Much as 14-year-old Udhay VK loves cricket, he was not quite expecting it to play as large a role in his life as it currently does.
Till a few weeks ago, Udhay, a gifted and enthusiastic table-tennis player who also displayed talent on the cricket field, was being coached in table tennis (TT).
Then IPL happened and all the renewed interest in cricket it generated, along with prominence gained by younger players who were yet to make it to the national team, ensured Udhay’s parents started pressuring him into training for cricket instead of TT.
A few weeks back, Udhay caved in — today, he is a regular at one of the best cricket academies in town. “I’m not saying I’m not enjoying myself or was forced into this by my parents, but I wish I’d been allowed to pursue table tennis instead,” says Udhay.
This is an oft-repeated tale borne out by coaches and professionals from both sides of the divide — that between cricket and ‘other’ sports — who are quick to point out that cricket has a lot going for it today, perhaps more than ever before.
Big money, glamorous after-parties and almost instant stardom have ensured it looks like the most attractive of sports if your child is bent upon a sporting career.
Kiran Kumar SV, a coach at Jawahars Sports Club’s coaching camp, says parents must not push their children to pursue cricket while neglecting other sports because merely being a good cricket player does not ensure a high-flying career. “Only one out of 50 students can be a good cricketer, and this depends on his skills,” says Kumar who says the number of cricket coaching camps in the city has gone up by as much as 50% since the first IPL in 2008. “Parents of students who show an inclination towards cricket are treating it at par with academics. Parents should not pressure their children, who may be more talented in other games,” says Kumar.
Nandan Kamath, co-founder of talent-management company GoSports India, says, “IPL has shown, for probably the first time, that pursuing a career in sports can potentially be viable and worth the start-up risks and investments.” According to Kamath, it should be kept in mind that progressively, more and more parents are also realising that sports can play a powerful role in shaping their wards’ personalities and progress. This, he hopes, will lead to less talent dropping out prematurely for non-sporting reasons.
Prashant L, secretary, Jawahars Sports Club, feels IPL has played a huge role in encouraging youngsters to take up cricket. He says, “Cricket gets widespread coverage and publicity these days. Its image is highly lucrative and attractive, which encourages parents to push their children to the sport,” he says. Interestingly, Prashant says that IPL version 2, held in South Africa, jacked up enrolment numbers by 5-10% but this year, when it was held in India, the number of students looking for cricket coaching went up by 20%.
Sudhakar BN, state badminton coach, feels the kind of publicity cricket gets matters. “Badminton or tennis are not covered on a daily basis. Lack of exposure prevents many parents from encouraging their children to take up these sports seriously,” he says. The founder of Match Point Table Tennis Academy, GK Vishwanath, says: “One can see IPL’s influence everywhere. People have stopped going to watch films or playing indoor games. Naturally, it has made parents and children think of cricket as a viable career option.”
Rashein Samuel, a national level lawn tennis player, is not convinced: “Cricket has always been considered important in India. IPL, however, has not significantly affected my sport, tennis. We get our share of audience and response.”
And what do parents have to say about this whole hullabaloo? According to Shantanu Sharma, “Cricket is a game played even on the streets. My son opted for cricket since he was exposed to it even as a baby. Cricket is accessible, unlike, say, swimming, which requires a pool for regular practice.” He admits that glamorous league cricket and the T20 format have, however, motivated his son to focus more on cricket than other sports. Parent Neha Rai says: “My son Rohan prefers cricket over other sports. He would rather be an extra player in a cricket team than an important player in any other sports team.”
Kamath has a refreshing viewpoint about professional cricket’s role in changing our attitude towards sports. “Other sports have realised that it is important to build professional leagues and platforms. The most important thing a professional league can do is provide a stage for emerging talent. This not only provides exposure but also helps filter the best from the also-rans. There is also a realisation that sports need to be entertaining to attract and engage with fans,” he maintains.
The way this has influenced the current trend of youngsters flocking to cricket camps is interesting. Experts say there is a realisation that professionalisation, if rolled out and administered responsibly, has the capacity to unlock value for the numerous stakeholders within the sports ecosystem. As Kamath puts it: “It is now well understood that high-quality talent is central to progress. Without local talent there is no point building stadium and leagues — growth of talent and platforms is co-dependent.”
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