Rondebosch Old Boy Junaid Dawood is an example to the new generation that hard work and developing your game can be modernized using new-age media, writes Khalid Mohidin.
The modern game is evolving. Not only the game itself – with the evolution of T20 cricket – but off the field social media has given everyone a voice and exposure to valuable information with a click of a button.
Players can become their own analysts and guides that absorb information. With the abundance of game highlights, masterclasses and tutorials online, it allows you to access a pool of free content to improve on your game outside of school, club or professional cricket practices.
The downside is that everyone believes they are experts, which sends you down a slippery slope on whose advice to take.
Former Rondebosch Boys’ High School student and current Western Province spinner, Dawood, has used the medium to improve on what he has learnt in training sessions and maximize his hard work in his spare time.
“I wasn’t the most talented guy in my grade. It’s purely out of hard work that I got to play so many first team games and eventually for WP U19 and all that stuff,” said Dawood exclusively to Cricket Fanatics Magazine.
“I remember weekends, even in the week at night, I would go to Western Province Cricket Club, take my bag of balls and put my cones down and just bowl.
“That’s the thing about leg-spin, you have to bowl a lot, otherwise you get rusty and it just doesn’t work out.”
He then expressed how he uses the new media age to improve his game.
“For the young leg-spinners, don’t focus too much on technique, what I used to do is watch YouTube videos of Shane Warne and Imran [Tahir], and I would pick out key things from there… but honestly if I can give any advice it’s to… whatever comes naturally to you just stick to that,” he explained.
“Don’t focus on too much technique because you can get overly confused. Keep it simple and bowl a lot.”
As we know in cricket, especially at junior level, batsmen tend to go after the slower bowlers or spinners, Dawood provides some tips on how to cope with that and come back after being smashed for consecutive boundaries.
“I know as a youngster it can be embarrassing sometimes, but I think that’s where the captain or the coaches play a vital role. Fortunately, I had a few captains who were very supportive,” he added.
“You just need to understand that you will have those days and then you also will have days where the opposition is trying to block out, because we play Time Cricket at school, and everyone is around the bat. Then you manage to bowl the team out – there’s no better feeling than that.
“So I suggest looking forward to those moments and understanding that you are going to get hit and you should never be fearful of that, otherwise it’s going to be difficult to become a very good spinner.”
With new domestic season looming, Dawood aims to improve his wickets tally, starting with the Africa T20 cup, but ultimately aims to dominated at first-class level.
He has 49 first-class wickets in 20 matches, with an economy rate of 3.72.
WATCH HIS FULL INTERVIEW BELOW:
Photo: Supplied
