After bowling a long spell of off-spin in the mid-day heat for his club MRV Cricket Academy,Amritansh Tanwar walked back to the dressing room for a quick splash and dash during the innings break. Gulping down the refrigerated water,Tanwar and his team mates nearly choked when they heard the news that would change their lives forever. Steve Waugh wants to meet you players tomorrow. He is going to give you tips on how to improve your cricket at the Australian High Commission. Get there on time, coach Rakesh Roshan said to the visibly gaping players. They did not believe a word of it. On Friday,the former Australian captain surrounded by Tanwar and other cricketers from the Capitals local clubs played a range of strokes in the temporary nets erected on the lawns of the Australian High Commission for the occasion. Waugh went on to correct techniques,before answering questions on the game from the youngsters. I still cannot believe that I just met Steve Waugh. I really hope that this is not a dream, Tanwar told Sportline during the event. Not only did we meet a childhood hero,he also spent close to an hour teaching us the nuances of the game. This is absolutely incredible. Our lives have changed forever, the Delhi U-16 player added. Powers of the mindRavi Goswami,who represents Lal Bahadur Shastri Academy in the domestic circuit,too was overawed by the moment. Waugh taught us the basics of cricket. We learned the power of the mind. One of the things he said was Whatever you do,commit yourself completely to it. Dont do it half-heartedly. I will try and apply everything he just said to us. I never expected to be given tips by a great cricketer like Waugh, Goswami said. Sachin Bajaj,founder of the Global Cricket School,arranged for the session at Waughs request. Steve is an old friend of mine. This is his passion and his life. It is great to see him take such initiative, Bajaj said. If these boys retain even one word that Steve told them today,it could change their lives,let alone their cricket, he added. Waugh,who was in the country to promote the Steve Waugh Foundation,said that he was happy to make a difference. It is a delight to see how a sport like cricket is treated as a religion in India. It was a pleasure to meet all the young cricketers who were here today, Waugh said in a statement. I am happy I was able to share my knowledge and experience in the game with them.
