Yuveraj - a bright prospect among the junior crop

IF WE are to rate ability in men by what they accomplish and not by just what they attempt, then young Yuveraj Singh is possibly the brightest prospect from the present junior crop.

The left-hander from Punjab had the country's cricketing circle sit up and take notice when he cracked a triple hundred, 358 to be precise, against Bihar in the final of the Cooch Behar Trophy National under-19 cricket championship in Jamshedpur. This, after he had made 122 against Madhya Pradesh in the semifinals and a half century against Orissa in the quarterfinals.

The 18-year-old is blessed with a mature head and appears to be the kind who prepares for the future rather than keep worrying. So it seemed during a chat in Chennai after he guided North Zone to victory over Rest of India in the Vinoo Mankad Trophy under-19 limited overs fixture a fortnight ago.

Yuveraj spoke about how he is striving to realise his father's dream. Yograj Singh, a medium fast bowler, represented the country in one Test. The son doesn't believe in the pressure syndrome which bogs most children who pursue the sport in which their father's made a mark in. ``If you look at it as pressure then it is a burden on you, but if you take it as a game it's a challenge for you. It's my father's dream that I play for the country, I'm working towards it,'' said Yuveraj.

The striking aspect about this youngster is his appetite for runs. Records have it that he has four double hundreds at the junior representative level - two in the under-16 and against Railways and now Bihar in the 19s.

He made his first class debut as a 16-year-old in 1997-98, and cracked his maiden century (151) against Haryana this year in what was only his fourth Ranji Trophy match.

Yuveraj is a hard-hitting, aggressive batsman who enjoys playing his shots. His batting is all about confidence. As he puts it, ``If the first delivery I face is a loose one, I'll hit it.'' Yuveraj's heroes are Saeed Anwar, Tendulkar and Lara. ``I've got video tapes of Anwar's World record limited overs innings at Chennai and knocks of Tendulkar's and Lara's which I watch, especially when I think I'm not batting well and feel that I need to work on my attitude,'' said the second year B.A. student of DAV College, Chandigarh.

Yuveraj is also an useful left-arm spinner, picking up 10-odd wickets in the 19s this year. ``I enjoy bowling though I'm not as serious about it as my batting. The basic idea is that if I fail with the bat I can compensate with my bowling.''

Yuveraj says his father spends a lot of time with him. ``We have a concrete wicket at home. My father throws water soaked tennis balls at me for over an hour every day for he has always believed that international cricket is all about playing fast bowling. Coach Sukhwinder Bawa and my father are the two major factors of my cricketing life.''

Yuveraj said he had always loved tennis and took to cricket because of his father. As a 13-year-old he had looked forward to become a fast bowler but switched to spin while attending Bishen Bedi's camp in Delhi before taking batting seriously.

It is too early to predict what the future holds for this young man, who is playing in the ongoing Youth World Cup. One thing is clear though, that he is focussed. And opportunity favours only those who have paid the price with years of preparation ...

SANJAY RAJAN

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