How you can help us

By Khalid Mohidin

Hey, guys! Welcome to another issue of Cricket Fanatics Magazine, the first and only fan-driven Cricket publication in South Africa.

We started this venture on 1 July 2019 with a vision to get fans from all walks of life engaged with the game and give them access to the personalities in South African Cricket.

We want to tell the untold stories of South African cricket and we want fans to be heard.

Since we started, we covered the Mzansi Super League, Women’s Super League, Proteas Men and Women International Test, ODI and T20I series, as well as school and club cricket, with the aim of providing entertaining, engaging and educational content.

But haven't stopped there.

We started a Monthly Magazine where we provide multi-media content, including exclusive features, opinion pieces and analysis.

This works hand-in-hand with our YouTube channel where we produce unique cricket shows that allow fans to call in and have their say.

We have the Daily Show, which reveals all the major talking points in South African cricket, the Sunday Podcast Show where we sit back, relax and engage with the live chat, answering all the questions fans have about us and the game.

We have Off-Side Maidens, the first ever All-Women’s Cricket Show on YouTube, which helps empower women in cricket and gives them a place to share their own views on not only women’s cricket but all cricket.

We have a Legends show, where we interview all legends in cricket.

To produce all of this, we’ve invested a lot of money, time and effort to bring this to you for free.

But to keep this going we need your help.

So we have opened a Patreon account.

In the past, the super-rich supported the work of artists as patrons of the art.

Today, we are fortunate that technology has enabled anyone to become a patron of creative work, even if they are not billionaires.

We have therefore launched a campaign for you as a Cricket Fan to become a patron and support us as an independent, bootstrapped publisher.

As a Patron, you also get your voice heard as a Fan.

Plus: You have the opportunity to become more engaged with the content we produce.

Every month we produce at least:

• 60 Website Articles
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• And more…

So please join our Patreon today initiative today. Even a tiny amount can make a big difference.

Heinrich Klaasen

By C.S Chiwanza

Heinrich Klaasen is operating in Beast Mode

On Friday 15 September 2023, Heinrich Klaasen and Adam Zampa got together to make history at Supersport Park. They contributed to the highest ODI total scored at Supersport Park. Klaasen scored an impressive 174 (the second-highest individual score at the stadium) and Zampa conceded the most runs by a bowler on the ground.

Adam Zampa’s last four deliveries were a microcosm of his afternoon. Heinrich Klaasen hammered 20 runs off them. That’s five runs a delivery. 

Thanks to Klaasen, Zampa ended his afternoon with figures identical to Mick Lewis, another Australian who had a waking nightmare in South Africa. Lewis conceded 113 runs in 10 overs and went wicketless against South Africa in 2006. 44.25% of the 113 runs conceded by Zampa came off Klaasen’s bat.

Klaasen made an excellent bowler look incapable of functioning in his chosen profession. There are distinct levels in spin-bowling. There’s the elite group and the rest of the spinners. Zampa belongs to the elite group.

He is one of the best limited overs spinners of this era. Despite the hammering, Zampa still has respectable figures. He has an average of 28.1, an economy of 5.49 and a strike rate of 31.5. Compared to other active ODI spinners, he is in the top percentile.

If these two had faced off in the years between 2018 and December 2021, Zampa would have run circles around Klaasen and left him bamboozled. From his debut in 2018 to December 2023, Klaasen had a single century and three fifties to his name. He averaged 32.26 at a strike rate of 93.73 in 23 ODI innings. In that period, he struck 12 sixes and 57 fours.

These figures are an antithesis of Klaasen. He is a natural shot-maker. He made his name as an attacking middle-order batter and that is what earned him his debut in 2018.

He showed the world what he is about in his second international match where he scored an unbeaten 43 off 27 to power the Proteas to an unlikely win. But, that version of Heinrich Klaasen soon disappeared because the selectors valued consistency over match-winning innings.

Early in his international career, Klaasen played his natural game and fell cheaply in two consecutive matches. He was dropped. Unlike most teams where a dropped person is automatically second in line for a place back into the team, Klaasen found himself at the bottom of the pile. 

After working his way back, using his aggressive game, Klaasen adopted a conservative approach in a bid to secure his place in the team.

The 2018 to 2021 version of Heinrich Klaasen was cautious, tentative and afraid of failure. Things didn’t work out well for that version of Klaasen because he was working against his instincts, against himself. His returns with the bat were mediocre. Then things changed.

