Wasim Jaffer, the Former Indian Test Opener & Ranji Trophy stalwart is appointed as the Head Coach of Uttarakhand Cricket team for the upcoming domestic season. Known for his traditional technique and cricketing approach, Wasim Jaffer is hailed to be one of the relevant torch bearers to carry the legacy of Red Ball Cricket ahead to the current generation of cricketers.
Wasim Jaffer’s inclusion to the Uttarakhand setup is certainly a big positive move for the young players who are in Plate Group (Ranji Trophy) at present. Wasim Jaffer who announced his retirement plans in March 2020 had shared in a recent interview with Cricketgraph too that coaching will be a natural progression for him. This is for the first time Wasim Jaffer will begin his stint as a head coach for any senior state team.
Wasim Jaffer who has two away double centuries for India in Test Cricket is the highest Ranji Trophy Run scorer for India. He also has a decorated domestic career spanning over 2 decades with 10 Ranji Trophy Titles to his name. His final Ranji Trophy Title came with Vidarbha wherein his contribution played a major role in the team’s progress.
Uttarakhand played the quarterfinals of the Ranji Trophy in 2018-19 season against Vidarbha. But they have gone back to Group D (Plate group) & Wasim Jaffer believes this will be a big challenge as well as a good experience to start from the bottom.
Wasim Jaffer has mentored a lot of youngsters in Mumbai and he is known to be a helping hand for many cricketers even in the Vidarbha team. Wasim Jaffer’s quote to Hindustan Times “In my last five-six years, I have mentored youngsters; it is something which I enjoy, to be honest. I take a lot of happiness to help the youngsters and see them grow,” added Wasim Jaffer, who has represented India in 31 tests, 2 ODIs alongwith 67 first class tons amounting to over 24,000+ first class runs.
Dreams do come true 🌸
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Remember Digvijay Desmukh, the child prodigy role of Ali who would practice on marbles & hit clean sixes with ease in 2013 film Kai Po Che?
Yes that same child prodigy who started off playing U14 school tournaments in Mumbai bagged a contract with Mumbai Indians in the 2019 auctions. The Maharashtra seamer who touches 130+ with the ball was rewarded for his performance in U23 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy where he took 9 wkts in the tournament. On his Ranji Debut vs J&K he scored 83 runs alongwith a 6 wkt haul !
The only wish which will remains unfulfilled will be-Digvijay had promised Sushant during their Kai Po Che days that when he becomes a successful cricketer, he will come to meet him personally. .
Digvijay more often than not gets annoyed when he is labelled as an actor. According to him, the AD’s (assistant directors) spotted him in the U14 trials and he gave it a shot to work in the film or else he was and he will always be a cricketer who wishes to play consistently for his state team across all the formats.
Do you know what makes us happy at Cricketgraph? It’s when a grassroot level cricketer progresses everyday in his career and we play a small if not substantial role in it.
As one of the biggest platforms for active cricketers, Cricketgraph through its social media platforms creates content and promotes various players across different divisions and parts of the country. Our platform helps players get recognized, many a times a lot of coaches as well as cricket teams or clubs spot those talents and they get a better opportunity to play & that’s where we feel our job is done well!
One of the recent examples of a player benefiting through our platform is 26yr old Harshil Doshi from Mumbai. Harshil who plays various MCA as well as corporate tournaments was practicing in the nets at Payyade Sports Club, Kandivali. His bowling video recieved more than a 60,000 views on instagram and what’s more he was spotted by none other than Former Mumbai Ranji Trophy Stalwart and Current Coach at the KKR (Kolkata Knight Riders) Academy-Abhishek Nayar.
Now, Harshil who aims to play T20 Mumbai as well as Ranji Trophy got an opportunity to bowl under the tutelage of Abhishek Nayar where he now bowls to various Ranji Trophy and IPL Cricketers since past one year. Harshil shares with Cricketgraph “ Everyone aims to get trained under Abhishek Nayar, we all know how much he has helped many Indian & Domestic Cricketers. Getting spotted by Nayar sir and getting an opportunity to just even bowl in nets to big players under his supervision is a big thing where i get to learn so many things! I would give full credits to Cricketgraph as well as thank Cricketgraph who promoted me on their platform and made this possible!
The principle of reversibility states that if training is decreased or stopped physiological adaptations linked with it will be reversed. A phrase linked with this is “Use it or lose it”.
But what happens when a situation like the current lockdown restricts you from training on the field or in the gym. How much impact can it have on your fitness level and how to ensure you come out stronger post lockdown?
