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Vidarbha Ranji cricket team’s historical and maiden semi-final appearance in this format has been hailed by those associated with Vidarbha Cricket Association for quite some time. The coaches and players applauded Vidarbha’s performance this Ranji season where Vidarbha registered five outright wins, the last one being over Kerala in the quarter-finals. Vidarbha thrashed Kerala in Surat by 412 runs to reach their first semis.
The Hitavada’s Principal Correspondent Paritosh Pramanik spoke to a few coaches and players on Vidarbha’s successful run this season.
Excerpts
SULAKSHAN KULKARNI
(Former coach)
The professionals have done really well this season. The team under Faiz Fazal clicked as a unit. They are among the very few teams that has taken 20 wickets on any given track be it a seamer friendly, a spinning or a flat track. The team had the strength to beat any side with their all-round performance.
This historical moment is due to the residential academy which VCA started around a decade ago. Most of the players are products of this academy. It all started in 2009 and the results are here today.
Playing with professionals taught the lads the finer points of the game. Three players inside the boundary line make a big difference in players’ confidence.
Similarly, professional coaches like myself, Sairaj Bahutule, Paras Mhambre and now Chandrakant Pandit...VCA believed in professionalism.
This season Vidarbha had five outright wins which is really commendable. I am very happy for the side and wish them luck for the next two games. They have the strength to win the title.
PREETAM GANDHE
(Former captain)
It is the result of hard work put in by the association and of course by the players. This bunch is a very talented lot. The team clicked as a unit this time and above all we had a very talented coach in Chandrakant Pandit.
He is a taskmaster and reads the game very well. He plays a role of a mental trainer during the training sessions and during matches.
Most of the players in the current team are products of the residential academy. Players like Aditya Sarwate, Apoorv Wankhade and others have come from the grind of junior level.
Earlier, we had difficulty in opening order where we had only one batsman. But now Faiz and Sanjay both are doing well. Sanjay was not among runs last season but the selectors and management kept faith in him. That gave him confidence and today he is one of the best openers we have. The semis and the final (if we reach) will be battle of nerves. It won’t be like who has strong line-up. All the four teams are strong. The team which will keep their emotions in control and play strongly will come out victors. I am sure Vidarbha will reach till the end.
S Badrinath
(Former captain)
I am very happy for the Vidarbha team that they qualified for the semi-finals. The team has been doing well for quite some time and they have the quality to be on the top. I would like to mention a few names that have really done well...some of whom with I have played. Opener Faiz Fazal is a great talent and so is Akshay Wakhare. This season Rajneesh Gurbani has done exceedingly well and I hope the team achieves greater heights. What I want to see is Vidarbha players’ representation at the higher level. They have talent and players can play at the next level. I wish the team luck and hope the players play at the highest level.
Pravin Hinganikar
(Former captain)
It is a great news that Vidarbha qualified for Ranji semis for the first time. The team is really playing well this season. It shows how fast Vidarbha cricket is improving.
The five outright wins in the competition shows the domination of the team. Similarly, Faiz Fazal and Sanjay Ramaswamy have batted really well. To win any match, good batting from top order is essential and both the openers have performed above expectation. I think this team can give a tough challenge to Karnataka in the semi-finals.
Pandit’s mantra for Team Vidarbha
n By Paritosh Pramanik
HE IS a taskmaster who wants to instill the habit of winning. He is never satisfied with small wins but wants his wards to emerge victors in big wars. In a very less time, this ‘no nonsense’ coach has infused belief in the players’ abilities.
Chandrakant Pandit has replaced the ‘I’ with ‘We’ in the team which has helped the side reach their maiden Ranji Trophy semi-finals. With five outright wins from seven games so far Vidarbha team has been on a dream run.
Talking to ‘The Hitavada’ after Vidarbha’s crushing 412 runs win over Kerala in the quarter-finals, Pandit said he was happy with the way the team carried the momentum. “The boys have carried the momentum from match one. They continued in the same way and that shows their character. They are playing as a good unit and are enjoying their performance on the field as well as off the field. This win has definitely raised the confidence of the team going into the semi-finals,” said Pandit.
The former India stumper does not want his wards to do anything different in the semis.
“I don’t want them to do anything extra. I want them to do what they are doing since last month.”
