How Iqbal got his SG Test ball

To understand why, welcome to Phaltan, 120 km southeast of Pune, and its Mudhoji ground where Akshay and 97 other youngsters 8212; 7-17 years old 8212; are having a go at a two-week 8220;intensive8221; cricket coaching camp, one of the hundreds dotting the great Indian smalltown landscape where thousands queue up, hoping to be the next Dhoni on the block.

As eight-year-old Shradul Kharate, son of a local contractor, says, 8220;Now, I drink half-a-litre of milk, but slowly, I8217;ll drink four litres and become like Dhoni.8221;

Till just about 15 days ago, Kharate, like most others in the camp, had never seen a leather ball. Now, it8217;s only SG 8220;Test balls8221; for them. Says Aniket Pardeshi, an under-17 district-level player, 8220;Such taluka-level camps are always better. Here the coach-player ratio is very less. We become quite friendly with them and they are helpful in sorting out our problems. Besides, we8217;ve all the facilities like nets, kits. so why leave home and go to Mumbai or even Pune?8221;

The Phaltan camp was kicked off on April 15 by ex-Test player and Mumbai8217;s former two-time Ranji winning coach Chandrakant Pandit, who is now associated with the Maharashtra Cricket Association MCA. Pandit is also the 8220;advisory committee chairman8221; of the Phaltan Cricket Association PCA.

Pandit chalked out a detailed programme and handed it over to Sadanand Pradhan, a BCCI Level-1 coach and PCA8217;s secretary. 8220;During the first week, we practiced with tennis balls and then gradually made them get used to the leather balls. The idea was to get rid of the fear factor through shadow practice, fielding and catching drills,8221; says Pradhan.

8220;We have children from varied backgrounds. From sons of businessmen to autorickshaw drivers and house painters. And all of them say money is not a problem as far as cricket coaching is concerned,8221; says Pradhan.

The association has also roped in Suresh Deo all India umpire, Ratnakar Korde NIS coach, Vineet Kulkarni BCCI scorer and Sudhir Kulkarni former Ranji player to help develop their 8220;overall knowledge8221;.

Although Phaltan has no cricketing background, the PCA says this camp is part of 8220;a 10-year mission to produce, at least, one Ranji cricketer8221;. Says PCA member Hanumant Salunkhe, 8220;We are not expecting miracles overnight.8221;

8220;The idea was to first let them play, have some fun,8221; says Salunkhe, adding, 8220;Now, they are so attached that after going home they think only of the camp. They have even stopped watching TV so that they can sleep early. The only thing in their mind now is to reach the camp by 6.30 in the morning.8221;

8220;We have picked 11 of these 94 for a one-year programme, including the son of an autorickshaw driver and painter,8221; says Pradhan.

Wine shop-owner Sanjay Nimbalkar8217;s on Neeraj, 11, remembers the day he got hit on the finger during catching practice 8220;with the leather ball8221;. 8220;I had to miss the camp for two days, I was crying till I returned,8221; he smiles.

The camp is not just about bat and ball, says the coach. 8220;From teaching them how to tie their shoelaces to telling them about cricketing etiquette8230;we try to teach them all aspects of the game. We8217;ll divide the boys into two groups, under-11 and under-17, and organise competitions to select a 25-member team.8217;8217; Adds Salunkhe: 8220;However, right now, we just let them play. Time will tell whether anyone will become another Dhoni or Rahul Dravid, we should not put unnecessary pressure on them.8221;

There are also debates at the camp that often turn into arguments. And, the most-discussed topic is, what else, the Greg Chappell-Sourav Ganguly spat. While some feel that the former captain should be given a chance, others say he8217;s been asking for it. The common refrain: 8220;Rahul Dravid is the best Indian captain.8221;

What they want to be for Team India? The answer is quick and unanimous: all-rounder. 8220;It8217;s the best way you can get into the team,8221; says Suresh Potekar, an under-19 district player, who helps out in the drills. So who wants to become a fast bowler? Only a couple of hands. 8220;Who wants to be beaten up all over the place?8221; asks Prithviraj Nigde, referring to the epic 872-run Australia-South Africa ODI at Wanderers this year.

Meanwhile, Akshay Gaikwad shyly reveals his passion for cricket numbers. He maintains a notebook, where he updates statistics of his favourite players. Ask him about various records and centuries, and he8217;s quick to reply. 8220;I can remember them without putting in any extra effort,8221; he says.

For Akshay, cricket means a career without much of a hassle. 8220;You don8217;t have to study hard. To become an engineer or a doctor. In cricket, there8217;s no such concern. Even if there8217;s a pressure situation, you get pleasure from it.8221;

Why this craze? Sandeep Maruda, another camper, says: 8220;Here, a child gets a bat in hand immediately after birth. Cricket is a part of our lives.8221;

THE AUSTRALIAN WAY

Cricket is developed at a micro level in Australia, too. But coaching apart, it8217;s the high level of competition that plays a vital part in grooming youngsters, feels Bruce Rixon, a Level-2 accredited coach with Cricket Australia. The Sydney-based coach, who was in Pune recently with an under-15 side, outlines the Australian pattern:

8226; At school-level, there are seven age groups 8212; under-10 to under-17. Players are graded on a scale of 1-5 based on performance.

8226; Toppers from four school systems compete in the under-19 carnival for the coveted Commonwealth Bank Cup in November.

8226; At the senior-level, there are four age group tournaments 8212; under-17, under-19, under-21 and under-23. Again, there8217;s a 1-5 grading system.

8226; The next stage, of course, is the Pura Cup competition, Australia8217;s equivalent of the Ranji Trophy.

8212; TKM