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✪ It’s not just a Simpl(e)y Cricket Academy but a centre that is all about cricket
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Senior cricket writer & analyst
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Simply Cricket Academy, as the name suggests, has simplified cricket and does more than simply playing or training. It is an academy that works on transforming a player into a complete cricketer focusing on various aspects of the game. For children and parents alike, the academy creates a family feel throughout their training period. This is what Roop Razdan, the founder of the academy, and the coaches too emphasize on always.
Roop Razdan, Founder and Managing Director, Simply Cricket Academy, with budding cricketers
A cricket academy based in Dubai called Simply Cricket has constantly strived to live up to its name. As the word ‘Simply’ means purely and totally, everything that happens in the academy revolves around cricket. Roop Razdan, the founder and managing director, has another reason too for having named it that way. “I named it Simply Cricket also because one must keep cricket simple and learn the basics.”
This academy was set up in October 2018 at Al Sadiq School, and today it has coaching centres in the Pakistan Association of Dubai (PAD) campus, Kent College and Al Ahli Club. Simply Cricket caters to many age groups. “Weekend coaching for under-13 happens at PAD, while coaching for above 13 is done on a turf wicket at the Al Ahli Club, and we organise matches at the Kent College. The ongoing two-month summer camp at the United Pro Sports is being attended by 50 trainees,” said Razdan.
Head Coach S. Vincent provides tips
Simply Cricket’s plan of simplifying the basics and teaching the game is led by Head Coach S. Vincent, who as a cricketer had played for India’s Southern Railways and the Tamil Nadu Under-15 team before qualifying as a coach. He has groomed IPL players like Kolkata Knight Riders’ leg spinner Varun Chakravarthy while he was a coach at St Patrick’s Higher Secondary School in Chennai. He has also coached at the St Anthony School and Nets Cricket Academy in Sri Lanka. “We focus on overall development of a cricketer. We try to improve and refine their technical aspects of the game as well as their endurance too, and I am delighted at the progress the players are making. We are proud to say there are some very good prospects for the future here,” said Vincent.
Simply Cricket follows a very simple rule that is applicable for all trainees. “No parental interference is allowed with regards coaching of a cricketer. We provide coaches to chalk out their plan for the player and consider it our moral duty to give the best. And as a matter of policy, we do not accept any sponsorship offer from any parent,” said Razdan.
Neeil Ojha, strength and conditioning coach, with the trainees
Razdan, who has been associated with cricket related programmes and events for many decades, believes that merely learning the techniques of the game from an academy does not make a player a complete cricketer. “Today fitness is an important component of the game. In fact, in modern day cricket one has to be supremely fit. Hence we have Neeil Ojha, a strength and conditioning coach qualified from the Australian Strength and Conditioning Association. We also have former UAE woman cricketer Megha Bhatia as a video analyst who provides in-depth details on the skills in a player. Additionally, Harikrishna Gadubudi, who has assisted renowned international coach Dave Whatmore, is one among our eight coaches,” added Razdan.
Coach Harikrishna Gadubudi with under-10 cricketers
Ojha, who is also a renowned cricket commentator and a radio jockey, said: “I work on physical strengthening and conditioning of every cricketer. The very fact that this academy considers physical strengthening and conditioning as an important element reveals it professionalism.”
Simply Cricket Academy Under-16 team – runners up at the Victoria Super League
What has worked well for this academy is that it ensures full attention to every cricketer with ample time for everyone to shape their techniques. “We have a policy of not burdening a coach with a large number of players to attend. So we ensure that each coach is given only eight players. We also provide regular feedback to the players through our Parents and Trainees (P&T) programmes,” noted Razdan, who has created the feel of a family atmosphere in the academy.
“We also try and involve parents to play matches. Some of the parents are former first class cricketers. So we create opportunities for them to play the game and get them to remain fit and active. Many children join us from the age of five, and we provide group training till the age of 12. Then there is the next age group from the age of 13 to 18. We also ensure that there is balance between playing matches and training,” added Razdan.
Simply Cricket has finished as winners and runners up eight times in domestic tournaments within an span of two and half years.
Training youngsters at the beach
Plans are now on to stage an international tournament with academies from other countries. “This is mainly to provide exposure to our players against opponents from other countries to strengthen overall competition too,” said Razdan. Simply Cricket Academy has just tied up with Just Cricket Academy in Bangalore to give more exposure to their players.
“Just Cricket Academy is the one that groomed India’s star cricketers like Manish Pandey and K.L. Rahul. So this tie-up will provide great benefits to our players,” hopes Razdan.
At the ongoing Simply Cricket’s summer camp, I met a few parents who were watching their children train from the sidelines. Kuzhikkat Sreekumaranunni, father of a promising allrounder Nirmay Puthanveetil, said: “My son joined this academy at the age of six and has progressed well. What I like about this place is the feel of a family and all of us feel we are a part of the academy. I am extremely happy with the attention from the coaches and the progress my son has made.”
Mohammad Mazherullah is the father of promising fast bowler Mohammad Mustafa. “My son began playing cricket by the age of 2 and I got him to this academy at the age of six. Roop has made us feel at home with special attention. Coach Vincent, whom I address as ‘coconut’ because he is hard outside but a soft man inside, really guides the children well. The academy celebrates all festivals together and that makes us feel that this not a mere cricket academy alone.”
Delighted that the pathway he has created for the academy is serving the cricketers, Razdan remarked, “Simply Cricket Academy is also about doing things correctly, simply and earnestly.”
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