Justin D’souza and Yodhin Punja cannot wait to put the knowledge and skills they learnt during their Sussex Cricket Club scholarship into practice when the new season begins in the UAE next month.
The promising youngsters returned to Abu Dhabi in the early hours of Sunday morning after undertaking a five-day training clinic with the English county club. The pair were selected as part of the partnership between Sussex and Abu Dhabi-based MCC Zayed Academy where they both currently train.
Local @EmiratesCricket U-19 #cricket star Yodhin to continue development at @SussexCCC http://t.co/EbBG2Udxmj pic.twitter.com/uE6zseYT0G
— Sport360° (@Sport360) August 8, 2015
Having honed their batting and bowling skills after three hours of daily practice under the watchful eye of Sussex’s performance manager Keith Greenfield at the team’s training centre in Hove, they are confident of returning improved cricketers.
“It was a good learning experience for me and knowing so much at this age can surely help me to become a better player in the future as I will use these skills during matches and practice sessions,” said 16-year-old batsman D’souza.
“I learnt how to use the paddle sweep shot which is played rarely in the UAE but is popular in the UK. I never tried this shot at all so it was quite difficult at first.
“Myself and Yodhin both had the same problem of not keeping the head still and in line with the ball.
“It was a good experience to be taught that as it’s not always about power, it’s more about time and body posture and how you’re standing when the ball comes to you.”
Sixteen-year-old fast-bowler Punja added: “I really learnt a lot of good things especially how to change your mindset. For example, I was made to bowl in different match scenarios as Keith Greenfield said mentality is a crucial part of developing as a cricketer.
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“I did more batting than I did bowling but my technique has improved a lot which will help me in the future.”
The Cambridge High School students were just a few metres away from Sussex first-team stars, including England international Chris Jordan, as they prepared for T20 Blast action.
“Just seeing them train was a learning phase for me because we could see them from close distance and I could learn from how they approached each shot. You learn a lot more from watching than just practising,” said D’souza.
“I’ve walked away from Sussex with a lot of good knowledge. The most important thing is the mentality. The moment you lose a bit of concentration, that can play a part in losing your wicket. I would love to return one day.”
UAE Under-19 vice-captain Punja believes the paddle-sweep could be useful during the team’s ACC Premier League in Malaysia later this month.
“The pitches are really good in Malaysia and they do skid on a bit but the paddle sweep shot will help me when I’m facing spin. I will need to work on it a bit more but it’s a good shot to use as it’s like a counter-attack shot when a spinner is bowling a good spell,” he added.
