Shoun Roger, 13, has travelled to his native country for a two-month tour and will line up for Little Masters Cricket Club in the ‘A’ Division League by Trivandrum District Cricket Association (TDCA), in Kerala.
The all-rounder was selected for the two-day and 50-over encounters after catching the eye of the Kerala Cricket Association (KCA) after a number of impressive displays during selection trials in the last 18 months. It was a reward that saw him named in the Under-14 state squad.
“It’s definitely an experience I’m looking forward to,” said Roger. “To play against men and the older players is a great opportunity and for sure it will motivate me more in succeeding in the game.”
Despite his young age, Roger boasts an outstanding CV with a number of individual accolades to his name. This season, he was named in Sharjah’s squad for the Emirates Cricket Board’s Under-16 Inter-Emirate competition in March, while also collected the Best Batsman and Best Player awards in the Ramada Cup and the Under-13 Maxtalent Vision Cup respectively.
The youth was also instrumental for Our Own Zenith’s Under-13 team’s success in the ADIB NSL and was named the Most Valuable Player after finishing second highest scorer with 218 runs while also taking five wickets.
His first encounter will be against State Bank of Travancore on Monday. He admits it will be a step up, but acknowledges it will be a good learning curve for him.
“I’m very proud of what I’ve achieved so far,” said the Desert Cubs cricketer. “Everyone recognises talent but at the end of the day, there’s still room for more improvement.
“Playing in India will give me an idea of what to do in professional level games. It will be strange playing against the men but there’s nothing to be afraid of. I will just go out there and show how good I am and will make things difficult for the opposition.”
He added: “Performances opens the doors for more opportunities and am keen to show what I’ve got.
“It will be completely different to what I’ve faced so far. I know I need to handle pressure and I think it’s crucial that I start well and not be nervous because then my confidence will gradually grow as the tournament goes on.”
