Howzzat! Ex-IRS Officer, Turned Cricket Umpire, Scores 'Promotion' Post-Retirement

KN Raghavan, a career revenue service bureaucrat with a medical background, was recently empanelled for promotion to the rank of Principal Chief Commissioner by the government, despite having retired in May this year.

In its order, the government said, "The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) cleared the empanelment of a total of 24 IRS (Customs & Indirect Taxes) officers for promotion in the rank of Principal Chief Commissioner/Principal Director General."

Several Feats Under His Belt

Raghavan, a retired Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer of the 1990 batch, has several outstanding feats to his credit. He is an accredited umpire with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). He has also authored books on cricket and India-China relations. 

In an exclusive interview with The Secretariat, Raghavan said, "Cricket has always been my first love and it remained my passion right through my college days and even beyond."

Raghavan said he developed an interest in umpiring at that point and was selected to the panel of umpires at the state level in Kerala at the age of 16 and then to the Ranji Trophy Panel of the BCCI at the age of 25. 

In 1996, Raghavan, then 31, won a place in the all-India panel of umpires selected by the BCCI. "Those days, umpires in the All India panel of BCCI could umpire One Day Internationals (ODI), besides knock-out matches in several tournaments including Ranji, Duleep and Deodhar matches." 

Raghavan recalled the matches he umpired, "I have done duties on the field in one ODI match between India and Bangladesh in May 1998. I was the third umpire on one occasion: India vs Australia at Kochi in 1998. I was the fourth umpire on 3 occasions - India vs South Africa at Kochi in 2000, India vs Australia at Vizag in 2001 and India vs Zimbabwe at Hyderabad in 2002."

Raghavan said the role was challenging, as one had "to remain active and alert for long hours". 

"Standing in the hot sun for close to six hours requires a tremendous amount of physical and mental stamina. Besides, there can also be stressful situations when players become too aggressive and one needs to handle them with calm and composure," he said. 

According to the retired IRS officer, umpiring in cricket matches helped him acquire "good attributes" and even develop his personality. "It kept me physically fit and mentally agile, besides helping me develop concentration power, which helped me in decision making and the ability to stay calm in crises", he said.

"It also helped me to stay grounded as a person."  

Balancing Passion And Profession

On how he balanced the multiple roles despite being a tax administrator, Raghavan said, "I was fortunate that my seniors were understanding and always gave me leave for umpiring matches. All through my career, I seldom took leave for any other purpose than umpiring, as till my mid-career I was mostly posted close to or inside my home state." 

Raghavan too had an overseas posting at the Indian High Commission in Singapore as the First Secretary in 2007.     

Raghavan said he has been an avid reader all through his life. He entered into serious writing only in 2008 during his Singapore posting and gradually lost interest in umpiring and retired from the BCCI panel in 2013. "I found that writing not only relaxed me but also gave me a lot of pleasure. And that has stayed with me ever since."

His interest in cricket led him to write his first book, World Cup Chronicle. It came out in 1999 and the second edition was brought out in 2003.

Raghavan said that he was a fan of the first Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru, and the events pre- and post-1962 war, "which cast a cloud around Nehru's greatness", always intrigued him. He said this led him to write, Dividing Lines - Contours of India-China Conflict.

The book on Tibet and the Dalai Lamas, 'Vanishing Shangri La: History of Tibet and the Dalai Lamas in the 20th Century', was also the result of his interest in the subject. 

Raghavan contends that all four roles—doctor, civil servant, umpire and writer—have given him "happiness and satisfaction". 

"It is difficult to state categorically which one gave me more joy. I did not practise for many years as a doctor whereas I had a long career in civil service, with plenty of deputations, which helped me learn about diverse areas and broaden my outlook," he said.

"Umpiring helped me to grow as a person, besides helping to sustain my love and passion for cricket. Reading and writing keep me occupied at present and fill my days with joy and a sense of purpose," he concluded.

Raghavan’s journey from a medical student to a top bureaucrat, then a cricket umpire, and author is a testament to his diverse talents and passion for learning.

Now, in his new innings, he continues to find joy and purpose, leaving a legacy that spans multiple fields.