For young Chandigarh-based cricketer Parushi Prabhakar, getting tips from former team India member Hemlatha Kala at the ongoing women’s U-19 zonal camp at the IS Bindra Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) Stadium is a big deal.
In a bid to prepare and fine-tune junior women cricketers for the U-19 World Cup, scheduled to be held in South Africa next year, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has organised five-month long camps at four venues with specialised coaches and support staff in place for each camp.
Hemlatha is the head coach at the Mohali camp and former chairperson national selection committee is making sure that the 25-probables are getting top-notch exposure.
“The girls are very good, but the BCCI is making efforts to provide best exposure and facilities to the youngsters. The target is to facilitate improvement in all areas, for batting various power-hitting sessions are in line with full-fledged practice matches.” Hemlatha, who says playing on a top-level ground like the PCA will further benefit the players, said.
“A highlight of these camps is their all-female support staff, a step that opens the doors for ex-women cricketers to contribute by coaching and mentoring the young athletes,” the head coach added.
Manisha Chaudhary, a physiotherapist at the camp, meanwhile, said, “Even during this extreme heat, the injury rate of this camp is very low. Covid impacted their training a lot, so they need improvement in some areas otherwise these girls are pure athletes.”
Since making the finals of ICC Women’s ODI World Cup in 2017, the Indian women’s team has managed to change the outlook of women’s cricket in the country.
The camp, which. The camp began on May 16, currently has 10 full-time batters including three wicket keepers, eight medium pacers and seven spinners. It will continue until June 9.
Upon conclusion, a team will be selected to compete at Vijayawada next week from each of the four camps. The selected cricketers will also be trained at the National Cricket Academy.
The other three camps are being held in Rajkot, Kalyani, Anantapur and Hubli.