Auqib Nabi’s entry into IPL is a big news for cricket lovers in Kashmir, particularly, and all sports lovers, in general. As an individual, it is a great feat for Auqib Nabi whose hard work and consistent performance on the field earned him a berth in the highest cricketing league – IPL. It is a moment of joy and celebration for the sporting fraternity as this boy has brought laurels to the place.
Now it is time for him to gear up and give his best in the matches ahead, and set a stage for himself to take another step; wearing a test cap.
Earlier Parvez Rasool from Bijbehara, a town in district Anantnag known for its cricket potential, made to the national team. That was the time aspirations of young boys who sweat in the cricket grounds went a notch up. The result of Parvez’s success can be seen in the flip it gave to the domestic cricket. Many young boys, particularly from south Kashmir played cricket at different competitive levels, state and zonal. Besides, it gave birth to cricket academies where young boys get best of the coaching in early years.
Now Auqib Nabi’s entry into the IPL should give another push to it, and more boys from Kashmir should eye the top end leagues like IPL. Since sports, particularity cricket, is a passion in India, it is engaging a vast number of youth. Realising this, the government has also considered it as a career option and accordingly contributed to build a worthwhile infrastructure. Not only that, we now are in an era where universities dedicated to sports are coming up.
For the youth in Kashmir, it is time to consider sports as a proper professional activity and work on themselves if they find a passion for a game. To this end, it is the duty of government to strengthen sports infrastructure, and reach out to the remotest corners of the valley to search out real talent. If we have proper sporting spaces, that are monitored and where professional guidance is available to young kids, we can have many boys making it to the top tier of sporting competition- not only in cricket but other games as well.