Two East Marredpally Cricket Club (EMCC) players in Secunderabad being equally shy, connected instantly. The older of the two went on to play for Hyderabad and South Zone. The younger one, seen as a prodigy, lived upto huge expectations in due course.
Later colleagues at the Andhra Bank Head Office, they worked on the same floor, meeting often for lunch. “Nanda Kishore would only have a very small portion from his box. The rest of the delicious food his mother made, he’d share, because his friends enjoyed it thoroughly,” V.V.S. Laxman fondly reminisced.
“Nanda is a selfless giver. So fairplay comes to him naturally. His commitment to the cause has always been clear — as player, selector and now umpire. A total team-man, his side’s well-being is paramount,” says the batting virtuoso, having shared the Hyderabad and South Zone dressing rooms with the former opener.
Willingness to learn“Now as umpire, Nanda’s in charge of an entire game. His swift progress can be explained by his willingness to learn and improve at all times. Once when I was overseeing a batting clinic for Hyderabad, he came of his own accord, ‘officiating’ to simulate actual match conditions for the benefit of the boys,” the former Test stalwart recalled.
“When others were/are looking for problems, Nanda was/is searching for solutions, thus making him eminently suitable to umpiring. Add to that a calm temperament and excellent decision-making abilities, that have commanded player respect. Focus on fitness makes longevity of a career in the white coat certain,” said the wristy stylist.
It should outshine his player profile that had him piling up 4340 first class runs and pick up 96 catches as a close-in fielder. “The advantages of a player turning umpire are four-fold,” Laxman felt. “He knows a) the player’s mind-set; b) how to tackle pressure situations; c) the bowlers’ variations, useful to take LBW decisions; d) how to control a contest by handling the players well.
“Initially, I was grim when stationed in the middle for long hours, all too aware that a sequence is over in seconds. The wait for the decision is short but the scope for error is huge. My mentor M.L. Jaisimha’s words show the way: In the fear of failure and pressure to perform, we forget the enjoyment. So now I see my job as providing the most vantage view of the action,” says Nanda, a Deputy Manager with Andhra Bank.
If an umpire goes unnoticed, it means he’s done his job well. To that extent, Ammanabrole Nanda Kishore enjoys virtual anonymity! Entrenched in the nation’s top 10, the ascent to the ‘fab four’ seems assured, as he jets off to cities across the country with the Ranji Trophy now underway.