David Bedingham’s mindset and approach to the game shifted after he suffered a life-threatening accident. Near-death experiences have that effect on many athletes. For some, it is the marriage or the birth of their kids. Reeza Hendricks’ perspective shifted after the birth of his son, Callum.

One of the things that changed Klaasen was contracting Covid-19 in 2021. He couldn’t do basic things for about 17 days. After the worst of the illness was over, Klaasen tried to return to training to build his capacity and work his way back to cricket. He struggled.

When he tried to run 20 to 30 metres or try to do anything for a few minutes his heart rate would shoot up. As part of his recovery program, Klaasen was supposed to exercise for 10 to 15 minutes and walk about 200 meters. He couldn’t do that either.

When he returned, Klaasen resolved to play cricket on his own terms.

The other thing that helped was that Klaasen developed an ability to silence his mind. By his own confession, Klaasen is an over-thinker and used to over-think cricket.

Batters have less than a second to react to bowlers in international cricket, an average of 0.91 seconds against spinners and an average of 0.53 seconds against pacers. A thinking batter is a batter in trouble because their brain gets in the way of executing moves they spent a lifetime learning.

With a quietened mind, Klaasen is no longer going over a million options, thinking, worrying, calculating, hoping, or fearing in the short period from the moment the bowler releases the ball and when it gets to him. There is no longer a battle between his brain and muscle memory. He is calmer and trusts his instincts. This has allowed him to pare down his game.

The result has been Heinrich Klaasen 2.0.

Since January 2022, Klaasen has scored over 1700 in 56 T20 matches at a strike rate of 154.14 for an average of 39.79. He scored 96 sixes and 116 fours in the process. He has been equally belligerent in ODI cricket. Since January 2022, Klaasen has struck 29 sixes in 14 ODI innings. He has also mashed 62 of his 119 ODI fours in the same period. He has scored two hundreds and two fifties, averaging 58.66 at a strike rate of 135.90.

Zampa ran into Heinrich Klaasen 2.0, the most destructive batter in recent times. Klaasen versus Zampa was not a contest. Klaasen eats spin for breakfast. He wasn't bred on pace and bounce pitches like most of his teammates.

Klaasen learned his trade at Uwe Birkenstock's academy. He was one of the first students and the academy was still rough and ready. As part of their learning, Birkenstock encouraged his pupils to be involved in pitch preparation. Klaasen took that part of his learning seriously. His best friend at the time was a spinner and they prepared spin-friendly pitches most of the time.

During the IPL 2023, Klaasen monstered 19 sixes against spin, which was the second-most sixes against spinners in the tournament. His ability against spin was one of the reasons why the Oval Invincibles signed him for The Hundred. That and his boundary clearing. 

As of August 16 2023, Klaasen had hit 60 sixes in games with full T20 status this calendar year, the most of any batter in the world. Unlike most South African batters who have better numbers against seam, Klaasen had 31 sixes against spin and 29 against seam.

Klaasen turned Zampa into a bowling machine at his service as he practised range hitting. Klaasen scored a half-century off Zampa's bowling. He scored 50 runs off 17 deliveries for a strike rate of 294.1 against the spinner. His half-ton featured six sixes and two fours. Six of Klaasen’s 13 sixes in the match came off Zampa’s bowling.

There are different kinds of sixes. Some are rockets. They are wondrous and fly like comets. Some are majestic sixes that make you want to stand at attention like Sheldon Cottrell and salute. Others just keep on sailing so much farther than you could ever expect. Klaasen hits all of them. 

Against Australia, Klaasen muscled 13 sixes, two of them came off Zampa’s last two deliveries.

Like the rest of us, Zampa stood to admire Heinrich Klaasen’s handiwork.

Lace Up, Lizaad

By C.S Chiwanza

He came in as a replacement player, but that won't matter to the many people who are wishing him well.

One player will have the whole of Vredenburg cheering for him at the ODI World Cup. Lizaad Williams.

Williams was a late addition to the Proteas squad, brought in for Anrich Nortje, who can’t go due to injury.

16 years ago, Rosseau Mercuur sat opposite Linette Williams, Lizaad Williams’ mother. A polished coffee table with refreshments was between them. Lizaad could have been invisible. The adults spoke of him as if he was not present. But he was present. This moment was too great for him to be outside playing with his friends. Lizaad was sitting next to his mother.