Detraining and its impact on athletic traits with a solution for each trait a perspective from Ankit Tivrekar: Strength and power expert ASCA.
Cardiovascular Endurance:
During a period of complete cessation from training cardiovascular fitness typically declines much quicker than gains made in strength/power. It may take 6-10 days of complete deprivation from cardiovascular training to start
seeing a significant decline. As most field-based sports require you to have a good endurance level to prevent you from gassing out during competition it is safe to say good aerobic capacity is a foundation for other traits like
speed and power. So the question is how do we work on this not so fancy fitness quality?
Solution
For sports which are primarily characterized by stop-start nature like Squash, Cricket, Football, Tennis whether it is jump, side shuffle, back paddle, or sprinting at various velocity. With my athletes I like to use staircase runs, 10-15 seconds effort interspersed with an equal amount of active rest which can be light jog or just walk depending on current fitness level, this can be done for 20 minutes one or two times a week. The rest period not only helps you to recover but also ensures good form on the staircase run, this type of training is called “High-intensity aerobic
system conditioning”.
Strength
Unlike cardiovascular endurance strength can be maintained for as much as 4 weeks after withdrawal. However your eccentric strength (Ability to absorb force) may decline much faster which crucial is for skills like jumping and sprinting at high velocity. Unless you are one of those who can afford a home gym with barbells and dumbbells challenging yourself with just bodyweight movements may look impossible. Here is a “weird” strength solution for you.
Solution
In the absence of free weights I prefer using a method called “Overcoming Isometrics“. Overcoming Isometrics are when you push or pull against a static object, ideally, in a gym setting we may use a barbell in the squat rack but in our case a towel can do the trick. This may sound easy however if done with max intensity can activate maximum muscle fiber. You may use Squat, Lunge, or Deadlift pattern where you place the towel under your feet and hold both the ends in each hand and try to pull with max intent for 4-5 seconds for as much as 4-5 sets with 2-3 minutes rest between each set. Since strength can be retained for a longer time training it 1-2 times with overcoming isometrics should provide enough stimulus.
Power
Athletes who have gained power through training are more susceptible to lose power rapidly during breaks. According to studies athletes who were able to maintain strength failed to produce the same amount of force post
4 weeks of detraining this because power has an element of speed not just strength. If periods of detraining are expected, it's important to have a period of intense training before detraining or tapering
Solution
As a strength and conditioning coach to A-division cricketers and national level boxers I believe power can be a key differentiator in a match imagine being in the last round of a losing boxing match and being able to connect with a jaw-breaking uppercut or in a super over the situation in cricket.
Medicine ball training and plyometric exercises can be helpful to build and maintain power. Using medicine balls of varying weight for slams, throws, toss in variable movement patterns as per your sport can help maintain power. Plyometrics are mainly jump based exercises to generate maximum force in a short timeframe, these can be progressed to hops leaps and bounds.
The Key is low volume maximum intensity as the goal is force not fatigue.
Max Speed
A trait like speed can witness drop in as short as two weeks and these are the most valuable quality for most sports. It is said that speed is the most expensive fitness quality for an athlete.
Solution
With sprint-based athletes like fast bowlers I use power bands for stationery sprints as you can get an incline angle specific to sprinting and helps you to produce max force. Here the focus is on max effort in minimum timeframe, 4- 5 seconds of all-out sprint followed with 60-90 second rest can ensure you are ready to repeat with no loss in
speed.
Conclusion
As you can see there are no hard and fast guidelines mentioned but it can give you a fair idea on how to ensure a player’s adaptation and fitness levels are not lost in this tough period. The last thing would be to ensure a gradual return to play when things start easing too much too soon can be a shortcut to injury. Wish you the best for your athletic endeavor.
Do you know one thing common between Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Virat Kohli, Kapil Dev, Shikhar Dhawan, Narendra Modi and Justin Langer to name a few? Well, these top names in the field of cricket practice yoga daily and it has been a crucial part of their lives since many years.
Yoga is one way of life which is obviously beneficial for the health but it also boosts your performance if you are an athlete. Many successful athletes around the world practice it and their performances are a testimony to how productive Yoga can be.
In cricket, there is a constant need of connecting bat & ball through the sharp mind with a relaxed approach and alertness. Yoga definitely increases concentration power and better focusing for cricketers. At the same time, when you are on the ground playing cricket, it’s essential to have the mind free from all the unnecessary stuff and that is where Yoga comes to the rescue. Yogic discipline allows cricketers to remain calm, alert in present moment & skillful all the time during play.
