With India producing quality players from smaller towns now unlike in the 1980s and 90s, former India opener Virender Sehwag feels making it big in cricket has become tougher than ever before.
“A lot of kids today are playing and taking cricket as a professional career choice,” he said.
Sehwag added, “Making a name isn’t easy in this environment, it is not just about being good, but one also needs to be talented and have the ability to convert their talent into performance.
“If a youngster who has made it to the big league can continuously convert his talent to performances, only then they can have a secure future and hope to play 10-12 years.”
TV channel Discovery will unravel the trials and tribulations of aspiring cricketers in a new show called ‘All Access: The Contenders’.
The upcoming cricketers whose journey has been covered as a part of the show include Mumbai all-rounder Shivam Dube, pacers Kamlesh Nagarkoti and Ishan Porel, wicketkeeper Harvik Desai, and Punjab duo Anmolpreet Singh-Prabhsimran Singh.
“If you look at 80’s and 90’s, there were lots of players from metro cities like Delhi, Mumbai etc. However, this seems to be changing,” Sehwag said. “Now, small-town representation in Indian team has increased.”
The show will give young aspirants a glimpse of what Indian Premier League coaches, franchisees and team management look at while identifying their picks. It also brings to the fore how difficult it is to stay relevant in the ever-changing dynamics of the shortest format of the game.