‘Homecoming’ for Natal boys

For this bunch of first-time visitors to India it was a home coming of sorts. Three young spinners of Indian origin from Kwazulu-Natal provi...

For this bunch of first-time visitors to India it was a home coming of sorts. Three young spinners of Indian origin from Kwazulu-Natal province in South Africa are in Delhi to hone their skills under left-armer Maninder Singh.

Accompanying the three Durban boys — Imran Khan, Abdul Razzak and Tyron Pillay — is one more budding spinner Knowledge Villakazi and coach Symond Zoleki. Ask the coach about the time he and his wards have spent at the Academy and he is reminded of some words of wisdom that Maninder gave to the visitors, ‘‘it’s the fingers that spin the ball, not the wickets’’.

All these spinners are in their formative years. Imran has captained the South Afircan U-19 side in Commonwealth Games, and plays for Natal senior side that is led by Lance Klusener.

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While Khan bowls off-spin, the other three are leg-spinners. Pillai has made it to the senior province side, Razzak has been part of the South Africa’s U-19 team while the youngest member of the touring party, Knwoledge Villakazi, plays for Natal’s U-15 side.

‘‘Our experience here has been very nice. Maninder has taught me how to use the front arm. My grip too needed some adjustments,” said Pillai.

Coach Symond too is on a ‘study tour’. He talked about how Maninder took him to a concrete surface and showed the way to turn on it. Hitesh Sharma, the former Delhi batsman who is Maninder’s associate at the camp, said how the South Africans boys were given a comprehensive lesson in spin bowling.

‘‘Initially, they were fast in the air. Mani asked them to bowl slow. He also worked on their run-up, follow-through, flight and the grip,’’ he said.

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Former CEO of Durban Cricket, Casim Docrat, who is said to have conceived this trip, is bullish about this trip.

Talking to The Indian Express from Durban he said, ‘‘We do have good pacers and batsman but he always had a problem with spinners. That was the reason we sent the kids there.’’ Docrat also added that they are also looking at an exchange programme with some academies in India.