The two star performers of the Sanmar cricket team have been in the news for the last few months. Both fast bowler Lakshmipathi Balaji and left hand batsman Hemang Badani, the Sanmar captain, played key roles on India’s tour of Australia earlier this season. While Balaji’s 4 for 48 was crucial to India’s victory over Australia at Brisbane, Badani made an unbeaten 60 in a tournament final and fielded brilliantly throughout.
At the time of going to press, Balaji was continuing his good work in Pakistan where he is touring with the Indian team. Balaji’s fighting display at Rawalpindi earned him a word of praise from President Musharraf.
At a tea party he hosted for both teams, the General showered praises on Sachin Tendulkar’s batting skills and Balaji’s blitzkrieg against speed-king Shoaib Akthar.
“I’m sure you will be feeling comfortable in Pakistan. The way the crowd has responded in the two games shows that the Pakistani people are sports lovers,” Musharraf told the Indian players. “We thought you had taken the match away from us,” Musharraf told Balaji.
The triumphant Sanmar cricket team, which won the Tamil Nadu cricket league for the fourth year in a row, is leaving for England on a 15-day tour, playing nine matches against local teams. This is the second visit by a Sanmar cricket team to the UK. The first one was in 1995. The Chennai league is the best organised in India and some of the brightest Indian talent from all over the country participates in it. The Sanmar team, therefore, undertakes this trip to the UK with the knowledge and belief that it can compete with the best. Host teams can expect a feast of high quality, entertaining cricket, given the variegated talent at the tourists’ disposal, including Test class batsmen and bowlers and exciting fielders.
For the Sanmar lads, a cricket tour of England can only be a great education and an exciting adventure. They will surely come back better cricketers and richer for the experience. The team will comprise the following: Hemang Badani (Captain), S Badrinath, L Balaji, Prashant Chandran, J Harish, Karthik, Ajay Kudua, Vikram Kumar, Tamil Kumaran, Dinesh Mongia, Kulamani Parida, R Ram Kumar, Sujith Somasundar, D Vasu, Bharat Reddy (Manager), Abdul Jabbar (Coach), Ram Mohan Rao (Assistant Manager).