Mercuur had watched Lizaad outperform and outwork every bowler at an Under-15 tournament held at Huguenot High School two weeks earlier. The boy had a higher work rate than the other kids. He also bowled faster than the average youngster of his age. If Mercuur had known that Lizaad had only started bowling pace early that year, he would have shat himself with excitement. Lizaad was an outlier.

In his book, On Fire, Ben Stokes speaks of Jof-isms, a term coined by Stokes and his England teammates because of how easy Jofra Archer found it to learn things on the cricket field. Lizaad attracted sporting skills like metal to a magnet. On the rugby pitch, the community called him Tollos, after Jacques Talmakkies, a local rugby legend. That is a huge endorsement in an area where rugby is religion.

It was also generally accepted that Lizaad had an above-average cricket talent. He started playing first-team cricket for his club, Vredenburg-Saldanha Cricket Club, at 13. The adults didn’t give him a pass because he was younger. He had to pull himself up to their level. It was a brutal learning ground.

“It was like being thrown into the ocean and getting told to swim or drown. I learned to give back as much as I got,” said Lizaad.

Mark Boucher described Lizaad as a player with that passion and that desire to win.

“You can’t coach that. It’s either in a player or it’s not. He’s certainly got it. He’s one of those guys who, if you’re in the same team as him, you love playing with him. You know he will be by your side and has got your back. But if you’re in the opposition team you probably hate playing against him,” Boucher said of Lizaad.

That dog fight and aggression in Williams were nurtured during his club cricket years and it made him an integral to the Boland Under-15 side that concessions were made for him to be available for matches.

One time, Lizaad had to attend a Boland Under-19 camp during a period when other Weston High School pupils had to write tests. Esmond Barends had to organise for Lizaad to write the test at school at 06:00 a.m.

In another instant, Barends had to give the exam question paper to Lizaad’s coach so that Lizaad could write on the day that the paper was written at the school.

“I only started bowling pace because I grew bored with wicketkeeping and bowling offies was not exciting,” says Lizaad, explaining that he tried his hand at bowling pace and quickly realised that if you bowled fast enough, aggressively enough, you could send the batter cowering. Lizaad liked that idea.

Before he got into the details of the Cricket South Africa Scholarship he was offering the family, Mercuur began his pitch by vowing to always look after Lizaad. It was a good opening gambit because Linette Williams worried about her son’s welfare and safety. Besides being away for a day or two playing at cricket festivals, Lizaad had never lived away from home.

Kids from Louwville did not routinely enrol at Huguenot High School. Vredenburg was home to factory workers and fishermen and women. People who could not afford to send their children to boarding school.

Huguenot High is no Wynberg or Grey College, it does not boast a sprawling list of alumni that has gone on to play for the Proteas. Most just filter into club cricket. The fortunate ones make it to provincial cricket.

But, for a kid from Louwville who was accustomed to wearing play clothes, shorts and t-shirts, underneath school uniforms on sports days because play clothes were sports gear, Huguenot was a huge step up. They had dedicated uniforms for practice and matches, and they had well-resourced facilities.

“90 to 95% of families from my community have the same background,” said Lizaad. “We all had the same struggles. I don’t think they are any different to the struggles of many South Africans. Maybe we were different in that where I come from fish is the main source of income and it is also the main source of nutrition.”

Huguenot presented Lizaad with a different challenge from what he was used to. Lizette Williams was worried about her son’s ability to cope in that new environment without any support structure. Mercuur was at pains to assure Linette that he would take care of Lizaad as if he were his own son.

“I made a commitment that I will guide and nurture him and will look after him. I always knew that he was a special and gifted talent, but this rough diamond had to be moulded and polished,” says Rosseau Mercuur.

Mercuur also assured Linette that he would provide Lizaad with transport to come home during off weekends when the hostel was closed or when he did not participate in sports. Mercuur’s pleas and promises on the issues that matter convinced Linette to put her son into his care.

16 years after Rosseau Mercuur’s visit to the Williams home in Louwville, Lizaad Williams has reached another milestone in his cricket life, he is heading to India as part of South Africa’s World Cup squad.

“Lizaad’s story is almost like a fairytale. I am so happy for him. Of course, we are going to miss him at the Titans while he is at the ODI World Cup, but this is what every player dreams of. I am happy that all his hard work is paying off,” says Jacques Faul, the Titans CEO.

