Total Cricket

ICE PEOPLE: Ajay Jadeja

Ajay Jadeja

He confesses his never-say-die spirit has seen him through tough times. That's probably what goaded him to take to the silver screen when he was forced to give up his wicket on the national cricket scene. 34-year-old Ajay Jadeja, the former Indian cricket captain, currently has his hands more than full.

As coach and part of Rajasthan's team playing Ranji Trophy, Jadeja claims to be getting his daily quota of cricket. "I love being on the field and hit the nets as often as I can," he confides.

As a sports expert for Channel 7, Jadeja has been closely involved with the channel's cricket reality show. In another show titled Power Games, that goes on air next month, Jadeja will be courting the corporate honchos of the country with a game of golf or kitchen recipes.

However, what the one-time cricket sensation seems to be particularly working hard at is his dream project-- a cricket branding product called 'Total Cricket' that will offer complete solutions in cricket, including advertising, planning and training of youngsters.

The host of academies, first two of which will come up in Delhi and Jaipur involving an initial investment of Rs 40-45 lakh, will groom children right from the nursery and pre-school years to the college level. Jadeja says a software will be developed to ensure an identical coaching pattern.

"This is not just because I love cricket. But it's a hardcore business venture that I'm looking at," he maintains. Jadeja is in the process of roping in former cricketers, Indians as well as foreigners, to be a part of Total Cricket -- each of whom will have equity holdings in the venture.

The first academy is scheduled to come up by May 2006. His company Jadeja Consultants Pvt Ltd, also possesses the rights to the forseeable boundary which it has acquired for a four-year period from Declam Kelly, the original patent from Zimbabwe.

Meanwhile shuttling between shoots for TV shows and business engagements, Jadeja claims he's far from tired. Not surprisingly, at the end of a hectic day he unwinds with a cricket match on the telly.