*Prince bowls out Indian cricketer, gets free entry to academy
Ajay Raina
JAMMU, Oct 12: Former Captain of Indian Cricket team, Virender Sehwag today said Indian Premier League (IPL) is a good platform for the youngsters to perform.
Indian Cricketer who was in the town to inaugurate “Sehwag Cricket Academy” on the sprawling grounds of Heritage School at Sainik Colony while talking to reporters after inaugural ceremony said that if a player performs well in IPL, selectors are watching them and definitely, on the basis of their performances they will get chance in the Indian squad. Nothing is impossible, if one performs and doors will surely open for them to get entry into Indian team, he added.
The cricketer further said that ‘catch them young’ is the ‘mantra’ to make good cricketers, who can professionally perform at various levels.
“There must be an appropriate age bar to make a good cricketer and ‘catch them young’ should be the only ‘mantra’ to develop cricketing basics and skills among the youngsters”, Sehwag added. He disclosed that 10-12 years age is the best time to join the cricket.
He further said, it was an opportunity for him to open an academy in small cities like Jammu where there is no dearth of talent but it lacks proper infrastructure and facilities.
“I am opening academy here for the cricketers so that I can help them, share my experiences whenever I visit the academy, guide and improve them”, said the cricketer, adding that he will extend all kinds of help to those, who want to take cricket as their profession.
Sehwag said that if he succeeds in bringing a single child up to the international level from his academy, it will be a great achievement for him. “We need to fill up the gap between talent and the performance,” he added.
The cricketer said a nominal fee of Rs 100 was charged for registration in today’s camp. A challenge “Sehwag v/s You Contest” was organized during which one who will bowl him (Sehwag) out will be given free entry into his academy.
“One youngster namely Prince Gupta bowled me out and got free entry into my academy. I also gave him my signed gloves, which will definitely inspire him and also other budding cricketers of Jammu and Kashmir”, said Sehwag.
He further said, cricket is not ‘rich man’s game only as it can be afforded by anybody, adding, the cricket kit does not cost much as compared to the sport like golf.
The Ace cricketer said, he never attended any academy in his life and has a dream to groom the talent in his academies, so that the cricketers can represent various levels after getting trained in different age groups.
Academy has an extended tie-up with the Australian, South African and English Cricket Academies for regular exchange programmes through which budding cricketers of Jammu will enjoy a life time opportunity to interact and play at International venues exposing them to global arenas, he added.
When asked about any threat to test cricket by T20 cricket format, he said that there is no threat to test cricket with T20 format. Everybody wants to play cricket. No matters what ever is the format, he added.
Presently T20, one-day and test cricket formats are being played and they all are different, so it does not matters what format we are playing, what matters is cricket, he said.
Virender Sehwag emphasized the need to channelize the talent which is found in every nook and corner of India and which if nurtured and facilitated can produce many more Sehwags. Cricket is not tuff if played with dedication, he added.
Earlier, after the inaugural of the Academy, Sehwag also gave tips to budding players of holding the ball and bat. Around 100 students bowled to Virender Sehwag, who got themselves registered under ‘Sehwag v/s You Contest’.
Mithun Manhas, ace cricketer from Jammu and the young trainee of Sehwag Cricket Academy, Kiran Wattal, Commissioner, Jammu Municipal Corporation, Principal, Heritage School Jagdish Singh Dhami along with hundreds of parents and students were also present on the occasion.
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