XtraTime Web Desk – As expected, the term ‘nepotism’ once again emerged in the field of cricket after Arjun Tendulkar was sold to Mumbai Indians for a sum of Rs. 20 lakhs.
One thing that’s probably there in India that the son or a daughter can’t have the same passion and dedication for a thing that his/her father or mother has. Else you’ll be made fun of and eventually will be criticised.
Ravichandran Ashwin couple of days back said a very interesting thing while talking about Rishabh Pant. He said, “Only if we back them (young cricketers) in such a way that they can improve, they will improve faster. But if you are going to find those loopholes and faults, cricketers are going to take that much longer. It is more of a mindset issue for us”.
Arjun Tendulkar is just 21-year old trying to make a name for himself. He has the experience of bowling to team India and England in the nets. His yorker to Johnny Bairstow created quite a buzz on social media. Plus, he has been bowling to Mumbai Indians squad for sometime now. So, the resume isn’t that bad. He has played for Mumbai senior team and has 2 names in his bag as well.
It’s not easy for anyone to fill Sachin Tendulkar’s boots. Virat Kohli still gets compared with the legend himself and then Arjun is just 21 and not a finished product by any means. Zaheer Khan, Mumbai Indians’ Director of Cricket said, “I have spent a lot of time in the nets, trying to teach him some tricks of the trade, he is a hardworking kid, he is keen on learning, it is an exciting part. It (playing for MI) will help him become a good cricketer, how many times a youngster gets picked in the auction and everyone is talking about him, he has to prove himself and he has to show everyone he has the goods”.
Just like Zaheer Khan said, he has to prove himself! If he fails, he won’t be called up. Not just Arjun but everyone pretty much knows this and yet he’s getting criticised. Thus, it’s important to let him play first, backing a youngster is very important for a country like India where there’s immense amount of talent.