DUBAI Having groomed top cricketers including Indian stars Zaheer Khan and Ajinkya Rahane, Mumbai-based coach Vidya Paradkar is a very popular name in the cricketing circles in India. Paradkar has been in the UAE for nearly a month as a coach for Yogi Group Cricket Club and his initial thoughts about the game here is the urgent need to promote cricket at school and club levels.
“It’s very important to have school and club cricket culture,” Paradkar told XPRESS. “Once that is in place the rest follows. We need good grounds and athletics strips close to them as running is the mother of all fitness,” he added.
lot of talent
That apart, Paradkar is impressed with the commitment the cricketers have shown despite having to work for their livelihood.
“There is lot of talent here. But they need a certain level of fine tuning and that’s where the coach’s role becomes important. The game is also fortunate to have patrons who help recruit cricketers, offer them jobs and give them the chance to play cricket,” he said.
“The game will surely grow. Vasu Paranjape (former Bombay and national coach of India) went to Sri Lanka around three decades ago when cricket was in a similar situation. But look at the way it has prospered now. So that’s how it works,” he added.
Paradkar also hinted at the possibility of identifying talent in the club and taking them to Mumbai for further training.
“We are working on it. We will take a small group to Mumbai and help them work on their game and that should give them lot of confidence,” said Paradkar.
With Yogi Group having a busy schedule playing the domestic tournaments, the Mumbai coach has been watching the boys during matches.
“He has not missed a single match since he has arrived,” said Shiva Pagarani, owner of Yogi Group. “We are grateful to have him here. We see a lot of changes already since he has taken over. There is a lot more enthusiasm in the team. His words make a lot of difference and it’s surely helping the team in a big way,” he added.