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The talent spotter
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Pravin Amre never made headlines when playing for India but he has played a pivotal role in scouting for Indian cricket's next generation. Now he plans a foray into coaching
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PHOTO: V.V. KRISHNAN
JOB WELL DONE Pravin Amre: `I am satisfied with the way we selected our juniors and also ensured that they got the right breaks at the right time'
In Indian cricket's history of lost talent, Vinod Kambli is a prominent name. And in the shadow of his exuberance and talent, a few other cricketers — who flickered briefly and faded away — were forgotten. Pravin Amre is one such cricketer. The man who marked his Test debut with a 103 against South Africa at Durban in the early '90s is now just a mere memory.
Amre, a protégé of the famous Ramakant Achrekar school of coaching that also churned out Sachin Tendulkar and Kambli, played just 11 Tests scoring 425 runs at an average of 42.50. Amre also played 37 one-dayers. His early steps in international cricket that were rich in poise and grit while facing the likes of `greased lightning' Allan Donald, proved too fleeting, and in the musical chairs of Indian selection, Amre was given a raw deal.
Amre, now 37, however has no time to recap his first-class career rich in runs or his brief international stint. The Mumbaikar, who played for quite a few teams in the Ranji Trophy, has been busy scouting talent among the junior crop for the last three years. As chairman of the junior selection committee, Amre and his band of fellow junior selectors have been responsible for fast-tracking the likes of Irfan Pathan and Suresh Raina.
At a time when coach Greg Chappell has repeatedly said "ignore youth at your own peril", Amre and his men have ensured that a slew of talented juniors secure their big breaks at the right time. And on that score, Amre is indeed a contented man.
"Our committee has given the breaks at the right time and players like Irfan Pathan, Suresh Raina, R.P. Singh, V.R.V. Singh, Dinesh Kaarthick, Piyush Chawla and Robin Uthappa all got their breaks. And it is not that they just got the India caps, they also went out and performed and some of them have already got their man-of-the-match awards, which proves that they belong at that level. Having played with Kiran More (the senior selection committee chairman) I had a good rapport with him and I could mention these players to him at the right time," Amre said.
The former India player is in town to watch the Col. Hemu Adhikari Trophy NCA Inter-zonal Tournament Matches that will also serve as a selection trial for the India Under-19 team scheduled to tour England.
"We are selecting the team on June 14. The team will leave for England on July 9 and be back on August 10. The tour will include three Tests and three one-dayers. After that the team is scheduled to tour Pakistan in September. And since these are the rainy months with hardly any cricket, I guess the same team might tour Pakistan too."
These are the last days as selector for Amre. "I have an offer to be the batting consultant with the Mumbai Ranji team and since my term as selector is coming to an end, I will take up that offer. Selection is a thankless job. It is like fielding at short-leg. But I am satisfied with the way we selected our juniors and also ensured that they got the right breaks at the right time. And we did not entirely base our judgment on statistics. We watched the player, checked his technique and aptitude to play at the highest level. Sometimes a player we pushed into the senior ranks, was actually struggling at the time of selection but we backed our judgment of his ability and pushed his case which is crucial for a cricketer to make that transition from junior to senior."
The junior selection committee chairman also lauded the role played by the National Cricket Academy in churning out well-prepared cricketers.
"When we — Sachin, Kambli and I — were emerging in Mumbai, we were not exposed to the inputs on the mental and physical aspects of the game like these NCA youngsters. I am glad for them. As for the future, players like Shikar Dhawan, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ravindra Jadeja and Rohit Sharma are the ones to watch out for," signed off Amre.
K.C. VIJAYA KUMAR
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