Grassroots must be nourished to make the grade

Source: Rampant Lion     Date: July 13, 2003

Cricket: Rahul Dravid believes that the investment in youth cricket must continue if the Saltires are to flourish. 

When I was growing up in India, the news that a famous cricketer would be visiting our school to pass on a few tips used to leave us aquiver with anticipation. In these days, back in the early 1980s, when Kapil Dev was leading the Indians towards World Cup glory in 1983, my classmates could recite the team off by heart.

We grew up believing that, while it was one thing to watch the TV pictures of our favourite players, it was a greater honour altogether to meet them.

These were special occasions, and I can recall the thrill of gaining a lesson from Gundappa Viswanath, the man who played 91 Tests for his country, averaged over 40 in the process, and never flinched against the might of the West Indian attack at their fiercest.

When he spoke, you listened and tried your best to soak up his inspiration. Now that I have settled down in Scotland, I am striving to bring some of that similar excitement to my series of masterclasses around the country.

During the first one in Glasgow, I was miked up and wired for sound and I am confident that the 50 boys who came to the session really enjoyed themselves. Not that I'm taking the credit for that Ð the fellows at the grassroots, quietly putting in the work, year in, year out, are the people genuinely deserving of any plaudits. But what I have witnessed thus far has demonstrated to me that there is simply no reason why Scotland can't capitalise on their rich reserves of raw talent in the future.

Indeed, wherever I have travelled, either in Edinburgh, Glasgow or, most recently, in Fochabers, it has been pretty obvious that the SCL have done a lot of hard work at grassroots level during the last decade.

Naturally, it's easier to give children bats and balls than keep them all interested. But, just as the likes of ÒVishyÓ, Roger Binny, Syed Kirmani, and other Test stars lifted our spirits when they held training days at my old school, so the scenes I have witnessed bear testimony to the passion for cricket which exists in Scotland.

Sometimes the kids are wearing football tops and it may be the case they are temporary recruits to the cause, biding their time until the new SPL season starts: but every time I show a little lad how he might improve his grip, or his stance, and he responds: ÒThanks, Mr DravidÓ, it leaves a warm feeling in my stomach.

It hardly needs adding that theories abound as to the ÒsecretÓ of coaching, as if there was some magic formula awaiting discovery.

But in my experience, children are children, whether they were born in Kolkat or Kirkintilloch and the moment you try to patronise them or fill their heads with jargon, they will switch off.

Of course, one of the essential ingredients is practice Ð I know some international players are described as geniuses, but, believe me, very few truly world-class players manage to remain at the pinnacle without hours of sheer hard graft in the nets Ð yet there is absolutely no point in walking into a primary school and teaching pupils how to execute forward defensive shots like Geoff Boycott. Within minutes, they will be bored and once you lose them, they may have gone forever.

No, there has to be a huge element of fun provided for the kids at that age. In the long run problems will have to be addressed if a youngster wants to hit every ball into the car park, but the trick is to capture their attention in the first place.

Okay, for every 10 or 20 of the audience, the highest standard they can hope to achieve is club cricket and only time will tell whether any of them will prove to possess the necessary talent, commitment and temperament to follow in the footsteps of Craig Wright, Majid Haq, Colin Smith and co by winning matches for the Saltires.

But listen: from the eager words of the children at the Grange last Sunday, pursuing autographs, to the 100% focused eyes of the kids who looked, listened and learned at Titwood, I can detect a seismic change in the approach of many Scots to this game. One could discern that in the disappointment of the crowd by the climax of the three NCL matches in Edinburgh.

With hindsight, we should probably have beaten Notts, and the stand of 136 between myself and Colin Smith was a terrific platform for us to go on and complete the job, at least if one or two chances hadn't been missed. But as it was, I warned in advance that the counties are playing six or seven days every week, and that level of experience means it will be difficult for us to keep winning while there are three-week gaps between our matches.

That's not an excuse, just a straightforward statement of fact, but although the defeats against Durham and Lancashire were both emphatic, we shouldn't dwell on the negative aspects. After all, Tony Judd has argued, quite correctly, that the best time to analyse the progress made is when the Scots take on Canada, Holland and Namibia next spring.

Craig has been terrific this week, both with bat and ball, and has never ducked a question at the post-match press conferences. He appreciates that doubts are being raised about several of the guys, but he is correct to retort that these players performed out of their skins earlier in the season and deserve to be allowed the opportunity to keep fighting.

That doesn't mean carte blanche for everybody on an indefinite basis, but I believe that the selectors are right to stick with the present group.