Of late, Avesh Khan has shown a lot of promise. The strapping right hand bowler from Indore has a smooth action and he bowls really fast. His figures of 4 for 4 in the under-18 match against Bangladesh in Kolkata on November 20 earned him a lot of praise. He also played a crucial role in the under-19 World Cup earlier this year. But then for someone who just played in the country’s under-19 and Ranji level one has to wait and watch his progress in the coming years.
The genesis of Avesh from being a shy youngster to an aggressive fast bowler sums up the change in his persona. Recalls his coach Amay Khurasia,”I remember the day he (Avesh) came to me for the first time. He was a shy person but someone who could bowl really fast. But then there were lot of grey areas on which he had to work upon,” he said.
Amay said that Avesh was a very hard working person. “From day one I could make out that he (Avesh) was a very determined person. He was never content to rest on his laurels and wanted to work harder on just about everything on his bowling.His strides, his release and other technical aspects.I could see the hunger and urge in him,” said Khurasia.
When asked what was the turning point of his career, Avesh said that it all began in 2011. “The former India fast bowler Chetan Sharma was conducting a training camp for fast bowlers in Indore. I happened to go there purely out of curiosity, nothing else. But once I got the chance to bowl, Chetan sir was quite impressed and told me that I had a bright future ahead of me. Those words from Chetan gave me confidence that I could become a good bowler,” he said.
These words of inspiration from Chetan Sharma were to stand him in good stead when the chips were down. “During tough times when things were not going all that well for me, I used to recall Chetan;s words. I would remind myself that one of India’s best fast bowlers had predicted a bright future for me and that too after watching me in action for just a couple of days,” said Avesh.
For someone who began his career playing with a soft tennis ball, the transition to the world of fast bowling with the red cherry was not going to be an easy one. And Avesh realized this fact from the onset.”I knew that considering my humble background it would take a superlative effort from my side to make it to any Team India side. I am really fortunate and thank Amay sir for guiding me and helping me secure a permanent slot in the under-19 Team India side,” said Avesh.
When asked which aspect of his bowling he had improved most, Avesh did not battle an eyelid. “Without a doubt I would say it was the art of reverse swing. I was always quite effective with the new ball but that would tend to fade away as the match wore on. Of late I have acquired the art of reverse swing—which is an important delivery for a fast bowler. I have to thank Amay sir for helping me out with this delivery,” he said.
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