Dreams for a change

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The plight of Kochi Tuskers Kerala has certainly dampened the prospect of Kerala gen next cricketers but custodian of the sport in the state asserts that IPL was never the final destination as far as Kerala cricket is concerned.

T. C. Mathew secretary of Kerala Cricket Association said, “We had never banked completely on the IPL though it was a direct cut to fame for young cricketers. The owners have to be blamed for befalling this fate upon the team but Kerala cricket has never been harmed by any of these incidents.”

Though the Kochi Tuskers Kerala appeared for just one season on field and on screen, it had produced enough vibe to project the names such as Raiphi Vincent Gomez, Prasanth Parameswaran and Prasanth Padmanabhan.

So, if the IPL team is to stage a comeback in the State, Kerala cricket is sure to get more drive out of it and more youngsters will hit the headlines. “That is true, but we have proper plans for the development of cricket in our state and the recent tour of South Africa is one among them,” said Mathew.

“Our aim is to elevate the game in our state to the next level, which includes taking our state into the elite group of Ranji at the earliest,” he added.

Indeed, the ongoing tours of South Africa and Sri Lanka have been an eye opener for Kerala cricket as it has bolstered the confidence level of its youngsters.

While, the Kerala Colts are having a terrific ride in Africa, the under-22 boys are being exposed to some tough conditions in the island nation.

“Our senior boys are doing extremely well in SA and meanwhile, our under-22 team is also learning quite a bit despite losing a couple of games in Sri Lanka,” he said.

Spinner Prasanth Padmanabhan has been in terrific form throughout the SA tour as the leading wicket taker for the side.

“It has been a dream-like performance here. The conditions were in favour of spin bowling but it was always a collective effort, our players are always looking for win,” chatted Prasanth.
Meanwhile, Mathew pointed that director of National Cricket Academy Sandeep Patil on his recent visit to the state was highly impressed with the progress made by Kerala cricket.

“Yes, it cannot be said for sure if the IPL will return to Kerala soon but that doesn’t mean it is a dead end for Kerala’s upcoming cricketers. I am sure our boys will have takers in the other IPL teams,” said Mathew.