If it was indeed an option, PrashantJoshi may have been a man in blue-playing for India and hitting silken coverdrives. As head of Goa Hyudnai, Mr Joshi has a day job giving his customers agreat driving experience. But what he loves doing as much- or perhaps evenmore- is follow and fight for the game he truly loves- cricket.
Choosing cricket as a career was not anoption for him but it certainly was his first love. An ardent sportsman at boarding school inPanchgani he played several sports. Hesaid “You name any sport, cricket, football, hockey, badminton, table tennis,we were masters. Of course I preferred cricket the most. Joshi played for theYouth Club of Vasco in his youth. He got involved with the Goa CricketAssociation in 1974 and began as an honorary Treasurer and was GCA’s Secretaryfor 12 years. “ I was also President for two years, a post I relinquished to make way for other people,” he said. Joshiwas elected unopposed as the Vice-President of BCCI (Board of Control ofCricket in India) in 1991. Late MadhavraoScindia was the Chairman at the timeand both got along very well.
Scindia deposed great faith in hisfriend Joshi. Narrating an incident Joshi says, “The aam admi in Delhi loved and respected this noble hearted man. Oneday as he drove a Honda car on the busy streets of New Delhi, making me sitbeside him, I watched people’s reactions to him. Taxi drivers, hawkers andother people humbly bowed and saluted this Maharaja of Gwalior.”
Joshi remembers an incident with Scindiafrom a time when there were no mobile phones. He answered a call from Scindiarequesting him to catch the next flight and reach New Delhi.
The president of the cricket board andcentral minister Scindia wanted Joshi to represent him and be with the SouthAfrican cricket team who were in the country on a goodwill mission. After 20years, the ICC had allowed the South African team to play on the internationallevel.
“I had to buy time to make arrangements inmy office. In two days I joined the South African team midway. They flew in achartered aircraft with 170 passengers consisting of the media and businessfraternity. The team was in India to promote cricket and business. I was withthem throughout the tour during the matches and their sight-seeing. A galadinner was hosted for the team by Scindia at his palace in Gwalior whereBollywood personalities were among the invitees. My mission was over only whenthe team flew back to South Africa,” Joshi reminisces.
Joshi also headed the technicalcommittee in BCCI that interacted with India captains like KapilDev, SunilGavaskar and Mohammed Azaruddin on various issues. The South Zone thatcomprised of Goa, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Hyderabad,had elected Joshi unopposed on a two year rotation post.
On a parting note Joshi concludesphilosophically, “Be truthful to oneself. Have faith in God and have confidence.I am a true believer in Karma; you get what you give, whether good or bad. Believeme, forgiveness may not change the past but it does enlarge our future.”
