by Richard Pybus
(Question from Zubair, Saudi Arabia)
Morne Morkel : Doing The Hard Yards To The Top
Hi Coach,
I am planning to take a gap year and join an academy in India but I don’t know how to prove myself in 1 year as I’ll be going to university in Malaysia after that!
I’m very passionate about my fast bowling so how do I impress people on a short notice?
I’ve been playing cricket in Saudi Arabia as I live there! I believe I can be a good fast bowler, I have 3 to 5 net sessions a year and still pick up 1-2 wickets in almost every match. I feel I just need a nudge in the right direction. I want to know how cricket selection for national sides occur in India and how much time do I need to catch the eye of a selector.
Hi Zubair,
exciting times and decisions ahead, congrats in getting into the Academy and the Uni.
Selection into first class cricket pretty much works the same way all over the world, you need to play first team club cricket, do very well consistently and from there you’ll get selected to the provincial/ district / representative team. This is the first step into first class cricket, you then need to keep performing consistently to move up to the next level.
Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel as young fast bowlers at Titans started in the academy and amateur ranks and worked their way through the system, the exciting thing is that if you have pace or swing you will getting noticed quickly. Otherwise you really work on your skills and learn as much as you can with a view to achieving longer term cricket goals.
This pathway goes all the way up to international cricket.
The days of getting plucked from obscurity are gone, there is due diligence in selection and selectors in the highest levels of the game are paid and therefore accountable for their selections.
My suggestion is to really work smart and hard at the academy, you will need to get involved in club cricket and shpw what you can do there to catch the eye. It’s a major long term commitment to achieving your goals, you need to be patient and understand that an academy is a stepping stone, not a destination.
Practicing occasionally isn’t going to get you to first class cricket, in SA our professionals play and train 5/6 days a week in season and work on their game during the winter months.
An exceptional youngster may jump from junior cricket to first class cricket, but he will have been outstanding in U-19’s to be identified to make the move to first class.
I hope this helps, don’t look for a quick fix, be willing to do the work and you’ll make excellent progress.
Best Wishes Coach
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About Richard Pybus
I'm Richard Pybus, I've coached Pakistan, Bangladesh, Middlesex, Titans and the Cape Cobras in South Africa and the goal of this site is to help you to play winning cricket.