The vacant Azad Maidan, Cross Maidan and the famous Shivaji Park stand testimony to this with all these grounds recording a very poor turn out.
MUMBAI: India’s debacle at the Cricket World Cup has come as a blow to the summer private cricket camps across Mumbai. The vacant Azad Maidan, Cross Maidan and the famous Shivaji Park stand testimony to this with all these grounds recording a very poor turn out.
There has been drastic a 60 percent cut in this year overall entries. The hardest hit are the small time coaches. The clubs and gymkhanas have not shown any inclination after the Indian team’s performance and suddenly cricket has taken a back seat.
Most of the coaches are worried about the summer camps as they have not received entries. The charm of cricket at the age-old Azad maidan, one of the nurseries of Mumbai cricket, has been dealt a double blow with families moving to the suburbs in the recent years. “The poor World Cup show by the team has eroded the charm of the game,” feels former cricketer Sudhir Naik and coach of National Cricket Club at Oval maidan.
“Overall there has been a decline in the cricket playing culture as most of the boys who played the game have moved to places like Navi Mumbai, but the major jolt this year as been the West Indies debacle,” says Shailesh Salunkhe, one of the coaches at Azad Maidan.
The famous Shivaji Park also wears a deserted look nowadays. The empty nets spell out the sad story of the summer holidays. Says Sachin Sawant, a coach at Shivaji Park: “This year the coaching camps have seen the poorest response in the last few years,” states Sawant. Last year, by this time, I had to close entries but this year I have just six boys so far,” adds Sawant.
Hemant Futiawala, who coaches at Azad Maidan, agrees with Sawant’s words.
“It’s pathetic. Parents and the boys now prefer other games. I have a couple of boys who were with me for last two years, but now have switched on to other games such as football, and some indoor games. Cricket is going down,” feels Futiawala.
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