Youngest RCA member plans to use politics to boost game

JAIPUR:Though new on the cricketing pitch, scion of the erstwhile royal family ofUdaipur, Lakshyaraj Singh Mewar, is clear about his shot selection. He minces nowords when he says, "Cricket should not be made business. However, businesscould be used to uplift the game." In the same vein he adds, "Politics is nodifferent, there should be no politics in the game whereas politics could beused to make the game better."The latest entrant in state cricketadministration, Lakshyraj, is one of the three co-opted members in the newlyelected Rajasthan Cricket Association executive and president of Udaipur CricketAssociation. He shot into spotlight when the newly elected RCA president CPJoshi called for him and introduced him to the scribes before his maidenaddress as RCA president.Lakshyaraj has his role cut out, to workwith all as a team for the betterment of the game. "I don't want to rush intothings; the aim is to bring about a positive change in the game. These are newthings for me and I will take some time to settle into my role." Achance entry into the game followed by first-hand experience of things notworking for the game in the state made him take a plunge into the business ofmanaging the game. Couple of months ago when members of UdaipurCricket Association approached him to join the district association he was mostreluctant. When they persisted he gave it a nod and later the absence of thestate team in the Vinoo Mankad Trophy, which was organised in the City of Lakes,made him think of reviving the game. An intelligent and hard-workingperson, Lakshyaraj made up his mind to raise the level of the game in hisregion, "I realised sitting back and saying this doesn't work, better take aplunge and try do something for the game. I just did that and one moretournament followed," he says. This was followed by the turmoil inthe state cricketing body RCA, later when it was known the Union minister forrural development and panchayti raj, C P Joshi will be contesting for the toppost, Lakshyaraj decided to go full throttle. "When a man of hisstature comes forward to take the game ahead, we saw it as a perfect opportunityto plunge in and do something," he says. "Difference was being made on the topand the reputation of the man is something to go by. This gave me a push to comeforward," he adds. As the youngest member of the newly electedexecutive, he aims to bring in fresh ideas and approach on the table, but heplays it safe when asked that the teams work will be under a scanner, "We are anew team and time will be the best judge of our work, however I will say thatdon't put all things under a microscopic scanner, rather look at the largerpicture," he says as a seasoned player. When asked how much time will he be ableto give to the game owing to his preoccupation and he concludes by saying, "Oncein the fray there is no choice but to work, I am sure I'll manage the timefactor."