Table of Contents
- Question: You are currently coaching young boys in Mumbai, and you are originally from Gorakhpur in UP. How was the journey from UP to Mumbai? Where did it all begin?
- Question: How do you recognize talent in players?
- Question: Jaiswal was out on zero in the first innings of the Perth Test, after which speculations started whether this young player would be able to play well in Australia or not, what was going on in your mind at that time?
- Question: In the second innings of the first Test, Jaiswal sledged Starc saying that the ball was coming slow, after which there was a lot of discussion about Jaiswal’s confidence. How do you see this thing? Do you think there has been a change in his game and mindset?
- Question: There is a lot of talk about Prithvi Shaw these days. The young player who was once called the next Sachin was not picked by any team in Team India or even in IPL. He remained unsold in the auction. Where did this young player go wrong?
- Here’s the full interview
Who doesn’t know Yashasvi Jaiswal today? This young player has impressed in a very short time. Jaiswal has recently scored heaps of runs in the Test series against Australia. With relation to young opener’s recent run, his childhood coach Jwala Singh engaged in an exclusive conversation with Cricket Times. During this, he gave his opinion on his journey and Jaiswal’s recent performance and also mentioned Prithvi Shaw, who is currently going through a bad phase. Here are some excerpts from the conversation.
Question: You are currently coaching young boys in Mumbai, and you are originally from Gorakhpur in UP. How was the journey from UP to Mumbai? Where did it all begin?
Singh: See, I was very young when I started in Gorakhpur. I was very good in studies. In 1992, the World Cup was going on, and India had defeated Pakistan. I used to read about Sachin Tendulkar and Ramakant Achrekar Sir and I also became interested in playing cricket at the professional level.
I read magazines like Cricket Samraat where I saw Sachin’s name. I felt that I too have to make a name in cricket. Then I played a little in Gorakhpur because my father gave me a cricket kit. But I was advised that I would not get many opportunities there. People used to say that if you stay here, nothing will happen, so I decided to come to Mumbai. I came to Mumbai in 1995. My journey was very difficult from the beginning. When I came to Mumbai, my father brought me. The conditions in Mumbai were very different – in Gorakhpur we lived in a big house, but in Mumbai three-four people lived in a small room. My struggle-filled journey started from here.
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Question: How do you recognize talent in players?
Singh: Our academy is quite big and we offer coaching at different levels. We have 40 to 45 coaches and around 50 to 60 staff members for different levels of players. However, I personally focus on those kids in whom I see attitude, hard work and dedication towards the game. Take the example of Jaiswal. His determination and dedication impressed me, and hence I helped him move forward.
Question: Jaiswal was out on zero in the first innings of the Perth Test, after which speculations started whether this young player would be able to play well in Australia or not, what was going on in your mind at that time?
Singh: I think I was and will always be very confident about him because there are some players who adapt quickly to the situation and understand the game well. I think Yashasvi has that art, he understands the game, he stays in the present and he has all those things. Along with skill, he also has mental toughness, so I knew from the beginning that he would score runs in Australia as well.
Question: In the second innings of the first Test, Jaiswal sledged Starc saying that the ball was coming slow, after which there was a lot of discussion about Jaiswal’s confidence. How do you see this thing? Do you think there has been a change in his game and mindset?
Singh: If you see, a player who can dominate so much in IPL, then it first means that he has skill and confidence and only the latest Indian team can go to Australia and trouble the Australian bowlers. This is today’s India. There used to be a time when India used to go to Australia and the Australian media used to put a mental pressure on us so that the players come under a little pressure, but now since IPL has come, all the world class bowlers come to India, due to which our batters also get a good idea about who bowls what, that is why if you look at all the players of today, they are very fair and Yashasvi has been scoring runs everywhere. His confidence is very high and I think the way he showed intent is a good thing, but I will say again that your process is very important, saying something to someone is a matter of a time frame but after that you have to perform.
Question: There is a lot of talk about Prithvi Shaw these days. The young player who was once called the next Sachin was not picked by any team in Team India or even in IPL. He remained unsold in the auction. Where did this young player go wrong?
Singh: Prithvi Shaw was and is a very highly talented player. He is my first player who played in the Under 19 World Cup. He came to me in 2015 and was with me till the World Cup. I worked a lot on his game, on his mental state and I was very excited when he played in the Under 19 World Cup, but to be honest, I have not seen him after 2017 to see how he looks physically and when I see his picture, I am very surprised.
Today, I see his fitness, his body language, and I feel very sad that this player was given the tag of Next Sachin. As a coach, I am disappointed because he is not at the level he deserved. Something must have gone wrong and I still hope that he works hard and brings himself back to his game in the future. I think he can still come back but for this, he needs discipline, focus and to revive himself again.
