Unmukt Chand, Smit Patel among Indian U19 cricketers seeking a career in USA, reveals Sami Aslam
Smit Patel and Unmukt Chand
Off late, the United States of America has been trying hard to establish itself in the world of cricket. In a bid to do the same, they have been recruiting overseas players and former Pakistan batsman Sami Aslam has revealed that some Indian U19 stars are in the mix. Lately, many cricketers from Australia, South Africa, Pakistan and India have relocated to USA looking for a career much like New Zealand’s Corey Anderson.
Aslam, played 13 Tests for Pakistan scoring 758 runs at an average of 31.58, reveals that India’s former U19 Unmukt Chand and Smit Patel are among players from India who have relocated to USA. He adds that many Proteas players too have landed in the States looking for opportunities.
“30 or 40 foreign players have arrived in America recently. A few former Under-19 Indian players have also arrived, including Unmukt Chand, Smit Patel, and Harmeet Singh. There are many players from South Africa over here now who have played a lot of First-class cricket in their homeland. Former New Zealand all-rounder Corey Anderson is also here,” Aslam told Pakpassion.net.
“There’s quite a lot of cricket being played,” Sami Aslam
Chand burst into the limelight as he led India to record third U19 World Cup in 2012. He was hailed as the next big thing in Indian cricket after he finished as the highest run getter of the tournament, 246 runs at an average of 49.20 from six games. Chand had a fantastic start to his first-class career as he amassed 400 runs at an average of 57.14 from five matches in the 2010/11 Ranji Trophy.
But happy times didn’t last long for Chand. Eight domestic seasons and as many IPL editions later, Chand found himself warming the bench for Delhi. Last season saw him ply a transfer to Uttarakhand in the Ranji Trophy in a bid to revive his career. Now it seems like he has decided to try his luck in a different country altogether.
Also read: Pat Cummins turns 28; wishes pour in from cricketing fraternity
Unhappy with continuous selection snubs, Aslam too has decided to quit cricket in Pakistan and move to the USA. The southpaw feels that set up in the US with some really good coaches and trainers is what is attracting players. Aslam explains that regular tournaments mean players get to play a lot of cricket, another reason behind domestic stars relocating.
“There are trainers and good coaches also out here, some of whom have previously worked in the Indian Premier League. J Arun Kumar is the USA Head Coach and he was formerly the Punjab Kings’ batting coach in the 2017 IPL season. He has also coached in the Ranji Trophy and he’s an excellent coach. There are tournaments regularly held around the country and leagues are played at weekends, so there’s quite a lot of cricket being played,” Sami added.
Anshuman Mahapatra
(1496 Articles Published)