Buchi Babu Naidu

Buchi Babu Naidu
Born	1868
Died	1908, Madras Presidency
Nationality	Indian
Occupation	Cricketer
Known for	Father of South Indian Cricket

Mothavarapu Buchi Babu Naidu (1868–1908) was an Indian socialite and cricket pioneer who organised cricket clubs for native Indians. He is considered to be the "Father of South Indian Cricket" and founded the annual Madras Presidency Matches, the first of which was held shortly after his death. The annual Buchi Babu Tournament is held in his honour. Two of Naidu's sons, M.Baliah Naidu and C. Ramaswami, played for the Indian national cricket team.

Mothavarapu Buchi Babu Naidu was the eldest of five brothers. They were adopted by his maternal grandfather, Modhavarappu Dera Venkataswami Naidu, a wealthy man who was involved with Parry & Company and who had a high standard of living. Naidu and his brothers were brought up in the English tradition and developed the habits and manners of well-bred Englishmen. Naidu, who loved sports, gained the confidence to treat the English ruling classes of his time as equals.

Madras Cricket in its formative years was dominated by the Europeans. The Madras Cricket Club was their exclusive preserve. No non-European was allowed to enter its portals. The Indians were peeved at this treatment.

Madras comprised today’s states Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhrapradesh, and Kerela under Madras Presidency.

It took the temerity and gumption of a gutsy Desi to mount a challenge to the imperialists and show them that the natives of this sacred land could also excel in this game.

It was Modavarapu Venkatamahipati “Buchi Babu” Nayudu, known as the Father of South Indian Cricket, who conceived the idea of the Presidency Match, angered by the apartheid practised by the Madras Cricket Club, which required Indian players to sit under the tree and eat their lunch in the shade, while The Europeans enjoyed the comfort of the club’s Pavilion.

The Presidency Match of Madras, played at Chepauk between 1915 and 1952, was born of one Indian’s desire to meet the Englishman on equal terms on the Cricket ground and try to vanquish him. As it turned out, the Indians won substantially more matches than the Europeans, and these were the two protagonists of this Pongal Festival of Cricket that drew large, enthusiastic audiences in the days before test matches.

It was this democratic and Patriotic impulse that drove Buchi Babu to found the Madras United Club (MUC),and dream of an annual fixture between the rulers and the ruled .with the co-operation of Henry king and P.W.Partridge of the MCC,the match known as the Presidency Match became the ‘Match of the Year He had been the greatest patron of Indian Cricket in Madras . He founded the Madras United Club ,and regularly achieved his ambition of defeating the white man at his own game. and admitted to its fold the conscientious desis with an unquenchable thirst and feel for the game and made them realize that their transition form mere onlookers to worthy wielders of the willow. Buchi, with the zeal of machinery trained them ironing out the rough edges and convinced the Europeans to pit their skills against the Natives. Thus was born the Presidency Match which was played during the harvest festival, earning the sobriquet “Pongalmatch" The first edition was opened in 1915. Thus the aspirants gained invaluable guidance to launch the career purposefully. Buchi’s contribution to Madras cricket did not cease with gaining recognition for the natives. The Buchi Babu Memorial Tournament has become a prestigious annual affair,involving India’s top teams.Buchi Babu patriotically founded the Madras United Club in the esplanade .Himself a fine cricketer ,he was responsible for getting prince Ranjitsinjhi to Madras ,he was also responsible for sending Chari to England .This bowler ,who twisted and turned,earned tributes from English Cricketers . Buchi Babu had a dream. In his days sports, including horse-racing and polo, were dominated — indeed appropriated — by the Europeans. The Madras Cricket Club was exclusively European. Buchi Babu’s dream of having a ground open to everyone to play was the trigger that later made it possible for the hallowed Chepauk grounds to escape the MCC monopoly, and ultimately prepared the ground for the TNCA (Tamil Nadu Cricket Association) leasing the place and making way for the MAC Stadium that we find today.

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