Gundappa Viswanath

Cape Town: Former India captain and one-time International Cricket Council Match Referee, Gundappa Viswanath, will be in the Referee’s chair during both matches on Saturday, Day I of the IPL’s second edition.

“Besides doing duty on the opening day, I’ll be officiating in nine other matches... It’s nice returning to South Africa, where I’d been one of the Match Referees during the 2003 World Cup,” Vishy told The Telegraph in Dubai on Friday morning.

He’d been in transit there.

Speaking at the airport’s dazzling Terminal 3 before boarding a 10-hour flight from Dubai to Cape Town, Vishy had added: “T20 is fun to watch and I guess I would’ve enjoyed playing this format... Perhaps, it would’ve allowed me to play all my shots...”

Vishy started his journey from hometown Bangalore, on Thursday, but had to spend a day in Dubai as a delayed arrival made him miss the Cape Town-connection.

“I realise there won’t be time to get over the jet lag... I’ll be starting business almost straightaway,” he quipped.

Vishy, who has consistently rated Mansur Ali Khan ‘Tiger’ Pataudi as the finest Indian captain, said he would neither endorse nor condemn John Buchanan’s multiple leaders’ concept.

“Look, I believe one captain has to run the team, but let’s see how the Buchanan stuff works... I wouldn’t like to pass judgement right now,” he pointed out.

Brother-in-law Sunil Gavaskar, though, has torn the concept to shreds.