to find that passion, because it can stay with you until you go to your grave.”
How is he hoping his book will be received? “I just hope that people will learn something reading this book. It’s all about sharing the knowledge. I’m very passionate about sharing and teaching, if I may say so. As a coach, as a mentor, you are sharing your knowledge. During my cricketing days, I never played to entertain the public, I played to score runs for my team. And while doing that, the spectators who were at the ground, the viewers on television, were entertained. Here, I’ve put across my views and put across my journey; now it’s up to the people how they wish to receive it or perceive it. Some may learn from it, like some were learning from the way I was batting, trying to reproduce it in their own batting style, some enjoyed the joy of watching me bat, it totally depends on the people. I just hope they enjoy this. Whatever I’ve done in my life has been an honest effort, and this also has been an honest effort.”
(A shorter version of this article appeared in print.)
peter.griffin@thehindu.co.in