N. S. Ramaswami
Encyclopedia
Nallathagudi Srinivasa Ramaswami (November 1918, Cuddalore
- February 19, 1987) was an India
n sports journalist
who worked for four decades with The Hindu
, Mail and Indian Express, and became an assistant editor at all three newspapers. He wrote four books on cricket
— Winter of Content, Indian Cricket
, Indian Willow and From Porbandar to Wadekar
— but was by no measure yoked to that field: well-versed in history
, social commentary
and temple architecture
, he indited tomes on each.
Ramaswami often wrote under the pseudonyms "Cardusian" and "New Ebor", the former in honour of Neville Cardus
, that doyen of cricket literature, and the latter Alfred Pullin
, Victorian
-Edwardian cricket correspondent for the Yorkshire Post
, whose pseudonym was "Old Ebor". He most popularly known, however, by the initials NSR.
One of the most subtle and observant writers on the game, Ramaswami's work is celebrated even today. "What he lacked," wrote Suresh Menon
in an otherwise laudatory piece, "was what some modern writers consider more important than style or flair — a harsh line in criticism. His writing was suggestive rather than brazen, his criticism based on larger principles rather than on passing trends."
Ramaswami studied at the PS High School in Mylapore
, Loyola College
in Chennai
and took BA Hons in English literature
from Madras Christian College
. He played in the Madras leagues as a right arm off spin
ner for YMCA, Royapettah
. He suffered a heart attack on February 19, 1987 and died the next day.
Cuddalore
Cuddalore is a fast growing industrial city and headquarter of Cuddalore district in the Tamil Nadu state of southern India. Located south of Pondicherry on the coast of Bay of Bengal, Cuddalore has a large number of industries which employ a great deal of the city's population.Cuddalore is known...
- February 19, 1987) was an India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n sports journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
who worked for four decades with The Hindu
The Hindu
The Hindu is an Indian English-language daily newspaper founded and continuously published in Chennai since 1878. According to the Audit Bureau of Circulations, it has a circulation of 1.46 million copies as of December 2009. The enterprise employed over 1,600 workers and gross income reached $40...
, Mail and Indian Express, and became an assistant editor at all three newspapers. He wrote four books on cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
— Winter of Content, Indian Cricket
Cricket in India
Cricket is the most popular sport in India; it is played by many people in open spaces throughout the country though it is not the nation's official national sport . The India national cricket team won the 1983 Cricket World Cup, the 2007 ICC World Twenty20, and the 2011 Cricket World Cup, and...
, Indian Willow and From Porbandar to Wadekar
Ajit Wadekar
Ajit Laxman Wadekar is a former international cricketer. He played domestic first-class cricket for the Mumbai cricket team....
— but was by no measure yoked to that field: well-versed in history
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
, social commentary
Social commentary
Social commentary is the act of rebelling against an individual, or a group of people by rhetorical means, or commentary on social issues or society...
and temple architecture
Temple architecture
Temple architecture may refer to:* Hindu temple architecture* Temple architecture...
, he indited tomes on each.
Ramaswami often wrote under the pseudonyms "Cardusian" and "New Ebor", the former in honour of Neville Cardus
Neville Cardus
Sir John Frederick Neville Cardus CBE was an English writer and critic, best known for his writing on music and cricket. For many years, he wrote for The Manchester Guardian. He was untrained in music, and his style of criticism was subjective, romantic and personal, in contrast with his critical...
, that doyen of cricket literature, and the latter Alfred Pullin
Alfred Pullin
Alfred William Pullin, known by the pseudonym Old Ebor , was a British sports journalist who wrote about rugby union and cricket. He wrote mainly for British newspapers the Yorkshire Post and the Yorkshire Evening Post...
, Victorian
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
-Edwardian cricket correspondent for the Yorkshire Post
Yorkshire Post
The Yorkshire Post is a daily broadsheet newspaper, published in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England by Yorkshire Post Newspapers, a company owned by Johnston Press...
, whose pseudonym was "Old Ebor". He most popularly known, however, by the initials NSR.
One of the most subtle and observant writers on the game, Ramaswami's work is celebrated even today. "What he lacked," wrote Suresh Menon
Suresh Menon
-Career:Menon has appeared in movies including Phir Hera Pheri, Partner, Fool N Final, Krazzy 4, Deewane Huye Pagal, Chalte Chalte, God Only Knows, Dil To Pagal Hai and Hello. Additionally, he has made an appearance on the television show Comedy Circus...
in an otherwise laudatory piece, "was what some modern writers consider more important than style or flair — a harsh line in criticism. His writing was suggestive rather than brazen, his criticism based on larger principles rather than on passing trends."
Ramaswami studied at the PS High School in Mylapore
Mylapore
Mylapore is a cultural hub and neighborhood in the southern part of the city of Chennai, the capital of Tamil Nadu, India. Earlier, Mylapore used to be called Vedapuri....
, Loyola College
Loyola College, Chennai
Loyola College is a Jesuit institution in Chennai, India. The college admits undergraduates and post-graduates and offers degrees in the liberal arts, sciences and commerce. It is an autonomous institution affiliated with the University of Madras.-History:...
in Chennai
Chennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
and took BA Hons in English literature
English literature
English literature is the literature written in the English language, including literature composed in English by writers not necessarily from England; for example, Robert Burns was Scottish, James Joyce was Irish, Joseph Conrad was Polish, Dylan Thomas was Welsh, Edgar Allan Poe was American, J....
from Madras Christian College
Madras Christian College
The Madras Christian College, commonly known as MCC, is a liberal arts and sciences college in Madras , India. Founded in 1837, MCC is one of Asia's oldest extant colleges. Currently, the college is affiliated to the University of Madras, but functions as an autonomous institution from its campus...
. He played in the Madras leagues as a right arm off spin
Off spin
Off spin is a type of bowling in the sport of cricket which is bowled by an off spinner, a right-handed spin bowler who uses his or her fingers and/or wrist to spin the ball from a right-handed batsman's off side to the leg side...
ner for YMCA, Royapettah
Royapettah
Royapettah is a centrally located suburb in the city of Chennai, India. It is situated to the west of the famous Marina Beach of Chennai. The locality features one of the developed commercial centres lying adjacent to the Chennai city center....
. He suffered a heart attack on February 19, 1987 and died the next day.