Chance for Rajasthan's budding cricketers to make it big

JAIPUR: There's good news for budding state cricketers who have the talent but lack resources.
Jaipur based Industrialist Girish Pareek, whose company was the sponsor of the just-concluded India's tour Zimbabwe, has decided to give a chance to hopefuls who do not have the finances to back their promise.
Spurred by India's limited overs captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and assured of assistance by the Zimbabwean cricket board, Pareek's company will hold trials across the state to select roughly 25-30 boys between the age group of 14-22 who will fly to Zimbabwe to play there and gain experience.
"I discussed with Dhoni and he advised me to conduct a cricket tournament for the kids between the age group of 14 and 17 and 17 to 22," Pareek told journalists at a city hotel here.
"First of all I would start from my residential area of Malvia Nagar. This is for those who don't have the money to buy even a bat. They cannot approach the RCA (Rajasthan Cricket Association) directly," he added.
Former Ranji cricketers Mohammad Aslam and Mohan Singh will be part of the selecting team who will fork out the best from the deluge of boys who will be accommodated in the initial trials from where about 100-150 players will be selected. From these 150 odd, the final cut will be made.
The Zimbabwe tour will be of 20-days where the selected players will get a chance to rub shoulders with the local teams between the months of September and December.
Pareek recounted that Dhoni had given the example of former India skipper Mohammed Azharuddin and legendary boxer Mike Tyson among those who have risen from the ashes.
Once the boys are back from Zimbabwe, they will be put into local academies and from there they will further graduate into the Ranji team if they can prove their mettle.