Spin it to Win it

Posted Date: Friday, 6th July 2007

Spin it to Win it

The race is on to find a top-class young spinner good enough to play for England - and it's taking place right in the heart of Leicester.
The Junior Spin Star competition will go ahead at the City Cricket Academy in Commercial Square, Freemans Common, in September.

And the winner will get an all expenses paid trip to India to attend a "finishing school" and then, hopefully go on to have a glittering career at county or even international level.

"It would be great to find a good spinner," said organiser
Anshuman Bhagawati. "We could seriously do with a wrist
spinner in England.

"But this competition will not be confined to youngsters who attend the Academy It is open to anyone in Leicestershire and Rutland.

"Ideally, they will be under-16 and will have free trials at the Academy There will be ongoing selection and, when we get down to the final 10 or 15 candidates, we'll bring in a professional to make the final judgment, hopefully someone like Ashley Giles or Nick Cook. "We shall be starting in early September and we will have the finished article by the end of the year."

And the winner will then be in for a treat with a trip of a lifetime, all expenses paid. "He will go to Chennai, formely Madras, where Nasser Hussain was born," said Bhagawati.

"There he will be coached by Arapalli Prasana, the former India spinner who played 49 Tests. Spinning is a special art and it needs special training. It would give me great satisfaction to see one developed by us to go on to play at a much higher level."

The Junior Spin Star competition is not the only event taking place at the Academy.

The Summer Camp starts on July 17. There will be a coloured clothing tournament outdoors for under-13 and under-15s, winter elite squad training, a winter overseas tour to Dubai in December and trips out.

"The summer camp will run from July 17 to August 17," said Bhagawati. "It will be seven to 16-year-olds and will be from 10am until 4pm with a break for lunch.

"The youngsters will get skill sessions, fitness routines, batting and bowling in the nets, fielding drills and master classes.

"It's all geared to playing and learning cricket with fun. And the youngsters don't have to-have their own kit. We'll provide bats, pads, helmets, gloves and balls.

"The camps will be supervised by ECB-qualified coaches and former first-class cricketers.

"And then the best 22 under-15s will be invited to play in a Test match at the Electricity Sports ground.

"The camps will be great fun for everyone and cost just L20 a day or L70 for the week. There will indoor training on Tuesdays and Wednesdays and outdoor match days on Thursdays and Fridays."

Bhagawati has also come up with a novel idea to have a tournament with the players wearing coloured clothing with Academy and guest teams playing with a white ball.

"Youngsters don't get to wear coloured clothing," said Bhagawati. "It will be good for them. Games will be played under ICC rules and it will be proper one-day cricket.

"In most games involving youngsters, players have to retire when they reach 25 but we won't be doing that. Anyone who scores a century will win a bat and anyone taking five wickets will win a pair of boots. "This will take place from August 13 to August 19 with two age groups - under-13s and under-15s. Team selection for both boys and girls will be based on ability, attendance and dedication and the clothing will be provided for all the players."

As if that wasn't enough activity at the Academy, Bhagawati revealed that two teams - one under-15 and one UNder-13 - have been invited to play in the Dubai tournament from December 15 to December 23.

"It will be an international tournament with teams from Durham, Australia, India, New Zealand and other countries," said Bhagawati. "It will be a great chance for youngsters to play in the famous Sarjah Stadium.

"They won't be going just sightseeing, they will be going there to win the tournament and return as world champions.
The organisers are also trying to arrange for one match to be played under lights.

"The provisional booking form must be returned by July 18. Before the squads go out there will be free squad training.

"There are also three trips organised. We shall be going to Lord's for a day to watch Middlesex play, there will be a visit to the Hunts bat factory in Huntingdon where youngsters can see how bats are made and a visit to an army camp in Nottingham to see the soldiers in training and to learn how important discipline is in life."

The Academy opened its doors to youngsters at the end of May last year and Bhagawati said: "We now have more than 180 coming here. "They love it, get to know the game and it keeps them out of trouble. It has been a huge success and hopefully will continue to be so."
(Leicester Mercury)