NEW DELHI, July 26: ``The preparatory camp has been very helpful. It was needed for each member of the team to know each other better. The collective practice sessions were very useful. The boys are now confident of doing well on the tour,'' said India `A' coach Krishnamachari Srikkanth as the 14-member squad wound up their four-day camp here at the Nehru Stadium on Sunday morning prior to their departure for Amsterdam on a three-week tour of Holland to play matches against Holland and Denmark.Srikkanth has a knack of driving home his point of view to any cricketer. The former flamboyant Indian opener has matured with age and experience which he now shares with the younger players. Whenever he sees a player making a mistake unknowingly, the player in Srikkanth comes up with a ready suggession. He picks up a bat or grips the ball to demonstrate to the player where he is going wrong.
``My role is like that of a film director. It is to motivate them and bring out the best in them. They (players in the Indiasquad) are all talented. I tell them repeatedly that they are in the national team because they have immense talent and have proved their mettle in various domestic tournaments. Now is their chance to grab the opportunity and prove their worth on the tour,'' he explains.
``After all, it is they who have to ultimately perform. I can only guide and encourage them,'' he adds.
This tour of Holland will be the maiden trip abroad for at least eight of the team members. ``A few of the boys who were making it to any national camp for the first time were feeling very shy in the beginning. After four days of staying and playing together, they now feel free,'' he said. Uttar Pradesh skipper Gyanendra Pandey, who has made it to the India `A' team for the first time, nodded in agreement.
Off-spinner Kanwaljit Singh from Hyderabad, who had had several battles on the field with Srikkanth during the domestic Ranji Trophy season some 10-15 years ago, listened to the coach's words of advice and suggestions with raptattention. So do the several youngsters in the squad, including the baby of the team, Reetinder Singh Sodhi.
How many of these players will make it to the senior national team in the future? Srikkanth looks skyward for a moment and says: ``Well, it is up to them to make the best use of this opportunity. A good performance on the tour may not immediately guarantee you a place in the India team. But at least by your performance you can draw the attention of the selectors.''Whatever be the result of the India `A' team in Holland, Srikkanth has inculcated a sense of pride and self-confidence in every member of team.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
