Manna for the cubs?

With the World Cup under their belt, the Under-19 team is hopeful of lucre from league cricket and endorsements, even as old-timers warn Aabhas Sharma that only performance will count.

Be it on the field or off it, Rahul Dravid has always had the knack of hitting with a straight bat. Amidst all the euphoria of the Under-19 cricket World Cup victory, and the cavalcades and felicitations, the former Indian skipper hit the nail on its head when he warned the young team, "Only one player from the 2000 World Cup winning team was a member of the national team that won in Australia a few days back."

Given the feel-good hopes and Indian Premier League aspirations of the young cubs hoping to rake in the rupees, that might sound a little harsh, yet it is a fact.

While with the exception of the likes of Bishen Singh Bedi, the euphoria over the U-19 win has the youngsters being praised by everyone, it has taken someone like Dravid to point out the pitfalls that lie ahead for the class of '08.

Still not convinced? Then ask Shikhar Dhawan. Post the 2004 World U-19 World Cup, Dhawan was the centre of attraction, just as

Virat Kohli & Co are now. Having plundered runs for fun, he was hailed as "the next big thing". Four years later, Dhawan is plying his trade with the Delhi Ranji team without ever once coming close to knocking on the doors of the national team.

Naturally, Dhawan can relate with the current lot, so what if his was not the winning team at the U-19 World Cup. Surely he must experience some deja vu watching the new crop of youngsters? "Oh yes," he says, "the expectations from me were high too, just as they probably are for this lot." But there is a difference. "A lot of these players have represented their states in domestic cricket before winning the Cup, while I was still raw."

According to Roger Binny, former coach of the U-19 team, the harsh realities of the game await these youngsters. "It's nice to see them win the World Cup, but it's not the ticket to success. In fact, the expectations might just bog them down." Binny feels the gap between U-19 and domestic cricket is huge and only those who have the hunger will survive.

Not many in the past have taken the leap from U-19 to the national team. Or at least, not many have done it successfully or nailed their chances. Mohammed Kaif and Yuvraj Singh are just two names that have represented the country and played for some length of time after their triumph in 2000. As for the rest, they've either faded away or found the bridge too far to cross.

Chetan Chauhan, former Test opener and a member of the DDCA, while lauding their win, is of the opinion that the U-19 cannot be a yardstick to measure their credentials. "Playing at Ranji is far more difficult and unless they prove themselves over a domestic season, it's unfair to hype them up."

It's not as if the young players don't know this. Manish Pandey, who at 19 already has a deal with Reebok, knows it's just the beginning. "It's up to us to use this as a stepping stone," he says, "or else this will be our only claim to fame." That sentiment is echoed by team-mate Sreevats Goswami, one of the stars of the team in Kuala Lumpur.

"None of us think that this win will transform us into stars, or that we'll become household names, but the fact remains that we won the World Cup," he exults. "We know it's challenging, but none of us are fazed by it," agrees Pandey.

Goswami, who plays for Bengal and has represented his state team in domestic cricket, says "a World Cup on your resume does no harm, but that doesn't make you extra special".

That's level-headedness for you, especially given as Brajesh Patel, director at NCA Bangalore, puts it, "Their failures would stand out more as compared to the rest." But Patel admits that the U-19 team is talented though it's up to each one of them to convert that potential into performance on a consistent basis.

Dave Whatmore, who coached the team in Kuala Lumpur, points out that it does cricket no harm when the sport's future in the country looks good. "These boys are talented and committed and could represent the national team, but then these alone aren't the factors to make you successful in sport, are they?" he questions.

Whatmore, who probably knows these players better than anyone else, feels that the likes of Tanmaya Srivastava, Ravindra Jadeja and Goswami can make the cut if they "remain dedicated and keep their feet on the ground", which again could be a crucial aspect in the fast changing cricket scenario, thanks to the Indian Premier League.

Lucrative contracts from the IPL franchisees seem to be the next logical step. The BCCI has not yet devised a clear format on how the young lot will be treated, so it remains to be seen how it could affect their careers.

So far, the BCCI has announced that U-21 players will be signed on one-year contracts and is mulling over whether to have them play only for their home cities. No wonder Jadeja is not getting his hopes up yet.