Keshav Maharaj

By Stuart Judge

“As a group of spin bowlers, myself, Aiden and Shamsi speak a lot. We constantly share ideas and participate in group activities. Video analysis is also a key part of our preparation and we often chat before or during the games to see how we can help each other out” – Keshav Maharaj.

As the 2023 One Day International Cricket World Cup will be hosted in India, it is vital that our spin bowlers are in good form going into the tournament.

Unfortunately, as a country, we still hold the tag of” Chokers” in ICC white-ball tournaments. In recent years, South Africa has struggled to perform consistently well in the sub-continent as our players have struggled to adapt to the conditions.

Before the tournament started, we sat down with someone who will definitely play a vital role on the pitch (as a left-arm spinner and handy lower-order batter) as well as off the pitch (with his experience and calm leadership skills).

In 2011, the Proteas had a relatively successful campaign before being knocked out by New Zealand. A successful strategy that the former Head Coach Corrie Van Zyl and former Captain Graeme Smith implemented was selecting three different types of spinners, Johan Botha (right-arm off-spin), Robin Peterson (left-arm off-spin) and Imran Tahir (Right-arm leg spin).

The current coaching staff have also selected the following three spinners who could be used in the same way: Aiden Markram (right-arm off-spin), Tabraiz Shamsi (left-arm wrist spin) and Keshav Maharaj (left-arm off-spin). The wide variety of spinners will cause issues for various batters across the tournament.

Keshav Maharaj is participating in his second ICC white-ball tournament and he could not sound happier with the current dynamic within the team under Head Coach Rob Walter.

“Rob and his staff have created an environment where everyone strives to continuously up-skill themselves and improve their technical skills and mental skills.

"Although the results may not be reflecting (South Africa was 2-0 down in the ODI series against Australia at this point), everyone can see that the team is moving in a positive trajectory”.

Maharaj was acutely aware that some of the wickets in India are likely to turn a lot. When asked about his preparation for assessing the conditions.

“As a group, we assess each venue based on how the pitch behaved in the past. A part of the video analysis that we do is analyzing opposition batters and working out how we can best exploit the conditions to get them out and limit their scoring options.

"It is also crucial that you as the bowler form key relationships with the keeper by practicing and also talking with each other. Maharaj also emphasized the importance of assessing the current conditions and planning on how to adapt during the game if the conditions change”.

Maharaj lauded the appointment of Eric Simons (who previously worked with the Chennai Super Kings as the bowling coach and as the Head Coach of the Proteas) as the bowling coach.

“Eric has a vast depth of knowledge and experience as a coach. One of his best qualities is that he provides little tips here which really helps a lot."

It is also evident that Keshav Maharaj has also been working on his batting. Recent trends in One Day Internationals have shown that lower-order batters, from number eight downwards, also need to be able to contribute with the bat.

In Test Cricket specifically, there has definitely been a noticeable improvement in his batting form since 2018 as Maharaj has scored over fifty runs on more than one occasion.

Maharaj responded to the question raised about his batting performance.

“Personally, I still do not feel as if I have lived up to my full potential. I have been working really hard in the nets. Especially in One-Day Cricket, it is also important that you assess the situation as a lower-order batter. Often you have to give strike to the in-batter”.

He also qualified his stance on how tail-enders can improve their form with the willow.

“It is also extremely important that you trust your preparation as a batter. Unfortunately, in formats such as Test Cricket or Four-Day Franchise Cricket, you do not always get an opportunity to bowl which means that you have to contribute wherever you can.”

Prior to his selection to the national side in 2016 against Australia, Maharaj played a lot of franchise and domestic cricket.

He made his debut for Kwa-Zulu Natal in 2006 and played for the Dolphins in 2009 respectively. He has also played for Lancashire, Yorkshire, Durban Heat and Durban Super Giants.

He often credits his experiences playing in domestic cricket as a result of his experiences in South Africa and abroad.

Maharaj qualified his love for domestic and grass-roots cricket.

“Personally, domestic cricket proved to be an invaluable experience. Playing domestic cricket not only helped improve my technical skills, but my stints in England also helped to improve my resilience.

"One of my personal goals is that I want to make the system stronger, and that is why I often play a lot of provincial cricket. I fundamentally believe that all young aspiring cricketers should play as much cricket as possible and take every opportunity that they can as it will help them to become more resilient."

