Corona bowls a maidan over in Mumbai

MUMBAI: The coronavirus pandemic has hit not just toprung cricket but it has also hurt the sport at the grass roots level.
April is generally a month when youngsters, free from their educational bonds, head to the maidans to get a taste of professional cricket by playing in the Mumbai Cricket Association-conducted selection trial tournaments.
This is the period when they learn the ropes and more importantly this is the phase when professional coaches get a chance to spot young talent and fashion their future from there on.With no cricket activity whatsoever on the plots, there’s a lurking danger that the supply chain of the cricketers will therefore, take a huge hit.
“I’ve discovered cricketers like Rohit (Sharma), Shardul (Thakur) and Harmeet (Singh) in these summer vacation camps/tournaments,” says veteran coach Dinesh Lad.
“I remember how Rohit caught my eye while playing for Borivali Sports Culture Association in an under-12 match, on May 31, 1999. He was primarily an off-spinner then and bowled two overs in a 10 overs-a-side match. I got him admitted to our school (Swami Vivekanand International School, Borivali) on ‘freeship’ as his uncle couldn’t afford his fees (Rs 275), after requesting our director (Yogesh Patel).
“His parents were staying at Dombivli. Later, I discovered that he was a brilliant batsman too,” adds Lad, who has coached SKIS for the last 25 years.

“So, this time is crucial to discover talent. It’s unfortunate that we’re losing out on his time,” he rues.
Former India skipper Dilip Vengsarkar, who runs three cricket academies — at the Oval maidan in Churchgate, Mahul in Chembur and in Pune — is worried about the number of tournaments that have been cancelled at the junior level due to the circumstances.
“I don’t think that the supply line will get a hit. But the players will not get the opportunity and the exposure. At-least four-five tournaments that I conduct have been cancelled,” says the 116-Test veteran tells TOI.

Incidentally, this will be for the first time in 27 years Total Cup, a Mumbai U-14 selection tournament organized by Vengsarkar’s academy, looks set to be cancelled.
“We can only hope that the season can start in October,” he says.
The pandemic has spoiled MCA’s plans too. “The virus has forced us to cancel all our summer activities. Our schedule has gone haywire. We need to find a way out,” says MCA secretary Sanjay Naik.
The MCA, however, has some back up plans up its sleeve. “We’ve a list of the top 15-20 performers from last season’s Harris and Giles Shield. So, it’s not difficult to pick the Mumbai junior teams.
“The only thing is that the summer camps sometimes throw up some naturally talented players, who have now been denied a chance to show their skills,” says Nadim Menon, a member of the MCA’s apex council.