Street players have their own rules

Many have to be retaught if they take up the sport professionally.

NEW DEHLI: During the World Cup, millions of youngsters across south Asia will try to copy their heroes at games played in streets and parks – but any umpire would be appalled at their bowling.

Most street cricketers bowl by “chucking” the ball with a bent elbow in a style banned by the sport’s rulers, and coaches despair that they are missing out on talent from the breeding grounds of villages.

Many brilliant young cricketers who are the best bowlers in their local street games need to be completely re-taught if they are to progress to league or professional matches.

“They don’t care that the arm should be straight and it’s very difficult to learn again,” said Amrit Mathur, chief operating officer of the Delhi Daredevils Twenty20 team and a former senior official at the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

Mathur, who oversees a youth talent-spotting programme in Delhi, said that chucking has filtered upwards from the neighbourhood games played on any open patch of rough ground.

‘Chucking creating divide’

Mathur said the problem is creating a divide between how young, poor people play cricket in the subcontinent, and the official sport.

“Thirty years ago, boys did not chuck in street cricket,” said Mathur.

“Some of the better-off or more talented kids will go to a club or school where there is a coach to rectify. But re-modelling a bowling action is often impossible.”

‘Tennis ball is a concern’

Although it might be a joy to see boys playing with just a plank of wood for a bat, bricks as a wicket, and a tennis ball, noted television commentator Harsha Bhogle feels the tennis ball itself is one of the problems.

“A tennis ball travels so slowly through the air, that batsmen have too much time in street cricket,” said Bhogle. “Much better and faster to chuck it – that is where this all starts.”

Published in The Express Tribune, February 16^th, 2011.