Hence, on International Yoga Day which falls on 21st of June, 2020, Cricketgraph has come up with an exclusive Yoga Webinar which will be based on Elite Performance Secrets recommended for cricketers. The webinar will be conducted by Vishal Chitrakar (Creator of page Athlete Mantras, ASCA Level 1, Strength & Conditioning Coach with Mumbai U19 Team, Diploma in Yoga Education, Heartfulness meditation practitioner since 2012 & Pursuing YCB – Level 2 certification under AYUSH Mantralaya of Govt. of India)
Key Highlights of the Webinar:
- -True meaning of Yoga
- -Basics of Peak performance-Awareness
- -Introduction to how top athletes plan their elite routines
- -What sets the elite athletes apart in the approach towards the game.
- -Transformation through Ashtana Yoga
To register, click on the link below:
Elite Performance Secrets- Exclusive Yoga Webinar recommended for Cricketers
For a man who has played 20 years of cricket himself representing as many as 5 states in India and has been coaching for past 2 decades, one can expect words of wisdom, anecdotes, interesting stories of triumph, team building and leadership. Sulakshan Kulkarni is one such name who is known for his straightforward, methodical approach where he believes in imparting lessons without mincing his words.
A professional cricketer turned coach, who has played alongside Sunil Gavaskar as well as Sachin Tendulkar, a nifty wicket-keeper, a tactical skipper & a quintessential “khadoos” batsman with some memorable batting records has joined hands with Cricketgraph for an exclusive One Hour Webinar on the “Art of Captaincy”. This webinar is recommended for Ranji Trophy, Top Division, corporate cricketers and aspiring cricketers.
Sulakshan Kulkarni is one of the most prolific cricket coaches in India. Under his tenure, Mumbai has won Ranji Trophy, India Differently abled team won the World Cup’19 in England defeating powerful teams. Sulakshan sir also revived many young and upcoming state teams like Vidarbha and Chattisgarh during his coaching tenure while he has also served as a batting consultant with Nepal Cricket Team.
He has been the chief architect of the rebuilding of the most successful corporate team of India – Indian Oil, wherein he coaches international cricketers like Ajinkya Rahane, Rohit Sharma, Cheteshwar Pujara, Wassim Jaffer and many more. He was captained the known corporate team RCF for 10 years.
It will be an elaborate session where in Sulakshan Kulkarni will discuss on key points like:
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What does it take to be a Great Captain / leader
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Most Important Quality of a Great Captain
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Not necessary to be a great player to become a Great Captain
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How to be 2 steps ahead of the Competitor
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The captain (A great Tactician)
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Great captaincy involves handling your bowlers, batters well!
If you are keen to join the One hour webinar, Contact CG Team Member-
pls register here > https://www.cricketgraph.com/product/webinar-on-the-art-of-captaincy-by-cricket-coach-sulakshan-kulkarni/
Vasant Raiji- The Oldest Living First Class Cricketer of India passes away at the age of 100. Vasant Raiji leaves behind a legacy of cricketing wisdom and memories. Raiji’s son-in-law confirmed that former cricketer died to old-age.
“He (Raiji) passed away at 2.20 am in his sleep at his residence in Walkeshwar in South Mumbai due to old-age,” his son-in-law Sudarshan Nanavati told PTI.
We were fortunate to recieve his blessings & interview him on his 100th birthday which was probably one of his last elaborate interviews. Vasant Raiji in his heydays represented Mumbai as well as Baroda in first class cricket. He also played 2 seasons of County Club Cricket overseas. Apart from being a cricketer, Raiji has also penned down books on many cricketers like Vijay Hazare, Victor Trumper, CK Nayadu amongst others.
The prestigious tournaments which today’s generation play in the name of Mushtaq Ali, Vinoo Mankad, Col CK Nayadu Trophy, Vijay Merchant Trophy, Vijay Hazare Trophy, he has seen as well as played with all those legendary players in whose name we are playing state level tournaments. He shares stories about them and how they were as players.
From sharing 7 letters with Sir DON BRADMAN to giving us rare insights into how Test Cricket was awarded to India to enlightening us with the all time greats of Indian Cricket which we have never seen. Vasant Raiji was truly a gold well of Cricketing knowledge.
If you wish to hear him in probably what was the last interview of his life which he conducted with Cricketgraph, checkout the Youtube interview above.
