Till last year,despite his association with the South African team,Prasanna Agoram was just one of the numerous inconspicuous video analysts in IPL. Times have changed for the 37-year-old in the Royal Challengers Bangalore corner. Prasanna is now an integral part of the support staff that has led the Proteas to the top of the Test rankings. His crowning glory was at Lords in 2012 when Hashim Amla dedicated his century to him by drawing a box in the air. Having played for Tamil Nadu U-19 team,Prasanna first dabbled in umpiring. But it was in performance analysis that the gold medallist engineer found he could bring his disparate talents together. I joined the National Cricket Academy in 2004 (after pleading with the guard to let him in). Thanks to Venkatesh Prasad,I was part of the U-19 team for the World Cup in 2006. I also worked with the hockey team,when they won 33 out of 40 matches, he recalls. Then came the Indian Premier League,and the Proteas link. There were three South Africans in the RCB team,Dale Steyn,Jacques Kallis and Mark Boucher,along with coach Ray Jennings. I got the offer (in 2010) because of the word they put in, Prasanna says. He was asked to join the Proteas immediately on their tour to Abu Dhabi to face Pakistan. When I first got onto the bus with the likes of Graeme Smith and Kallis,it felt like facing my first ball in Test cricket with Steyn steaming in, laughs Prasanna. Though P-Dog as hes called does get chided for his inability to learn Afrikaans,he makes up for it by his enthusiasm for the teams victory anthem,Protea Fire. And while he now spends close to 320 days a year away from his family,the special bond with the South African cricketers helps. Hashim will ensure that I get home-made Indian food delivered to my hotel room,even if hes not in the same town as I am. He prides himself on being a thorough professional even when South Africa are facing India. Talking about the World Cup match of 2011 in Nagpur,he says: I suggested that we take the batting powerplay immediately after Zaheer Khans second spell to ensure that he bowls two more overs,and we dont have to face more than one from him in the death. And that won us the match. Last year,Cricket South Africa extended Prasannas contract till the 2015 World Cup. In Morne Morkels words: Come 2015,he would have spent five years with us. We will be smart enough to give Prasanna a passport then and lock him with the South African team forever.