Keshav Maharaj also showed his admiration for the emergence of the SA20.

“The tournament is really beneficial for young aspiring cricketers. They are exposed to a large amount of different forms of knowledge such as international cricketers and foreign coaches. It also gives young players an opportunity to play in front of packed stadiums which exposes them to highly pressurized environments”.

Keshav Maharaj is someone who firmly believes in the importance of preparation and communication.

He is also an extremely humble person and he concluded the interview by thanking us as well for the interview. We, at Cricket Fanatics Magazine wish him all the best for the upcoming World Cup.

Walter and Bavuma ready to break South Africa’s World Cup duck

By Avuyile Sawula 

The South African cricket team has arrived in India for another ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup. This time around, however, the One-Day International side has a new captain and coach – both of whom are entrusted with breaking South Africa’s World Cup duck.

The Proteas will open their World Cup campaign against Sri Lanka on the 7th of October at 10:00 am SAST.

Underperforming, cracking under pressure, and disappointments are all terms that can be associated with the Proteas when they begin a Cricket World Cup campaign.

These terms also resonated last year, when they were knocked out of the T20 World Cup hosted in Australia. South Africa lost to the Netherlands by 13 runs to see themselves packing.

However, 2023 has been a whole lot different for the national team. Not only is a new head coach at the helm, but South Africa has a new One-Day International captain, one that stepped up when called up – and that is Temba Bavuma.

2019 horrendous showing:

South Africa’s last involvement in an ODI-World Cup was back in 2019 which was hosted in England. At that particular event, the Proteas opened their campaign with a humbling 104-run defeat to the hosts – who went on to win the whole thing.

Other performances at that World Cup also warranted concerns for South Africa. Despite the loss to England, South Africa was also defeated by Bangladesh (21 runs), India (6 wickets), and New Zealand (4 wickets).

From there on, the side, coached by Ottis Gibson at the time went on a shocking run and only managed to win three of their nine matches, failing to even make it to the semi-finals.

One would’ve questioned what the issues might’ve been, when players like Hashim Amla, Faf du Plessis, and JP Duminy, just to name a few, were at the helm.

Fast forward to 2023, and it’s a whole different ball game for the South Africans. New management, a new group of young players, a fresh identity and a handful of experienced players who have consistently performed at the highest level.

Even though there are survivors in this year’s 15-men squad from 2019, the feel, vibe and energy in the team are without a doubt different.

Rebuilding:

At the start of the year, South Africa hosted England in a three ODI Series in Bloemfontein and Kimberly.

The series was the start of Rob Walter’s reign, despite him being absent with Shukri Conrad leading the side. The hosts played some impressive cricket and went on the win the series (2-1) – a series win that brought back eyes to the TV Screens and made the public aware of a team in its rebuilding phase.

Next up, was West Indies. A team that posed difficult questions for South Africa and that showed in the second match, after the first clash was abandoned in East London due to rain.

The two teams then went on to win one game each, and the series was tied.

South Africa then welcomed the Netherlands to shore, a team they were expected to beat in any case.

Walter’s side did exactly that, dismissing the visitors in both matches and in the process, qualified for the spectacle in India.

All of those matches, however, wouldn’t have tested the depth of the South African side, and when a team like Australia landed, that was about to change.

The five-match series against the Aussies was a game-changer for the Proteas. Having announced his 15-man squad for the World Cup before the series, Walter wanted to test his side and use the matches as warm-up for the showpiece.

Things started very shaky though, two losses in the first two ODI matches raised some questions about South Africa’s BMT, and whether this side could contend on the big stage.

The final three ODI’s answered those questions. Temba Bavuma’s men picked themselves up and showcased some exciting cricket that brought back the belief in the ordinary South African cricket fan.

In the final three matches, South Africa recorded victories by 111, 164, and 122 runs.

Players like Marco Jansen, Heinrich Klassen, and Gerald Coetzee also lifted their hands, coming to the party as South Africa came from behind to grab a 3-2 series win and head over to the World Cup high in confidence.

Setbacks:

Despite the confidence, South Africa was dealt a huge blow just before departing for India when two of their seam bowlers, Anrich Nortje, and Sisanda Magala were ruled out with injuries.

Nortje has been sidelined by a back injury sustained during the recent ODI series against Australia, while Magala is reportedly suffering from a knee injury despite being picked by his union in the One-Day Cup.

