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| Catch them young | | Kids’ record should infuse enthusiasm | |
Nobody will venture to say that the next Sachin Tendulkar or even Vinod Kambli has been found; but B. Manoj Kumar and Mohammed Shaibaaz Tumbi’s world record 721 runs in an under-13 game in Hyderabad does serve to remind us that, not too long ago, there was something very special about Indian batting. The unbeaten 721 was put up in 40 overs for St. Peter’s High School in Hyderabad, eclipsing the earlier world record set by Sachin Tendulkar and Vinod Kambli way back in 1987-88 in Mumbai.
The new record came in a game that was part of the Hyderabad Cricket Association’s under-13 inter-school tournament, and their hapless opponents, Philips High School, folded up for just 21 runs. As Vinod Kambli stressed in response to the new record, it takes some talent, determination and technique to score triple centuries, and at such a pace. The feat cannot be dismissed as easy school cricket, Kambli insisted. And top names like Sunil Gavaskar had showed their talent at the school level itself.
There may indeed be better batsmen than these two playing school cricket, as Shaibaaz and Manoj themselves, to their credit, were not hesitant in admitting. That is all to the good. Considering that the new Chairman of Selectors Dilip Vengsarkar failed to find “any exceptional talent” in the current reserves, there is not doubt that the process of finding and nurturing talent has to start at the school level. Here is an opportunity to look at the school games right up to the under-19 level in a fresh light, and ensure that the system throws up more talent. There might well be gems waiting to be picked.
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