Young South African tweakers to take spin lessons in India

DURBAN: Seven promising young South African spin bowlers would attend a two-week course on spin bowling in Mohali, Punjab from the next week. The players would leave on June 3 for the sessions, to be conducted by Devendar Arora, Narendra Hirwani and Umesh Patwal. The players will be accompanied by national selector and spinning co-ordinator Shafiek Abrahams and Yashin Ebrahim Hassan. The seven spinners are Corbyn Dolley, Keshav Maharaj, Daryn Smit, Aubrey Swanepoel, Thandi Tshabalala, Roelof van der Merwe, and Jonathan Vandiar. The trip has been sponsored by a Dubai based businessman Shyam Bhatia, who was born in India. Bhatia, who published a book on cricket titled 'Portraits of the Game', said cricket made him what was he was today and sport knew no boundaries, religion or colour. "I have cricket to thank for so much of my success. It has opened so many doors for me and this is a way of saying thank you to the game," he told reporters in Johannesburg. "It is a privilege to be involved. I am so pleased to be able to help and India is the perfect place for young spinners to learn their trade." Bhatia has also donated $10,000 to each cricket Board of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, South Africa and the West Indies for cricket coaching of the under-privileged children. Gerald Majola, CEO of Cricket SA, said he was grateful to Bhatia for "wonderful sponsorship which could help develop a string of exciting young spinners and help develop a spinning culture".