The duo has been replaced by Lizaad Williams, and experienced campaigner, Andile Phehlukwayo who will both offer different variations to the matchday squads.

The loss of Nortje and Magala will be felt in the changing room, but South Africa will just have to get the job done without them.

Proteas need to start well and stay focused throughout:

When the World Cup squad was announced in Bloemfontein a couple of weeks ago, the general feeling within the South African public was that “this is our best squad.”

Rob Walter has gone for tried and tested players who have delivered for him and the side in recent months.

Captain Temba Bavuma, who will lead his country for the first time at an ODI World Cup has been involved in two World Cups previously. Both ended in heartbreak and despair.

This time around, however, the skipper enters the global event with experience. He also believes that for the Proteas to go all the way, his side will have to play at its best from start to finish.

“I think there are two T20 World Cups that I’ve been involved in but for a large portion of those campaigns, I do believe we played good cricket,” said Bavuma.

“I guess going into the 50-over World Cup, it’s about playing good cricket but playing good cricket for that 5–7-week period.”

“The first couple of games will obviously be important just for us to get that momentum, but in terms of us getting that cohesion and flow happening in our team, I believe once we are able to do that as a team sooner than later, anything can happen for us.”

For Walter, this will be his chance to stake a claim and etch his name as one of the best Proteas ODI coaches.

He believes he’s picked the best South Africa has to offer, and explained his decision in selecting five fast bowlers with Marco Jansen, as opposed to an extra all-rounder or spin option:

“It’s just a privilege to be selected as a player or coach to be part of a World Cup campaign,” he said.

“I always feel for the guys that aren’t selected, they’ve put in as much work and that’s the tough part.

“I don’t believe that in the tournament we need an extra batter, we’ve got a backup batter and I back all of them and if someone suffers an injury we have the replacement to come in.

"We didn’t feel like we needed to carry an extra batter at the expense of a seamer. I think for us, we want to have four high-quality fast bowlers on the park at most times, that’s the strategy the team has done well with,” he said.

South Africa’s best finish at a World Cup dates back to 2015 when they lost to New Zealand by 4 wickets (DLS). 

Can Walter and Bavuma break the World Cup duck? I guess we’ll have to wait and see.

The Proteas squad for the World Cup:

Temba Bavuma (captain), Gerald Coetzee, Quinton de Kock, Reeza Hendricks, Marco Jansen, Heinrich Klaasen, Andile Phehlukwayo, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, Lizaad Williams, Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi, Rassie van der Dussen. 

Q&A: Niharika Raina

By Jessica & Janine October

How did your journey in journalism begin? Were you always interested in the sports media industry?

I really took a huge interest in being a part of the sports media industry as a school-going seventh grader in the 2010-11 season. My English-language teachers knew that I could write well and express my views nicely, apart from speaking well. Plus, I had this habit of reading newspapers since grade 1, thanks to my parents, so some inclination was there from the start.

The idea of being a cricket-covering reporter was literally firmed up after India won the 2011 Men’s ODI World Cup on home soil. It was no looking back since then and that gave birth to a goal of covering the future edition of the tournament on home soil, which will hopefully happen in 2023.

My journey in proper journalism started from being a sports desk intern at the prestigious The Hindu newspaper bureau in New Delhi in June-July 2017. I was an intern under Vijay Lokapally sir, a stalwart of the industry and he has been my mentor-cum-guru since then.

I have learnt a lot about being a good reporter, having a keen eye for stories, aiming for accuracy and most importantly, about being a humble and nice human being too. Eternally grateful for his presence in my life and for the learnings he imparts to me on a regular basis.

After being a silver medallist in journalism, I struggled really hard to get a job as a placement drive never happened in university and the places I had approached earlier for full-time work, said hiring froze. Then the COVID-19 pandemic meant no one cared for the careers of freshers, as many went after getting experienced people.

I was in job processes at Wisden India and ESPNCricinfo, apart from trying at other places, but didn’t get a job to resurrect my life and career because experienced folks were preferred by the people there to hire.
A slice of luck, when I least expected it, happened when someone said IANS News Agency was looking for a young person at their sports desk and I entered the process, only to get the job (finally!) and since July 2021, I have been here as a full-time reporter.