Coronavirus Pandemic has shaken the entire world including our very own city of Mumbai. However, we have been fortunate to have real life heroes right from the doctors, nurses, medical support staff, policemen, various types of activists, people working in waste management and many other people who are putting their lives at risk to keep us safe & combat this disease.
Cricketgraph team salutes & thanks all those people across the country for their dedication. Amidst this pandemic, it’s also good to see our Mumbai Police Team Cricketers Swapnil Kulaye, Shrikant Limbole, Humayun Hirapure, Sunil Patil, Sameer Patil, Pankaj Pardeshi & Vikram Amre serving the city during Corona. They are proving to be real heroes who have been performing exceptionally well on the cricket field as well as off the field on the bigger ground i.e on our very own city of Mumbai.
Swapnil, Humayun, Shrikant, Sunil, Sameer, Vikram & Pankaj are all A Div Cricketers who represent Mumbai Police team participating in various tournaments like Kale Cup, Thane Vaibhav, Thane Police Shield, Young Comrade, Purshottam Shield, Times Shield and a number of other MCA & Corporate tournaments. These are the same names who come up with impressive performances to help their team win on numerous occasions. Hence, it feels good to see these same players cum policemen serving the city selflessly during this coronavirus pandemic.
Swapnil Kulaye when asked about the challenges he and his colleagues face shared with Cricketgraph: “We work for hours, one day its a night shift, the other day its a day shift, we have to ensure law and order is in place, shops are closed during lockdown, have to ensure that too much crowding does not happen while stay vigilant to ensure all are wearing masks”
Some of the cricket performances related to these players:
Rajesh Tandel (175 off 95) & Humayun (119) set the ground on fire in Thane Vaibhav Tournament’18
Mumbai Police A wins the finals of the A Div Thane Vaibhav Tournament’20
Cricketgraph’s interview with “Mr.Fitness” aka Amogh Pandit was quite informative.
Amogh is hailed as one of the top Strength & Conditioning Coaches in India. He is serving as Strength and Conditioning Coach with Mumbai Ranji Team for the last 17 years.
Amogh has also served as Strength and conditioning coach for Rajasthan Royals (Indian premier league). He has also been a conditioning specialist with India A team. Amogh is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist with top level certifications like CSCS the NSCA, USA.
Sulakshan Kulkarni is one name in the field of Cricket Coaching who needs no introduction. He was known to be one of the quintessential khadoos cricketer with a prolific domestic record. His experience can be gauged by the fact that he has also played Ranji Trophy with the batch of Sunil Gavaskar as well as with the batch of Sachin Tendulkar. Post his cricketing career, he also went on to become one of the prolific coaches of India. Under his tenure, various Ranji Trophy teams have revived themselves, Vidarbha which was known to be a young and upcoming unit back then under his tenure went on to become Ranji finalists, Mumbai Ranji team also emerged champions in 2012/13 season under his tenure while more recently India Differently Abled Team went on to win World Cup’19 in England under his able mentorship.
Due to their busy schedule and commitments, getting a chance to connect & interact with such senior level coaches is certainly not easy for a local cricket team. However with the help of “Cricketgraph Online Mentoring” program, Mumbai based Warriors Cricket Club got an opportunity to have a one on one video mentoring session with Coach Sulakshan Kulkarni.
Warriors Cricket Club which is a Mumbai based Cricket team participates in a number of tournaments and are known to take their cricket very seriously. The team amidst lockdown recently decided to have a one on one video session with Coach Sulakshan Kulkarni. The team received various inputs and insights from the coach which the players found very informative as well as useful which might help them to take their game to next level.
The video mentoring session between Warriors CC and Sulakshan Kulkarni deliberated on various key points like:
– Captaincy Skills
– Mindset while playing
– Psychological aspects of the game
– How to set Goals on team basis as well as on Individual terms
– How to build one’s game with performances to reach the top level
Warriors Cricket Club shared feedback with Cricketgraph wherein they found the session quite knowledgeable and interactive. The team felt it was a great learning curve for their budding cricketers.
_____ from Warriors CC shared- “Thanks a lot sir for arranging the session. It was really knowledgeable and fantastic”, core team member Vivek Gowda
____ from Warriors CC shared- “Hello … thanks for the lovely session. It was indeed very well managed…. & the team got to learn a lot of things” Skipper Shailesh Nakashe
If you or your team wish to interact and get mentored from top level senior coaches like Sulakshan Kulkarni, checkout the link below of Cricketgraph Online Mentoring: