With cricket virtually ruling the hearts of millions of people in India it is no surprise that a series on the players has been brought out by Jaico Publishing House. Titled Cricketwallah, the series is being edited by Ayaz Memon, who has over 35 years of experience in journalism, and is a noted television expert.
Predictably, the series focuses on many of the youth icons. For instance, Virat Kohli and Yuvraj Singh, who made headlines for his successful battle against cancer recently. Seasoned sports writer C. Rajshekar Rao of The Associated Press, has written on these two stars of Indian cricket under the series. The books on Virat Kohli and Yuvraj Singh were launched early this month.
Rao says that the books were written with the young readers in mind, boys and girls who do not have enough time to go through detailed biographies and autobiographies of their favourite sportspersons. He adds that even those not following the game religiously would also find both books an interesting read.
Rao says he has seen Yuvraj in action on the pitch over the years, including his historic six sixes against Stuart Broad during the 2007 T20 World Championship and his first century in Ranji Trophy. The career of Virat Kohli, hailing from the Capital, was also followed very closely by the writer, right from the time he burst on the scene as a precocious teenager for Delhi. Interesting insights into the personality of both the players were provided by coaches, former cricketers and team mates.
Having written his first book – a fiction – “India Beckons and Other Stories” in 2006 and “Dhoni”, a biography on India’s most successful cricket captain in 2009, Rao says he had incorporated into the books things about the game, players’ personality, views of persons connected with them and interesting tit-bits in such a manner as to make reading a pleasure. According to him, as Memon had provided him clarity about the structure of the book he did not find it difficult to finish the two books. With Kohli on a high in South Africa and Yuvraj keen to make a comeback, the books will surely attract attention.
