Pace academy gives glimmer of hope to poor cricketers

Like any other teenager of his age, Abdul Baseer loves action movies, listens music and likes to hang around with friends but what separates him from others is his ability to bowl at a lightning speed.

Like any other teenager of his age, Abdul Baseer loves action movies, listens music and likes to hang around with friends but what separates him from others is his ability to bowl at a lightning speed.

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Baseer is part of a batch of talented speedsters, who were spotted by Gatorade Pacers, an all-India pace bowling talent hunt programme, earlier this year.

Son of a poultry farmer, Baseer started playing cricket in the narrow lanes of Bowenpally in Andhra Pradesh but his humble background never came in the way of his dream.

"I got ample support from my family and the financial challenges never bogged me down," says Baseer, who is currently training in the camp which started on July 15.

Baseer's story is not any different from Delhi-boy Vikas Tokas, Sukhvir Singh of Shahpur village and Thane boy Sharadul Thakur, son of a school teacher, who were also selected in the talent hunt.

Gatorade Pacers has chosen 12 pacers for its academy and most of these boys come from the poor strata of the society where playing cricket is a far fetched dream.

However, their life has taken a different turn after being selected for the training programme, which has legendary fast bowler Wasim Akram as its strategy coach and former India cricketer Sekar as its chief coach.