In my current role, I am reporting on international and IPL matches, plus covering significant developments in men’s and women’s cricket. Now hoping to report on the 2023 Men’s ODI World Cup at home, fingers crossed.

 How were you introduced to cricket specifically?

It’s a very cool tale. Back in 2003, the Men’s ODI World Cup was on, and my father Rajesh, he’s a very serious cricket enthusiast, was keenly following proceedings. I was five at that time and Dad had this idea of getting me to watch the games and learn about the sport. So, my father would be watching India’s games, starting from that group clash against Australia and he got me to sit and watch the matches till the finale.

 At first, it was a little confusing to see the proceedings, but my father was teaching and telling me about what was happening on the TV. Then I started to have a hang of it, being curious about the sport and after the tournament was over, cricket became an inseparable part of my life. So, huge thanks to my father for introducing me to the sport and to date, I have discussed everything about it with him.

Holding a silver medal in BA (Journalism and Mass Communication) at Amity University, being a 3-time alumna of ABCs Women in News and Sport Programme (WINS), as well as having had internships with The Hindu (2017), CNN-News18 (2018), and the Indian Express (2019), you have also been a newsroom reporter at the Talk Journalism summit (2018) and newsroom Editor and Reporter the following year. What challenges have you encountered as a woman in these roles as sports journalist?

Challenges have been aplenty. Like, the idea of being a cricket-covering reporter was a completely out-of-the-box idea for my Kashmiri Pandit family. I mean, everyone in my family is into traditional jobs – engineering, commerce, teaching and government jobs.

So me not being into it and wanting to do something out of cricket reportage was just absolutely out of nowhere. But my parents, Rajesh and Sushma, realised that I could do something out of journalism. So, yes, after I was done with commerce + maths in 12th grade, I jumped straightaway into my journalism degree in July 2016.

Then, my family and I moved out of New Delhi to a place closer to the university and it was a hard call, but was made for my betterment. When internships arrived and assignments came, doing up-and-down with lots of travel time was hard, but was and is still worth it.

On the work front, navigating through various practical skills and thinking out of the box was tough initially, but achieved. During my time at the Talk Journalism Summit, managing time as a reporter and then in the student newsroom co-editor role was tough, because I had the responsibility of seeing what others were doing, giving them events to cover and editing their stories.

But having a calm mind and trust of others was so important in doing full justice to the role. In terms of WINS courses, learning all about podcasting, its editing and production was a bit new, but the trainers were supportive and made life easy, despite me being at full-time work too.

How important is it to have equal coverage of both the women and men’s game? How important is women’s sports coverage where representation is concerned? What does this responsibility as a journalist mean to you personally?

Very, very important to have a balance in coverage of both men’s and women’s cricket. We are living in a world where many are realising how great women’s cricket is, especially after the 2017 World Cup saw India being runners-up and capturing the attention of the fans back home and all over the world.

So, reporters really need to be adept in both men’s and women’s cricket coverage. Representation is truly important in women’s sports coverage, as it aids in telling the full story with utmost accuracy and truth, which is the basis of good journalism too.

Personally, for me, it’s been a huge aim to do as many diverse women’s cricket stories as possible, with all the energy and resources I have in hand. I don’t know if others see/consider me as a women’s cricket covering reporter, but I believe in myself as a capable person to do so.

And yes, I am always open to any kind of help/suggestions given to me for growing as a women’s cricket covering reporter. I do really hope to get a chance to cover a women’s series in this home season and the WPL too; fingers crossed for this!

What was your experience like at the ABC Sport Mentorship programme? What have you subsequently learned that you always take with you everywhere you go?

Being a part of the mentorship programme was a very high on learning experience, especially in terms of managing time and getting things done. Learning about how the best go about their business and discussing a story idea in various ways was so enriching.

The mentorship programme ran during the IPL 2023 period, so it was a huge balancing act of full-time work duties like covering games from ground, attending various broadcasters-related interactions and your daily work too. So, everything on my weekly off days was strictly for the mentorship programme.

In between, the health took a beating due to weird Delhi weather plus work responsibilities and I will always be grateful for the support I got from my mentor Johanna McDiarmid for completing the story in time, as well as to the interviewees for taking time out to speak to me.

What will always remain with me is having understanding and helpful people in any sphere is a huge plus and managing time meticulously is an absolutely essential skill to have a reporter.

What is the work environment/schedule like between covering a World Cup and the IPL?

