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Pearson Harvey St Regis Surita (1913–1995)[1][2] was a corporate executive and cricket commentator for All India Radio. Surita hailed from Calcutta (now Kolkata) and was of Armenian descent ("one of the few left in Calcutta after independence").[3] Several articles mention Surita as one of India's most famous and respected radio cricket commentators, often in nostalgic tones.[4][5][6] Henry Blofeld twice called Surita India's "greatest cricket commentator ever".[2] Surita's "big moment" as a cricket commentator is said to have come in 1959,[1] when he was invited as a commentator by the BBC, along with the Maharaja of Vizianagram, during India's tour of England the same year.[7] Surita was also an occasional left-arm spin bowler, having played for Calcutta University and a team representing the Maharaja of Cooch Behar in the 1930s, in a one-off match against a visiting Australian team led by Jack Ryder.[1]

Surita has been especially noted for his accent and diction, variously described as "plummy" (by Simon Winchester),[8] "posh" (by Brian Johnston),[9] and "curiously old-fashioned" with "more than a hint of the British Raj" (by Blofeld).[10] However, his accent was also said to be "the stuff of many a sarcastic jibe".[11] Christopher Martin Jenkins has claimed that Surita "sounded like a Maharajah",[12] while Mukul Kesavan has termed Surita's accent "so posh that you wanted to cry".[13] Even when selected by the BBC in 1959, a senior figure within the organisation expressed reservations over Surita, on the ground that he sounded like "a retired Indian colonel".[7] Mark Tully claims that Surita was eventually barred by All India Radio "because his English was too pukka."[14] However, when Surita was dropped as a commentator during India's tour of England in 1974, the matter was raised in Parliament by Indrajit Gupta, an influential politician from Calcutta who later served as Home Minister of India.[15]

In his corporate career, Surita worked for tea companies McLeod Russell and later Macneill & Magor[16] (both companies now a part of the Williamson Magor group).[17] Surita also served as president of the Calcutta Cricket and Football Club in 1973[18] and the Bengal Club in 1984.[19] He further served as a steward of the Royal Calcutta Turf Club,[20] which awards the Pearson Surita Memorial Cup in his memory.[21][22] Surita was educated at St Xavier's Collegiate School and the St Xavier's College in Calcutta.[23] He died a bachelor in Calcutta, at the age of 82.[2]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Chaturvedi, Ravi (2019-11-16). Cricket Commentary & Commentators. Notion Press. ISBN 978-1-64429-727-8.
  2. ^ a b c Chatterjee, Utpal (10 October 1995). "Pearson's zest for life defied cliches". The Times of India. ProQuest 595342477. Archived from the original on 27 October 2021. Retrieved 26 October 2021 – via ProQuest.
  3. ^ Ghose, Bhaskar (2011-01-01). The Service of the State: The IAS Reconsidered. Penguin UK. ISBN 978-81-8475-575-6.
  4. ^ "India's most legendary of figures". Cricinfo. Archived from the original on 2021-10-26. Retrieved 2021-10-26.
  5. ^ "The magicians called radio commentators - E R Ramachandran' Blog". News18. 2011-10-19. Archived from the original on 2021-10-26. Retrieved 2021-10-26.
  6. ^ Bhagat, Rasheeda. "Nostalgia for cricket in an era gone by". @businessline. Archived from the original on 2021-10-26. Retrieved 2021-10-26.
  7. ^ a b Woodward, Kath; Goldblatt, David; Wyllie, James (2011), McGlynn, Catherine; Mycock, Andrew; McCauley, James W. (eds.), British fair play: sport across diasporas at the BBC World Service, Oxford: Peter Lang, pp. 171–190, ISBN 978-3-0343-0226-5, archived from the original on 2011-08-07, retrieved 2021-10-26
  8. ^ Winchester, Simon (2019-10-08). "If You Use Tea Bags, You'll Be in Hot Water With This Connoisseur". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 2021-10-26. Retrieved 2021-10-26.
  9. ^ Johnston, Brian (2012). Another Slice of Johnners. London: Penguin Random House. ISBN 9780753540695.
  10. ^ Blofeld, Henry (2017-10-19). Over and Out: My Innings of a Lifetime with Test Match Special: Memories of Test Match Special from a broadcasting icon. Hodder & Stoughton. ISBN 978-1-4736-7093-8.
  11. ^ Bhattacharya, Uddalok (2020-10-17). "Dying of a voice: Kishore Bhimani, a commentator who enlivened sport". Business Standard India. Archived from the original on 2021-10-26. Retrieved 2021-10-26.
  12. ^ Martin-Jenkins, Christopher (2012-04-12). CMJ: A Cricketing Life. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 978-0-85720-083-9.
  13. ^ "Desi Radio Commentary". ESPNcricinfo. Archived from the original on 2021-10-26. Retrieved 2021-10-26.
  14. ^ Tully, Mark (2000-10-14). No Full Stops In India. Penguin Books Limited. ISBN 978-81-8475-903-7. Archived from the original on 2021-10-20. Retrieved 2021-10-26.
  15. ^ "Lok Sabha Debates" (PDF). Parliament of India. December 18, 1974. p. 164. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 26, 2021. Retrieved October 26, 2021.
  16. ^ Jones, Stephanie. "Short Biographies of 'Merchants of the Raj'" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2021-08-31. Retrieved 2021-10-26.
  17. ^ "The Williamson Magor Group". www.wmtea.com. Archived from the original on 2021-10-26. Retrieved 2021-10-26.
  18. ^ "CCFC - History". www.ccfc1792.com. Archived from the original on 2021-10-26. Retrieved 2021-10-26.
  19. ^ "Former Presidents | The Bengal Club". Archived from the original on 2021-10-22. Retrieved 2021-10-26.
  20. ^ "History". www.rctconline.com. Archived from the original on 2021-10-26. Retrieved 2021-10-26.
  21. ^ "[38] The Pearson Surita Memorial Cup --- Rt 41-86 27 November 2017 - Telegraph India". www.telegraphindia.com. Archived from the original on 2021-10-26. Retrieved 2021-10-26.
  22. ^ "Andreus tipped for Pearson Surita Cup". Deccan Herald. 2013-12-16. Archived from the original on 2021-10-26. Retrieved 2021-10-26.
  23. ^ Namboodiry, Udayan (1995). St. Xavier's, the Making of a Calcutta Institution. Viking. ISBN 978-0-670-86176-7.
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