Who makes a good scout?

We are still a long way from describing cricket scouting as a full-fledged career, says A R Srikkanth

Venkatesh Iyer dazzled for KKR in the last season with 370 runs from 10 games.

Cricket boards have always done talent spotting in some form or the other. The BCCI once had a wing called Talent Research Development Organisation. When I was in school, I remember reading that big names like Dilip Vengsarkar would go across the country looking for talent.

We are still a long way from describing cricket scouting as a full-fledged career. In a few years, you might see it that way. I can see a big change in the attitude of international teams with the advent of T20 and franchise cricket. IPL franchises are investing heavily in scouting.

When I took over as the head of scouting for Kolkata Knight Riders, my primary role was to put in a structure for the scouting.

What are the key qualities of a good scout?

Your success as a scout depends on the kind of players you pick and how well they do. When you scout, players might not be big, but they eventually can become popular and that’s when you earn the trust of the franchise. It’s not like you have to play 100 Test matches for the country to be a great scout. All you need is a keen eye for the game.

Instincts and sources

Though we analyse players, I feel that routine is overrated. For me, scouting completely depends on my instincts. I go to a place and see a player and if something strikes me about him, I try to learn more about him. His statistics are only a tool to validate my observation. A cricketer might not have played for the senior state side. But if I see something different in him, I rate him as a good T20 cricketer.

Varun Chakravarthy hadn’t even played for Tamil Nadu or in the Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL) when we picked him to bowl at KKR nets. Someone told Dinesh Karthik that there was a different kind of spinner who bowled at the nets in Chennai. DK didn’t know his name. Then we did some background checks and asked Varun to travel to Kolkata. We were mightily impressed with his skills. Of course, there were some shortcomings like his fitness, since he hadn’t played bigger level cricket. We put him through the paces and the rest is history.

Shubhman Gill played a cover drive in the U-19 World Cup. There was something about that shot that didn’t go from my mind. I spoke to batting consultant Jacques Kallis, coach Simon Katich and owner Venky Mysore, saying Gill was a special player. Karnataka leg spinner K C Cariappa impressed me at the Karnataka Premier League nets and I told skipper Gautam Gambhir and Trevor Bayliss that he looks interesting.

As for Sunil Narine, I saw him first bat up the order in the Pakistan Super League. It helped that I was at the stadium because a scorecard wouldn’t have told me about his attitude towards a situation. I suggested he open for KKR and it was a successful gambit.

A scout’s job is not just to spot a player. He must keep track of the player’s progress. We spotted Venkatesh Iyer in 2016, when he played the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. He did well for himself recently and we managed to pick him.

I also do player acquisition. Auctions are unpredictable and exciting. I am nervous. Even the great man (Sachin) Tendulkar confessed that he feels nervous facing the first ball. But I prepare and cover all bases before an auction.

(As told to Vivek M V. AR Srikkanth quit a HR personnel job in a software company to become a cricket analyst. He worked with the West Indies cricket team as an analyst before moving on to become the global head of scouting for KKR).

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