Triumphs of Indian women cricketers inspires Abdul Bari Wahab to work with renewed zeal.

Far away from the madding crowds, for him the hunt continues — the unbridled passion to look for genuine talent in women’s cricket, groom it into performing individuals. Well, this has been the story of Abdul Bari Wahab, coach to the women’s cricket team of Hyderabad since 2009.

“For me, helping these girls is a passion. And, I am really happy with the way they have performing in the last few years,” says a visibly content Wahab even as he basks in the wonderful achievement of his trainee and left-arm spinner Sravanthi Naidu, who took four for nine against Bangladesh in the T-20 international in Dhaka a couple of days ago.

“Sravanthi has the talent but it was difficult for me to get her motivated given the fact that she is making her third comeback into the Indian team after her Test debut in 2005, and that too at the age of 27,” explains Wahab, who was himself a cricketer of repute. Interestingly, the Indian team now in Bangladesh has six members from the city in different capacities – captain Mithali Raj, coach Purnima Rau, spinners Gouher Sultana and Sravanthi Naidu, manager Nandlal Vidya Yadav and video analyst Aarti Nalge.

“Cricket has changed a lot though the basics remain the same. There was an aura when we played and perhaps it was because of the fact that the best of Indian cricketers made it a point to play in all important domestic events including Moin-ud-Dowla Gold Cup, which was invariably the season opener,” feels Wahab. He has a special place in the Moin-ud-Dowla history for taking the first hat-trick in its history when he sent back the likes of Ajit Wadekar, Hanumanth Singh and Amber Roy.

“That is history. Right now, I am more focussed on helping women’s cricketers. Yes, it is a bit painful that there are no regular tournaments in the city. Yet the fact that we continue to produce winning performances at the zonal and the national level is a tribute to the grit, talent and determination of these girls,” insists the untiring coach.

What keep you going? “I can’t stay away from the nets even for a single day. Somehow, I have this passion which motivates me on and on. Yes, there were times when I pondered whether it was worth putting all these efforts. But, every time the girls come back with honours, I work with rejuvenated zeal,” says Wahab, who owes a lot of his cricketing career to former Test star and now BCCI vice-president N. Shivlal Yadav.

Significantly, Wahab is more or less confined to coaching the State team and never gets the opportunity to work with the Indian team despite all his experience and proven expertise. “I don’t want to comment on things on which I don’t have any control. I am ready to accept any challenge and work with all sincerity. Right now, I am entrusted the job of Hyderabad women’s cricket and I am happy playing my bit in this regard,: he says with his typical no-nonsense attitude.

Not surprisingly, Wahab is hoping for Indian team to pull off a special performance in the T-20 World Cup in Bangladesh to give women’s cricket the much desired fillip in the days to come.

V. V. SUBRAHMANYAM

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> MetroPlus / by V. V. Subrahmanyam / March 17th, 2014

Host Visakhapatnam Port Trust (VPT) lifted the 34th All India Major Ports Cricket Championship trophy, defeating Mumbai  Port trust in the finals held at the Port Diamond Jubilee Stadium here today.

Mumbai Port secured runner-up position and defending Champions Jawaharlal Nehru Port stood in the third position.

In the semi-finals, Visakhapatnam Port beat Mormugao Port and Mumbai Port beat Jawaharlal Nehru Port and entered into the finals.

Ch Radhakrishna of VPT was declared as the best bowler, Arman Shaik of JNPT as best batsman, Ashish Mahadeswar of Mumbai as best all rounder and V Abraham of VPT as player of the tournament.

In the finals VPT won the toss and elected to bat and scored 165/3 in 17 overs. (Due to shortage of time, the match is restricted to 17 overs each).

V Abraham 24, K N V Krishna Mohan 71, H Vatekar 34, A Sriram 23

Bowling: Pramod Masurkar 2 for 22 runs.

In reply Mumbai Port scored 127 all out in 14.5 overs. Anil Sakpal 37, Ashish Mahadeshwar 22

Bowling : P Jay Kumar 3 for 17 runs

Ch Radhakrishna 3 for 16 runs

V V Ramana 2 for 16 runs Visakhapatnam Port won by 38 runs and won the Championship.

source: http://www.business-standard.com / Business Standard / Home> PTI Stories> National> News / Press Trust of India / Visakhapatnam – February 01st, 2014

ACA North Zone Academy grooms talented cricket players of the zone

A dusty road branches off from the main road after the MVGR College of Engineering at Chintalavalasa, a suburb of Vizianagaram and immediately in front of you is a pleasant view of a billiards table top-like lush green ground and a two-storied building behind it. This is the Andhra Cricket Association’s North Zone Academy established to groom the talented players of the zone. It started functioning from June last year.

The residential academy has all the facilities like 10 nets including one with a cement pitch, a bowling machine and all facilities, decent lodge and boarding facilities for the players in the two storied modern building, a kitchen and dining room. The coaches have separate rooms.

The academy is located on a 10-acre land allotted free of cost by the MVGR College of Engineering, being run by the MANSAS, a trust established by the Vizianagaram royal family long time ago to run educational institutions and conduct charitable programmes for the people.

This academy caters to Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam and East Godavari districts (which form North Zone of ACA). Players from Vizianagaram and Srikakulam in particular lack exposure though they are talented and this Academy takes care of such players, says vice-president of ACA and chairman of the academy G.J.J. Raju.

The academy was started with a budget of Rs 8 crore and so far nearly Rs 5 crore have been spent. A single storied building is coming up at the other end of the ground which will have modern dressing rooms for two teams, a gym, rooms for umpires and other officials on the ground floor and four dormitories and 16 single rooms on the first floor. This would accommodate the two teams playing a match on the ground and Ranji and other matches could be hosted here, Raju says.

Later six more nets would be provided along with a proper fence around the ground, though galleries are not planned yet. The two blocks are named after secretary of Vizianagaram District Cricket Association G.V. Ramachandra Raju and former treasurer of ACA late P. Appala Raju. A total of 32 boys in under-14, under-16 and under-19 age groups selected from the four districts are in the academy now.

The ACA is also taking care of their education and the Raghu institutions are providing free education while a few are going to another private college at Dharmapuri and a private school.

ACA established academies in its three zones and this is the first time in the county, says former Andhra Ranji captain M.N. Ravikumar, who is the Zonal Head of the ACA. He is confident that the boys will get a lot of benefit from the academy under chief coach Apoorva Desai, a coach much in demand at the National Cricket Academy. Nirmal Kumar and Vikram Varma are the other coaches and Shashikanth is the trainer.

“The boys are very talented, focussed and hardworking and we are helping them to improve their skills and mental strength,” said Mr. Desai.

A leg-spinner Ch. Y. Srikanth from Rajahmundry and a batsman Ch. Jogesh from Visakhapatnam say the academy has brought about a lot of changes in them. The coaching, practice matches, constant motivation and the international standard facilities have improved their game a lot, the two boys said.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> MetroPlus> Society / by G. Narasimha Rao / Visakhapatnam – January 31st, 2014