I am yet to cover a World Cup game, but I do understand how it would go and I am prepping myself for it. For an IPL game, plus international matches, you have to attend pre-match PCs and have a close look at the practice sessions. On match ways, reach the stadium an hour early, do your laptop + notebook set-up and then see the game keenly.

Since I work at a news agency, so I have to file a toss report, two innings reports and an overall report. Then attend post-game PCs and file that too after reaching home, along with interesting bits in the game added in that stories. It's hectic, but pleasing to get things done to the best of my capabilities.

Since I work at a news agency, so I have to file a toss report, two innings reports and an overall report. Then attend post-game PCs and file that too after reaching home, along with interesting bits in the game added in that stories. It's hectic, but pleasing to get things done to the best of my capabilities.  

With India hosting the up-coming World Cup tournament, what do you think the game means to Indian fans? What does cricket mean to India? What does cricket mean to you?

I do understand that there is huge excitement amongst the fans and enthusiasts for seeing the World Cup happening on home soil, though many didn’t get the tickets for the games they were aiming for.

For Indian fans, cricket is now a deep-rooted part of the culture in the country. It’s like a family member who is there in every household and is present in every moment of happiness and sadness of the people there.

For me, cricket is my ultimate love and life. Like, it's something which has given me a lot of things and learnings in life and continues to do so. Being around cricket and working in it gives me a sense of happiness, purpose and fulfilment.

Are you following any series at the moment? If yes, which ones

Honestly, all eyes are on the 2023 Men’s ODI World Cup. I do try to follow other series via scorecards + social media if people are tweeting about it. Like, I will try to follow the Australia v West Indies women’s white-balls series plus the domestic Irani Cup, if I find time from the World Cup action.

Favourite movie?

Very hard one to answer. I am a huge movie watcher, when not at the cricket, and keenly follow the art of cinema and its developments in various languages. Like, I took a crash course in dramatics in 11th grade and studied cinema in two semesters of university.

Plus, I have an uncle working as a veteran actor in Hindi movies, web series and theatre, apart from a distant relative from my elder cousin's sister’s side being a music director in South Indian flicks.

I don’t have a particular favourite movie, but the one which comes into my head immediately is, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, a 1998 rom-com flick featuring Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol and Rani Mukherji. I have watched this movie maybe 30-35 times. A recent favourite is Goodachari, a Telugu language spy drama and Jawan, and Bangalore Days, a Malayalam language feel-good youth flick.

 You’ve mentioned that you’re trying to improve cooking skills. Which meal(s) do you enjoy cooking? What does it consist of?

Yes, improving cooking skills is a constant thing. I feel cooking is very much like journalistic work: start from scratch and then use various components in moderation to make a good dish. It’s very therapeutic.

I enjoy cooking non-vegetarian food like chicken curry and egg curry a lot – less in spices and salt. Sometimes I like making a bit of soya and cheese curries, potato and peas dishes, some dry dishes like lady finger and stir-fried veggies, a bit of Chinese and non-wheat pasta, plus grilled sandwiches.

What advice would you give to young/future female sports media enthusiasts hoping to enter the sports media industry?

First of all, be genuinely in love with the sport and that you truly care for all aspects of it, on and off the field, as well as its reportage. Pick journalism as an undergrad degree, as it gives you a headstart which late entrants in the industry can’t get.

Check facts twice or thrice, till you feel it's right to file the story. Be diligent in work and ethics, especially when no one is watching. Read a lot, watch a lot and observe things, then keep it to yourself.

Strictly value your ethics as a human and reporter, and that anything against it should be let go of ASAP, even if others at work are doing that. Try to learn anything about the various industry skills when you feel behind.

Don’t move away even a single inch from what you want in life. When the body and mind demand rest, take it. Don’t burn yourself out in the urge to be productive and take care of your mental health, plus make your well-being a non-negotiable priority.

At times, you will face huge disappointment from people in your family, and friend circle or even from certain decision-making of the top people in the sports media industry. So, accept that not everything will be fair towards you and stop keeping expectations from them to understand you every single time.

When you don’t get something you want, it’s okay to cry and feel sad, but not for long. Figure out what you can do better and when opportunity comes next time, don’t leave any chance to face heartbreak again.

Keep people like parents, friends and well-wishers close, who tell you the absolute truth and give honest feedback. If possible, learn to vibe alone and be ruthlessly honest all the time.