"I don't expect any team to play me just because I was a part of a World Cup winning team; it all depends on my performance." Agrees Manish Pandey, "It's a learning curve for us now and we will take it step by step."

These youngsters recognise that a few months from now, the euphoria over the win could be forgotten and all that will count is their continued performance. "They are a resilient bunch of kids," observes Whatmore.

Their chances of representing India at a senior level are "as good as any other player in domestic cricket", points out Patel. But to expect them to do so immediately is ridiculous. "Like any other cricketer, you have to give them time to prove their mettle," he says.

The current rush of adrenalin has to do with expectations peaking in the time of IPL, which is why old-timers are quick to caution on too much coming their way too soon. "It's up to the Board to nurture them properly," says Binny. Suggestions have been made to provide them with counselling sessions to advice them financially as well as professionally.

Patel has been at the NCA for some time and has seen several talented players waste their potential. "There are many kids who, for whatever reason, drop out in spite of being talented," he says. "It all comes down to how badly you want it."

For now, the U-19 bunch has shown it has the talent, but that's not enough to survive in Indian cricket "" no, not even in the time of high-stake IPL auctions and big ticket endorsements.

As Dhawan puts it, "You have to earn the Indian cap, it won't come on a platter even if you are a U-19 star." He knows the feeling as he hopes the cubs learn their lesson from him.

ROLL CALL

The U-19 team that won the World Cup could be on the selectors' radar in time to come. Check out these likely heroes and their World Cup scores:

VIRAT KOHLI, Captain , 19 years
Batting: Right-hand bat, Bowling: Right-arm medium, 6 matches, 235 runs

RAVINDRA JADEJA, 19 years
Batting: Left-hand bat, Bowling: Slow left-arm orthodox, 6 matches, 10 wickets

SIDDHARTH KAUL, 17 years
Batting: Right-hand bat, Bowling: Right-arm medium, 5 matches, 10 wickets

AJITESH ARGAL, 19 years
Batting: Right-hand bat, Bowling: Right-arm medium, 6 matches, 8 wickets

NAPOLEON EINSTEIN, 18 years
Batting: Right-hand bat, Bowling: Right-arm offbreak

SHREEVATS GOSWAMI, 18 years
Batting: Left-hand bat, 6 matches, 152 runs

PERRY GOYAL, 18 years
Batting: Right-hand bat

IQBAL ABDULLAH, 18 years
Batting: Left-hand bat, Bowling: Slow left-arm, 6 matches, 10 wickets

TARUWAR KOHLI, 19 years
Batting: Right-hand bat, Bowling: Right-arm medium, 6 matches, 218 runs

ABHINAV MUKUND, 18 years
Batting: Left-hand bat, Bowling: Legbreak googly

MANISH PANDEY, 18 years
Batting: Right-hand bat, Bowling: Right-arm offbreak, 6 matches, 152 runs

PRADEEP SANGAWAN, 17 years
Batting: Right-hand bat, Bowling: Left-arm medium, 6 matches, 8 wickets

D SHIVKUMAR, 17 years
Batting: Right-hand bat, Bowling: Right-arm fast-medium

TANMAY SRIVASTAVA, 18 years
Batting: Left-hand bat, Bowling: Right-arm medium, 6 matches, 235 runs

SHOW ME THE MONEY

It has never taken too long for marketers to queue up at a cricketer's door, even if he has had only one decent series behind him. Ishant Sharma is a wonderful example as he becomes the new poster boy for Indian cricket. No wonder the U-19 team is being scanned by several brands, while Reebok already has Manish Pandey, Shreevats Goswami and Ravindra Jadeja on its roster.

This though "not many of them feature in the long-term plans for brands" because they don't have the "saleability factor" yet, according to Roland Landers, COO, Percept Sports.

While the associations and BCCI might have given them mega-bucks, most brands are likely to wait to see who will sustain themselves. "A few of them might get a deal here or there just for the novelty factor, but they have to prove themselves first," admits Latika Khaneja, director, Collage Sports Management.

For now, the youngsters are taking it as it comes. "Endorsements are a part of cricketers' lives these days, but right now my focus is on cricket and nothing else," says Goswami. The bucks will follow.