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Former cricketer Mahalingam Venkatesan, recently made some shocking revelations about his cricketing career, love life and getting banned from the South African Cricket Board. In his latest interview, Venkatesan revealed how he put his cricketing career at stake to chase his love. Notably, the 69-year-old currently works as public officer for the Joburg Super Kings in the SA20 tournament.
Mahalingam Venkatesan has a rich cricketing history where he has played with legendary cricketers including the likes of Kris Srikkanth, Gundappa Viswanath, Syed Kirmani, Roger Binny, and Bharath Reddy in Tamil Nadu. “I worked with State Bank of India from 1978 to 2000. After retirement from cricket, I was a member in charge of the State Bank team and then I moved to South Africa in the year 2000,” Venkatesan was quoted as saying by NDTV Sports.
Why I came to South Africa, it is like a real love story: Mahalingam Venkatesan
Born in Tamil Nadu, Mahalingam Venkatesan met his wife in Chennai and went to meet her in South Africa in 1984 after getting special permission from the Indian government. “Why I came to South Africa, it is like a real love story. I met my wife in Chennai in 1983. In 1984, I wanted to come and meet her in South Africa. I got a special permission from the Government of India and I landed in South Africa,” Venkatesan said.
“I played for NCB (Natal Cricket Board), but there were two boards here because of the apartheid time. I played for the non-white cricket (team). I was selected but they found out that I wasn't a local, I was from India. They banned me and I went back to India," he further added. “(It was) then (when) I met my girlfriend in Chennai. I came here, I convinced her family and in 1986 and we got married," he added.
