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Exclusive: Rising UAE star makes West Indies stalwart proud 10 years after attending his coaching camp

It was an emotional moment for the UAE youngster to be able to perform in front of the former West Indies batsman, 10 years after attending his masterclass

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Jimmy Adams during a coaching masterclass at G Force Academy in 2012 as as 10year-old Vriitya Aravind (right) looks on. — Supplied photo
by

Rituraj Borkakoty

Published: Thu 15 Jun 2023, 7:32 PM

Vriitya Aravind was only 10 when he first had a chance to learn the art of cricket from Jimmy Adams, the former West Indies batsman whose epic partnership with Brian Lara helped the Windies stage a stirring fightback in the 1999 Test series against Australia.

Fourteen years after that famous Test battle, Adams was at the G Force Cricket Academy in Dubai, holding special sessions with aspiring UAE cricketers of the academy.

Vriitya was among those young kids, picking the Windies stalwart’s brains.

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Now 10 years on, Vriitya is the UAE vice-captain who just finished the recent one-day series against the West Indies in Sharjah as the second highest-scorer.

The UAE may have lost all three matches to the superior West Indies team, but Vriitya left his mark on the series with 147 runs, including a brilliant 70 off 77 balls in the last game.

With his superb batting skills against a Test-playing team, the 21-year-old Vriitya also impressed Adams.

The 55-year-old Adams, who is now the director of cricket in the West Indies board, attended the recent series at the iconic Sharjah Cricket Stadium.

Vriitya Aravind meets Jimmy Adams during the recent West Indies-UAE one-day series in Sharjah. — Supplied photo

It was an emotional moment for the UAE youngster to be able to perform in front of Adams, 10 years after attending his masterclass at the G Force Academy in Dubai.

“I have great memories of meeting him at the G Force Academy. I started my cricket journey at the G Force under Gopal Jasapara Sir, who is the head coach of the academy,” Vriitya told the Khaleej Times.

“Jimmy Adams used to come to our academy every summer, he used to run a camp. I attended that camp two-three years in a row. I think that was in 2012 and 2013.

“Now 10-11 years down the line, Jimmy Adams was here as part of the West Indies team.

“So now when I met him, I told him about our camp all those years ago at the G Force Academy. He remembered those days and asked me about my friends from that camp.

“It was amazing to meet him and talk to him now after I have become an international player and playing against his West Indies team.”

Vriitya said Adams was hugely impressed with his batting against the West Indies, but the West Indian identified the area in which he needs to improve. “He told me that he was proud of me, the way I played. But he also told me that it’s important to convert the starts,” the young wicketkeeper-batsman said.

Vriitya Aravind celebrates his half-century in the third match. — Supplied photo

“He told me that not every day I am going to get a chance to score big in international cricket. So he said every time I get a start, I must make it count and convert those 30s and 40s into hundreds.”

Vriitya will now look to get a few big knocks for the UAE in the 10-team ICC World Cup qualifying tournament (June 18-July 9) in Zimbabwe.

Only the top two teams from this tournament will qualify for the ICC World Cup later this year.

“Playing a team like the West Indies was an ideal opportunity for us to prepare for Zimbabwe,” Vriitya said. “I was playing well, I could have scored a hundred in the third game, hopefully I will get a hundred in Zimbabwe and help my team.”

Rituraj Borkakoty

Published: Thu 15 Jun 2023, 7:32 PM

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