(Indian players celebrate…)
NAGPUR: India's U-19 World Cup win in Australia was no fluke. To the Board of Control for Cricket in India's (BCCI) credit, a systematic plan was put in place almost two years ago to identify and nurture players for this tournament.
The preparations began just after the Ashok Menaria-led side lost to Pakistan in the quarterfinal of the 2010 U-19 World Cup in New Zealand, where India finished sixth. The selectors identified the players immediately after and worked on them; they were given the right kind of exposure and the result is there for everyone to see.
"The players have worked very hard for this and they deserve all the success. We at BCCI tried to provide them every facility, guidance and exposure at the right time. Credit to them that they clicked when it mattered the most," BCCI secretary Sanjay Jagdale told TOI.
Except for South Africa and Zimbabwe, India played against every Test-playing country in three quality tournaments. That helped the team management in not only identifying the players but also in studying the opponents. For over a year, the Unmukt Chand-led team hasn't lost in a single tournament. It won the quadrangular series twice and shared the Asia Cup Trophy with arch-rivals Pakistan earlier this summer.
It all started with the quadrangular tournament last September in Visakhapatnam, where India emerged victorious by defeating Australia, Sri Lanka and the West Indies. The selectors had already identified the talent but their real test was to see how they would perform on the big stage.
Junior selector Preetam Gandhe agreed that the success in Townsville was the result of proper planning and teamwork. "I would call it teamwork, right from BCCI to NCA, coaches, support staff, selectors and most importantly the players. We all were on the same path. We had one goal and that was to see this team do well. They did everything right, from conditioning camps to playing different tournaments," Gandhe said.
"The quadrangular tournament helped us in earmarking the core group. Most of the boys who have done well are part of that group. The likes of Unmukt, Aparajith, Smit, Harmeet, Vikas, Akshdeep and Sandeep have been playing together for the last one year."
While they had identified the core group, the selectors also didn't want to miss out on talent so they kept an eye on performers in the Under-19 category matches.
"It was a happy situation for us. We wanted lot of options and we got good talent. Most of the batsmen have scored more than 1000 runs in the season while the bowlers have been among the wickets. Some players also played first-class cricket so that helped," the former Vidarbha skipper said. So when India toured Malaysia for the Asia Cup, it was a dress rehearsal for the World Cup.
Much has been said and written about how much planning and preparation went into India winning the under-19 World Cup. It is heartening to hear that this was the case. Why can't we see the same level of planning going into the senior team's tours and indeed its playing calendar? Sadly, that has often been lacking with the team management blaming inadequate practice games and so on for poor results. Also, while the board may have done a good job of preparing the younger lot for their World Cup, it should now realize that a lot of work must go into counselling these teenagers so that they are able to handle their success and mature into seniors without losing their heads.