Umran Malik effect: Young Kashmir cricketers make beeline to professional academies to hone skills

Srinagar:  Forty-year-old Sajjad Ali of Baramulla regrets not becoming a professional cricketer.

He wants his son to fulfill his dream. Though his son Musaib Ahmad is only six, he is not leaving anything to chance and preparing him for the bigger goal.

“From his diet to training, I take care of everything. I have got him admitted to a local cricket academy for honing his skills,” Ali said.

Seeing his dedication, many other parents in the locality are now giving their children an option to choose sports as a career.

Over the years, Jammu and Kashmir has witnessed many cricketers carving a niche at different levels.

From Parvez Rasool to Manzoor Dar and from Abdul Samad to Umran Malik, J&K cricketers are proving their mettle at the national and international levels.

Their achievements are fueling passion among budding cricketers. Scores of the cricket academies have now come up in the valley where the skills of budding cricketers are being honed.

At GD Sports, an academy that has come up in 2019, scores of the children are receiving training from professional cricketers.

“We have almost 60 children in this academy. The roll has been increasing ever since the cricket of Jammu and Kashmir began touching new heights,” said Muhammad Zubair, co-owner of GD Sports.

Two of their trainees have been called up for U-19 trials by the Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association.

“We are planning to augment the facilities so that more children could be prepared for bigger competitions,” said Zubair.

In Bastion Cricket Academy, Ganderbal, scores of the budding cricketers are getting training in various departments. Similarly, multiple academies are functioning in the south and central Kashmir. 

An official of the Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association said multiple academies have come up in the valley after local cricketers made it to the bigger leagues.

“Right now, multiple tournaments are being played at the district level.  JKCA follows a regular calendar for trials and competition across the union territory,” he said.