Windies' Khan loves India's cricket enthusiasm

Abu Dhabi: West Indies team manager Omar Khan is of Indian origin and says he loves the nation's enthusiasm for cricket.

His grandparents hail from Chandigarh and he says many promising cricketers on the islands have an Indian background.

Khan, who was born and brought up in Trinidad, said: "I have never been to India but I love their enthusiasm for the game.

"I come from a business management background and got close to the cricket board while organising youth programmes for the cricketers.

"We shape them into good cricketers focusing on improving the personality traits of the player."

Khan revealed that a number of cricketers of Indian origin are gearing up to get into the West Indies team.

He said most of the cricketers from Trinidad and Guyana are of Indian origin and they have been performing consistently in domestic cricket.

"Television has played a big role in regaining the popularity of the game. Zee TV, Espn and Fox Sports are watched by almost all the cricketers of Indian origin," he said.

Khan named two cricketers with Indian ancestry, who may soon make it to the West Indies team.

Youngsters

"Adrian Bharath is a 19-year-old opening batsman. He has been scoring a lot of runs in domestic cricket. There are also very good spinners and Bishu, a leg spinner, is taking a lot of wickets," he said.

Khan also said that Twenty20 too is helping the sport. He said: "Twenty20 form of the game has re-engergised the game there."