Cricket in a crowded place!

Can you imagine a cricket facility at the heart of madding crowd in between East Delhi’s Preet Vihar and Laxmi Nagar — next to the hustle-bustle of the red-light traffic? Bharti Public School at Swastsya Vihar provides you with the best facilities in such a crowded surrounding. Besides having a smiling coach in Sachin Aggarwal, this academy has an indoor net facility to ensure that the students aren’t out of action even during the monsoon months.

A rare place indeed. That is because the trainees are wearing a smile on their faces even while doing their fielding drill. “I put a lot of onus on fielding. I tell them that catches win matches, and I can’t compromise on this. If your team doesn’t field well, you lose a game. It is an important part of the game today. You can’t ignore it. So, fitness is also an important aspect of the game that the kids should take it seriously,” Sachin told SGTV.

The students here also get to chat with the coaches right after their session. “I talk to the kids for five minutes. I ask them about their doubts. I want them to get back home with a clear mind. At times, some kids ask awkward questions too. One of them asked me where the international players throw their chewing gums? I try and answer them as much as I can. If I don’t talk to them, how will I know their minds? It is important to understand their emotions,” Sachin said. 

The former club level cricket, Sachin, then made it clear that if someone wants to be a coach, he should complete the BCCI’s Level 1 and Level 2 coaching to offer the best help to the cricketers. “Since I am a certified Level II coach, I can give a solution for any technical problem because of my Level II certification. You need to know first before teaching the youngsters,” Sachin said while adding that the journey of being a student of the game never ends.