Cricket is a very popular sport all around the world. Every person who is very keen on cricket likes to watch cricket matches and likes to play this beautiful game as well. As far as playing is concerned, everyone wants to become a big player like Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, Sanath Jayasuriya, Ricky Ponting, etc. They wanted to play professional cricket and wants to represent their country. And to learn the basics and become a good player, one of the most important things is to join a good cricket academy. Today, we will talk about the best age to join a cricket academy and a few other things about becoming a cricket player. So let’s start.
What is the best age to join a cricket academy?
Although there is no age barrier, the earlier you join the cricket academy, the better it is to become a professional cricketer. It’s not like if you join the academy late, you can’t make it to your goal. But early exposure is a good thing to have.
Is it good to join the academy at the age of 0-5?
It all depends on person to person. But generally at this age, the parents shouldn’t inclined towards their child joining a cricket academy. At this age, a child is not good enough to know all the basic things. Rather, parents can give a fair idea of this game to their child by playing with the child at home. They can use plastic bats, light-weighted bats, etc with a small size and a soft ball (those balls that can’t hurt their child) to play with them. By doing this, a child can learn about this game and how it should be played.
What about joining the cricket academy at the age of 6 to 12?
This is the time when a child should know the basic rules of cricket. Don’t expect them to know something like how an LBW works, or a field place like mid-wicket, gully, etc. It is good if they know them. But you can teach them some basic rules like wickets, runs, etc.
Also, this is the time when a child starts to take an interest in the game. If the child is not keen to play, then don’t force them. But if they want to play, then you can allow them to play with friends, on the ground, and you can also send them to a good cricket academy. In a cricket academy, they can see a good amount of competition and get motivated to learn more and more. They will still not become perfect (exceptions are always there) at this age. But at least parents can know the interests of their child.
Age 12 to 20 – a perfect age when most players are made
This is the age where a player can figure out what he/she can do in this field. They know what their roles are. Whether they are interested in batting, fielding, wicket-keeping, for the multiple roles. We saw a few players who started their professional careers in a certain role, but they went on to play different roles and become the best in that part. But an early clarity about the role is always good.
This is the age when a player starts to represent their clubs, states, and even a national team at the age group level. There are a few age groups level tournaments like Under-15, Under-17, Under-19, and even Under-23 at state levels, district levels national levels, etc. An ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup broadcast all around the world which is a very big thing. A player can learn to handle the pressure of big stages and becomes ready to represent at the top level.
Is it not good to join a cricket academy after the age of 20-25?
It’s not like that. You can join a cricket academy at any age. If you are very keen to play at the highest level, there is no age barrier. It’s just that if you start playing cricket late, the chances of playing at the international level are less.
We have seen many players playing professional cricket at a very late age. Even a few players like Rassie van der Dussen, Suryakumar Yadav, etc made their international debut almost at the age of 30. So it’s never too late.
It doesn’t mean you can play professionally at the age of 50. You can play for fun at that age. But yes, to play professionally, there is a decent age limit.
What kind of academy you should join?
A cricket academy should be good enough for practice and training. They must have a proper playing area to play matches (or book a ground to play games), nets to practice, good coaches to guide a player at a young age, and all the equipment to train.
They must motivate players to do physical training as well along with nurturing their skills. If these things are ignored, a child will face difficulties in a tough journey.
Conclusion
So this is it for today. As we said, there are no age criteria to join a cricket academy, but early inclusion is good and plays a huge role. Remember all these things are said in general terms. Some players get mature at an early stage. And some need time to know their game. It all depends from person to person.
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FAQs:-
1. Who is the youngest cricketer to play an international game?
Hasan Raza becomes the youngest player to play an international match. He represented Pakistan and made his debut on October 24, 1996, against Zimbabwe in Faisalabad.
2. Who is the fastest player to complete 2000 ODI runs?
Shubman Gill has completed 2000 ODI runs in 38 innings. He surpassed Hasim Amla, who took 40 innings to achieve this milestone.
