Surf is the new turf for Jonty Rhodes and other foreign cricketers

Jonty Rhodes does not miss his date with sea-surfing whenever he is in a coastal city. When Mumbai Indians were in Visakhapatnam for their 'home' game against Sunrisers Hyderabad here last Sunday, the South African visited the Waveriders Surf School (WSS) at Rushikonda Beach here, about 12km from where the team was staying to ride some waves.

Rhodes's simplicity has to be seen to be believed. It is no secret that he loves India and explores the length and breadth of the country on his own. He does not mind commuting on a two-wheeler, knowing very well that he will be mobbed in public by the cricket-crazy Indians. He has named his daughter, born in Mumbai during 2015 IPL, as India. And, after surfing at Rushikonda, he sits down for a breakfast of 'upma' with Waveriders' Melville Smythe in a shed that has the surf boards and kayaks stacked up along the sides.

It's not just the Mumbai Indians' fielding consultant who's interested in surfing here. Cricketers from the Southern Hemisphere – New Zealand's Trent Boult of Sunrisers Hyderabad, Rising Pune Supergiants trio of Australians Adam Zampa and Peter Handscomb, and South African Albie Morkel – enjoyed the sea under the bright sunshine on the morning of their matches here over the last couple of days.

South African speedster Dale Steyn came for surfing when he was part of SRH last year. It was Steyn, who recommended Morkel to get in touch with Smythe for a session of surfing in Vizag.

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It is only natural for cricketers from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, where they have been surfing regularly, that they look for places to hit the waves whenever on tours.

In fact, Rhodes and Paddy Upton, former Indian team's mental conditioning coach and currently with Delhi Daredevils, are the brand ambassadors of Surfing Federation of India. Smythe said that Upton brought his entire Rajasthan Royals players for surfing last year when the team came to play Sunrisers Hyderabad. "The foreign players take a liking to the calm Bay of Bengal and love to surf. They have been lucky that the swell of the wave was good when they came to surf," Smythe told dna here.

"Jonty is an awesome surfer. Paddy is a big-wave surfer and does headstand in surfing. Adam Zampa did body boarding," he said. Smythe added that the Indian cricketers barely knew surfing. "Though, some of the Indian RR players last year – Stuart Binny, Pravin Tambe, Sanju Samson, Deepak Hooda – entered the water and tried their hand at surfing," said the 53-year-old who works as a sailing coach with the Sports Authority of Andhra Pradesh. "Once even S Sreesanth showed interest when he was here but I soon found out from my contacts in Kerala that he was not seriously into surfing," Smythe added.

It was with sailing that Smythe got attracted to the water sport before taking to wind surfing, kite surfing and now to teach surfing to youngsters, mainly from the fishing community. It is not just the cricketers who go to him to surf. Smythe used to guide foreign tourists too.

"Until 2012, every Saturday and Sunday, I used to have 20-30 foreigners surfing. They used to come from Australia, Japan, China, Italy, Spain, Belgium, France, USA, UK, Sweden and Switzerland. Today, there is not even one. Foreigners come to surf and also look for clean water and cleaner surroundings. The drop in foreign tourists has got to do with the pollution and sewage water mixing with sea water. I have been to other coastal areas in the country. The beaches in Kovalam (Kerala) and Mahabalipuram (Chennai) are maintained well and attract more tourists, unlike here," said a concerned Smythe.

Smythe says he is concerned about government's lackadaisical approach towards surfing and other sea-water adventure sports to promote tourism. "I thought Vizag will grow in surfing but that is not happening." Despite the hardships, Smythe is doing his bit to promote children to take to surfing. Among his trainees are Kalyan Rayithi and Chinnakonda Rayithi, national-level surfers wanting to ride higher in the ranks.

Rhodes makes it a point to mention his liking to surf along with the Rayithi brothers and other children in his Facebook posts. Said Smythe: "Jonty is such a cool guy. He tells the children not to call him 'sir' but to address him as 'Jonty bhai' and that he is a part of their family." In need of promoting surfing in these parts, Smythe asked Rhodes to speak to MI mentor Sachin Tendulkar and do his bit.

"Jonty said that Sachin was a little hesitant to do it," said Smythe. "Paddy and Jonty suggested that I tie up with an NGO, so that I could gain something out of surfing. But I said no. Even if it is tough, I just about manage with the fees recovered from surfing sessions." "Whatever I earn in surfing goes back to surfing," said Smythe, who ensures that the fishermen's children who learn surfing are properly educated in nearby English-medium schools runs by his friends.

Smythe is also regular as a judge to surfing competitions in the country, though he will be missing the upcoming Indian Open of Surfing at Sasihithlu Beach, Mangalore, from May 27-29. What Smythe will not miss, for sure, is hosting Rhodes and other cricketers who will be back this week when four more IPL matches are left to be played here over the next week-and-a-half.

Among them would be Kings XI Punjab's David Miller of South Africa and Glenn Maxwell of Australia, both good surfers, according to Smythe. "And, Jonty has promised to visit us for a lunch of freshly-caught fish from the sea," he said.