From the diary of a cricketer

Jonty Rhodes is the greatest fielder the world has ever seen. From the current lot of players i suppose AB de Villiers, Ricky Ponting, Michael Clarke and maybe even Suresh Raina are up there, but deinitely not in the same league as Rhodes. I've grown up watching the man dive and slide his way to greatness. He made fielding an art at a time when it was one of the most neglected areas of the sport. Only more recently with the rise of T20 cricket and close finishes in the 50 over format have players and coaches begun to emphasise more on fielding as the third area of specialization. As a youngster who began playing cricket on the terrace with her father, fielding was one of my favorite parts of the game. We had 'catching practice' everyday where i would dive on the concrete, oblivious to the fact that i could cause serious damage to my body; the reason being-- I thought Jonty Rhodes would be proud of me! When i began playing 'serious' cricket I was always first ta

All through life you meet different people... Many of whom become friends, and some who remain acquaintances. As you move on with life some of these friendships last, and some don't. In sport, more often than not, these relationships last for life- you make friends that you never lose. In June, earlier this year, I met 31 such people who I believe have become (my) friends for life. Guntur, ACA Women's Cricket Academy, JKC College- the venue of our ZCA South Zone camp. It was there that I met some special people- players, coaches, support staff and groundsmen alike- who made the experience all the more enjoyable. Whether it was during a fitness session/ skills session/ quiz/ lecture/ meal we had an absolute blast. Unknowingly we grew closer as the days zoomed by. It took a week or so for everyone to settle in and become comfortable. I remember, during our first fitness session, I was sitting with Sunitha Anand and everyone was sitting in little groups- each state together-