If cricket in recent times has combined enterprise with endeavour, the Emerging Cricketers Development Group (ECDG) seeks to produce quality players while reaching out to the less privileged sections of society.
The non-governmental organisation (NGO) was set up in 2011 by its president Mohammed Nayeem Khan and Secretary Mohammed Faiyazuddin Gazi. Nayeem, who represented the All India P&T team in tournaments such as the annual Sheeshmahal championship in Lucknow and was a trainee at Sports Authority of India (SAI) camps conducted by Lala Amarnath and Mushtaq Ali, started a free coaching scheme at Attapur with two nets.
Gazi, a former Hyderabad under-22 cricketer, was a coach at the Sports Coaching Foundation (SCF), whose founder K. Saibaba was a major source of support when the Attapur nets were started. Adams XI, which plays in the A-4 division one day league, was formed and began competing two years ago.
A second team was subsequently added and thus two sides began touring the country. “We take six to seven boys who can’t afford to bear the costs, on every tour. Their expenditure is borne by their teammates, who have the means,” said Gazi. The goodwill of all India services officers subsidized costs considerably, as when the boys were accommodated in the CRPF barracks on a visit to Kolkata.
The group also strives to inspire its wards through interaction with well-known players. Former cricketers Mohd. Azharuddin and M. Venkatramana or some from the current crop such as Robin Uthappa, Munaf Patel, Praveen Kumar, Mohammed Kaif and even India’s first women’s World Cup centurion Thirush Kamini have distributed prizes, trophies and kit to ECDG’s players.
One success story of all these efforts has been Karthikeya Kak, ranked among the best five quicks in the south zone by no less than Courtney Walsh himself in the ‘Superpacer—only the fastest can survive’ contest. Another promising talent is Mohamed Abrar, doing well at the under 16 level.