Buchi Babu Naidu

Buchi Babu Naidu was an Indian cricketer, known as the father of Madras cricket, who established the Madras Presidency Matches.

The Presidency Match

He conceived the idea of the Presidency tournament after being angered by the racist policies of the Madras Cricket Club, which required Indian players to sit under a tree to eat their lunch, while European members enjoyed the comfort of the club's pavilion. Buchi Babu founded the Madras United Club (MUC) as a cricket club for native Indians, and arranged an annual fixture between the Europeans and the Indians. Thus was born the Presidency Match which was played during the harvest festival (Thai Pongal), earning the sobriquet "Pongalmatch".

The inaugural match was organised for December 1908, shortly after Buchi Babu's death from a heart attack, although rain forced the match to be abandoned. An annual Buchi Babu Memorial Tournament was organised from 1909, and the Europeans v Indians series was revived in the 1915-16 season. This match, which began on the last day of 1915, is considered as the first Madras Presidency Match.

Family

Buchi Babu Naidu was the son of a wealthy man, Dera Venkataswami Naidu, a "dubash" (interpreter) with Parry and Company in Madras. Buchi's contribution to Madras cricket did not cease with gaining recognition for the natives, as three of his sons left their imprint on the game. The eldest, Venkataramanujalu, alias Bhatt, was known for his pyrotechnics. His younger brother, M. Balliah, a stylish left hander who earned the tag “Madras Woolley”, represented the Hindus in the Bombay Quadrangular and led Madras against Bombay in the final of the second edition of the Ranji Trophy. Cotah Ramaswami, the youngest son of Buchi Babu Naidu, was one of the two Indian "double internationals".