Pearson Surita

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 lead 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]