Javagal Srinath is a former Indian cricketer who played for the Indian national team primarily during the 1990s and early 2000s. A right-arm fast bowler, he is widely regarded as one of the finest pace bowlers produced by India, serving as the country's leading strike bowler for over a decade. After retirement, he transitioned to cricket administration and match officiating, becoming an ICC match referee.
| Full name | Javagal Srinath |
|---|---|
| Born | 31 August 1969, Mysore, Karnataka, India |
| Role | Right-arm fast bowler, right-handed batsman |
| Domestic team | Karnataka |
| County cricket | Gloucestershire, Leicestershire, Durham |
| Test debut | 1991, vs Australia at Brisbane |
| ODI debut | 1991, vs Pakistan at Sharjah |
| Final international match | 2003 |
| Nickname | The Mysore Express |
| Current role | ICC match referee (Elite Panel) |
Srinath was born in Mysore, Karnataka, into a Kannada-speaking family. He trained as an engineer, completing a degree in instrumentation technology from Sri Jayachamarajendra College of Engineering in Mysore. He came up through the Karnataka state cricket structure, which during the 1980s and 1990s was one of the strongest in the Ranji Trophy.
Srinath represented Karnataka in the Ranji Trophy from the late 1980s, helping the side win multiple domestic titles. He was part of Karnataka's Ranji Trophy-winning campaigns and played alongside teammates such as Anil Kumble, Rahul Dravid, and Venkatesh Prasad. In English county cricket he played for Gloucestershire, Leicestershire, and Durham at various points during his career.
Srinath made his Test debut on India's 1991–92 tour of Australia, becoming part of an Indian attack that had traditionally relied more on spin. His genuine pace—often clocked among the fastest by an Indian bowler at the time—set him apart and earned him the moniker "Mysore Express."
Through the mid-1990s, Srinath formed an effective new-ball partnership with Venkatesh Prasad. He took the bulk of India's pace-bowling responsibility, particularly on overseas tours of South Africa, Australia, England, and the West Indies. He took ten wickets in a Test match on more than one occasion and was known for combining pace with reverse swing.
Srinath played in four Cricket World Cups: 1992, 1996, 1999, and 2003. He was a key member of the Indian squad that reached the final of the 2003 World Cup in South Africa, where India lost to Australia. He retired from international cricket shortly after the tournament.
Srinath finished with over 230 Test wickets and over 300 ODI wickets, making him one of India's leading wicket-takers in both formats. At the time of his retirement, he was the highest wicket-taker among Indian fast bowlers in One Day Internationals.
After retirement, Srinath served as secretary of the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA). He later joined the International Cricket Council's panel of match referees and was elevated to the Elite Panel of ICC Match Referees, officiating in Test matches, ODIs, and T20 Internationals around the world.
Srinath is credited with being part of a generation that established a credible Indian pace-bowling tradition, paving the way for later quicks such as Zaheer Khan, Ashish Nehra, and the wave of fast bowlers that followed. His durability, willingness to bowl long spells, and ability to generate genuine pace on unresponsive Indian pitches were widely acknowledged.