Pandit is well-known for his disciplined nature and he believes it only helps players. He wants to instill the winning culture of Mumbai in Vidarbha.
“My method of coaching is entirely different. I might be a little harsh, probably more disciplined but that is only for players to play good cricket. I come from Mumbai where I spent my entire career and have instilled a habit of winning. That culture I want to implicate here.
“Looking at this unit for first time, I thought they have lot of talent. What I did to this team is I made a system. We made separate committees among the players on which they all worked together for everybody’s happiness. This has helped in keeping the team together as a cohesive unit. I told them that we all wanted to raise the reputation of Vidarbha cricket. We all should be known in Indian cricket,” Pandit elaborated.
Pandit kept motivating the players by narrating several stories related to Mumbai cricket. A greedy man that he is, Pandit is never happy with small wins. He wants Vidarbha to win the championship. “I have motivated players with Mumbai’s winning stories. There were many instances which I narrated to these players to motivate them. There are several different methods too.
“The players know I never get happy with the small victories or performances. So, till now there is no celebration in the team. I want them to win the championship,” he said.
Lauding the talent Vidarbha cricketers have, Pandit said the players have now started believing in their abilities.
“There is huge talent in the team. The way Apoorv Wankhade batted yesterday, Faiz Fazal scoring runs, Sanjay is also scoring in abundance, Sarwate getting wickets, Gurbani doing well. I think they have started believing in their individual abilities and that is helping the team. I always say that it is the team first than individual heroics,” concluded Pandit.
Persons above 70 years of age can not hold any post in sports managing committee as per HI rules and MSYA directions, claims HPP president
n Principal Correspondent
AHEAD of the elections of Vidarbha Hockey Association (VHA), rivals of Hockey Lovers Panel (HLP) have accused the present body of fielding ‘overaged’ and ‘ineligible’ candidates and also claimed that they have failed in managing the affairs of the association properly.
Triloki Nath Sidhra, former secretary of VHA and president of Hockey Promoters Panel, has appealed voters not to cast their vote in favour of ‘overaged’ Atal Bahadur Singh, DS Karunashankar and Salim Baig in the ensuing December 17 elections.
There is a straight fight between Hockey Lovers Panel and Hockey Promoters Panel for 13 posts.
According to Sidhra’s appeal, Atal Bahadur Singh, former city mayor, DS Karunashankar, who is contesting for the post of secretary and Salim Baig, who will be fighting for vice-president’s post, are over 70 years of age and hence can not contest the elections as per the rules of Hockey India (HI). VHA is Associate Member of HI.
Sidhra also warned of a possible disaffiliation of VHA by Hockey India if these candidates were elected. The appeal letter to the voters, which was posted on Facebook page of HPPs secretarial candidate Vinod Gawai, stated: “It is brought to your kind notice that as per constitution of Hockey India/Indian Olympic Association and as per direction of Government of India, Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs vide letter F-No. 8-17/2009-SP. III dated 01.05.2010, no person over 70 years of age can hold any post in any sports managing committee. Hockey India and being its affiliated unit VHA are bound by these directions. This can be a sole reason for disaffiliation of VHA by Hockey India.
“This was the reason why Hockey Promoters Panel did not field any person over 70 years of age. Unfortunately, Hockey Lovers Panel has knowingly filed nomination of following candidates over 70 years of age: 1. Sardar Atal Bahadur Singh, 2. Salim Baig, 3. Karuna Shankar.
“Election of the above candidate can be a blunder on the part of VHA. Thus, being a senior most member of VHA I appeal to all hon’ble members not to cast their valuable votes to the above candidates for the welfare of VHA.”
Interestingly, Sidhra was part of Singh’s panel in the 2014 elections in which they swept all 13 posts.
In another appeal attached with the same post, Gawai accused VHA executive committee of not holding annual general meetings, not preparing annual books of accounts. His post also accused the association of not sanctioning any budget. It also alleged that the association has not conducted tournaments, coaching camps/umpire clinic.
Former VHA secretary Gawai’s post also accused the present committee of lack of maintenance of ground/building and premises.
In the end, the post requested the voters to say “no (to) the present governing body who reduced VHA status of 22 Districts to 6 Districts only.”
Hockey Lovers Panel will be holding a press conference on Wednesday.
