14-year-old Aryan Lakra out to claim spot in UAE U-19 squad

Denzil Pinto 04:52 09/06/2016
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  • Biding his time: Aryan Lakra.

    At 14-years-old, Aryan Lakra is the youngest in the UAE Under-19 selection camp, but he is undaunted by the task of playing against older players as he bids to seal his spot in the final squad.

    The all-rounder beat more than 100 youngsters after his outstanding performances in the Emirates Cricket Board’s (ECB) Under-16 and U-19 Al Ain Inter-Emirate tournament in April saw him named among the 27 hopefuls.

    His next task is to impress the ECB selectors that he’s worthy of a place in the 15-man party for the 2018 World Cup pre-qualifiers in Malaysia in September.

    But he insists age is just a number. The DPS Dubai pupil said: “I don’t really feel that I’m the youngest.

    “I feel I have earned this right because of my performances. I had that in mind and I just want to perform really well and get into the team. Age is just a number for me but I don’t feel scared of playing against older players.

    “I’m honoured by the fact that I’m the youngest in the camp because I worked really hard to get to this stage. But now I want to go even further.”

    He has three months to make his case during the training/selection camp at the ICC Academy but will be full of confidence after his season so far.

    In the Inter-Emirate tournament, he was the top wicket-taker with 10 scalps in four matches in the U-16 category, while also scoring 86 runs in his two innings.

    That form did not go unnoticed and he was subsequently named in the U-19 squad, for whom he made 85 runs and took three wickets in four games as Dubai claimed a historic double.

    But after attending two intense training sessions so far, he insists he cannot count on his past form to make the cut.

    “This is the first time I’ve been selected in the national selection camp but it’s a lot different to what I imagined,” he said. “It involves a lot of fitness training and we have been told that will be crucial during the camp so it’s not just about our abilities.”

    Standing in the way of his dream is a strong crop of players including a number of faces who played in last year’s ACC Premier League in Malaysia.

    One man he knows fairly well is captain Waruna Perera, who is his team-mates at Desert Cubs.

    “He’s my inspiration,” Lakra said. “I have always looked up to him and I hope we are both selected.”

    He also spoke glowingly of the ADIB NSL, where he was named Under-13 MVP in 2015.

    “The wicket-turf grounds have helped me in my progress and I have learnt how to deal with pressure in different match situations while playing the NSL,” he said.

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