Kamal Ghorui
Former India leg-spinner Laxman Sivaramakrishnan on Friday announced his retirement from the Board of Control for Cricket in India commentary panel, citing a lack of opportunities to conduct toss and presentation ceremonies.Sivaramakrishnan said he was consistently overlooked for key on-air roles such as toss duties and post-match presentations, despite being part of the setup for over two decades.
He further pointed out that even when established names like Ravi Shastri were involved with the team, he was not given such responsibilities, indicating a long-standing pattern.“I am retiring from commentary for BCCI”, Sivaramakrishnan wrote on his ‘X’ handle.“If I have not been used for tosses and presentation for 23 years and new comers come in even when Shastri was coaching, what do you think could be the reason,” Sivaramakrishnan said. When a user suggested whether his skin colour could be a factor, Sivaramakrishnan responded, “You are right. Colour Discrimination.”“My retirement is nothing great. But a story of tv production unfolds. Soon you will see the bigger picture,” he added.Sivaramakrishnan, fondly known as Siva, was one of India’s most promising leg-spinners in the early 1980s.He played nine Tests and 16 ODIs between 1983 and 1987, claiming 26 wickets in Tests, including three five-wicket hauls, and 15 wickets in ODIs.He made his Test debut during India’s 1983 tour of the West Indies and drew early attention after taking seven wickets for two runs in a domestic match as a youngster.One of his standout performances came in 1984 against England, where he picked up 12 wickets in a match.He was also part of India’s 1985 World Championship-winning team in Australia, finishing as the tournament’s leading wicket-taker.After retiring from cricket, he transitioned into commentary.
