[1]India’s win in the U-19 World Cup final has caught the fancy of the entire nation. So much so that even our MPs in the Rajya Sabha congratulated the team. “This victory has added another feather in the crown of Indian cricket,” Rajya Sabha chairman Hamid Ansari was quoted as saying.
The BCCI was not far behind in congratulating the players. “Many congratulations to the Indian team for winning the ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup. We won the ‘senior’ World Cup last year, and now our boys have triumphed in the junior version of the tournament. This is a great day for Indian cricket. The board would like to announce a cash prize of Rs 20 lakh to each player, and Rs 15 lakh to each member of the support staff,” said BCCI president N. Srinivasan in a statement.
Virat Kohli, captain of the 2008 Under-19 that also won the World Cup, cheered for the team too. “Great win for the India U-19 boys. Enjoy the moment guys it’s very special... And to top that we had a good win too. Happy times,” he tweeted.
There were also notes of caution. Said former Indian cricketer Robin Singh, “Nothing can be judged from Under-19 cricket. It is several notches below first-class standards. The most important phase in a cricketer’s development is between 19 and 24.”
Cricket commentator Ayaz Memon thinks that a wide gap exists between U-19, first class and international cricket. “They should remember that this is just the beginning and they have a long way to go. U-19 win must be celebrated but it’s also important to remember this is a start, not culmination” he tweeted.
Many cricketers in the U-19 team feel that the next step after this victory is the national team. However, this is a dream that seldom comes true. Former cricketer Venkatesh Prasad said, “At that level it’s a learning curve. They need to be playing a minimum of two years of first class competitions, and probably from there they could graduate to the next step, the Duleep Trophy. That’s the right approach.”
Links:
[1] http://archive.asianage.com/u19jpg-857