Fourteen-year-old schoolboy cricketers Sarfaraz Khan and Armaan Jaffer (nephew of Wasim Jaffer), have been given an opportunity by the Mumbai under-19 selectors to play in the 26th Sportstar Trophy Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) under-19 selection trial tournament that starts here on Wednesday. Former Test cricketer Madhav Apte will inaugurate the tournament.
Both Sarfaraz and Jaffer came into the limelight with record-breaking scores in the inter-school Harris (u-16) and Giles (u-14) Shield tournaments. Representing Rizvi Springfield, Sarfaraz scored 439 against Indian Education Society's secondary school in the 2009 Harris Shield.
Last year, Jaffer, representing Rizvi Springfield scored 498 against Raja Shivaji School in the Giles Shield. Sarfaraz will play for Khandu Rangnekar XI and Jaffer for Dattu Phadkar XI.
Six round-robin league matches will be played in the tournament.
“It's not easy to get sponsors for junior tournaments. The MCA recognises the contribution made by The Hindu group to develop junior cricket,'' said Prof. Ratnakar Shetty, Vice-President, MCA and Chief Administrative Officer, BCCI, at the media conference at the Cooch Behar Room, Cricket Club of India here on Monday.
Sportstar will present six man-of-the-match awards (Rs. 2000 gift voucher each), Ramakant Desai Trophy and a Rs. 30,000 cricket kit to the player of the tournament.
Other prizes: Nike: Man-of-the-match, player of the tournament and special awards; Kiran More, former India stumper: Forma helmets to man-of-the-match award winners and the player of the tournament; Hemant Waingankar, former MCA Jt. Hon. Secretary: a bat to the player of the tournament; Bal Mahaddalkar's family: Rs. 1000 to the best fielder of the tournament.
