On a strong wicket

Braving family opposition and official apathy, a gutsy cricketer bats for freedom to pursue cricket as a career. Ehsan Fazili meets 26-year-old Sakina Yusuf, the coach of men’s cricket team of Kashmir University

Sakina Yusuf: A big hit

Sakina Yusuf, who joined as the coach at Kashmir University in June 2007, recounts her life’s journey at the office of Directorate of Physical Education, overlooking the sprawling cricket ground on the Hazratbal campus. Sakina was the vice-captain of the Kashmir state team in the Under-19 cricket tournament held in 1999. She scored the maximum runs and was the highest wicket-taker and was adjudged "Woman of the Series."

Sakina had been keenly interested and involved in sports, particularly cricket, since her early school years.

Nine years after Sakina was awarded the prize for the best athlete of Jammu and Kashmir in 1998, she has gained recognition and acceptance from the family as well as community. Budding cricketers are today drawn to this guide. She is optimistic about the future of talented youngsters from the Kashmir valley who need proper "finishing" to compete at a higher level.

It all started in her early schooldays when she played cricket in the open spaces of her mohalla. The frequent strikes and curfews in days of early militancy meant more holidays and more time to play. Sakina recalls, "When I was in Class IV in Kamla Nehru Girls High School, Srinagar, there were no sports activities anywhere during that period". There were a number of open spaces which came in handy for playing. A lot of Kashmiri Pandits lived in and around Munawarabada, in the heart of Srinagar, where she still lives.

Many of them migrated from the valley due to militancy. "I used to play with my brothers and neighbourhood boys and hardly had any girls as friends," she says. After about five years in 1996, when she was in Higher Secondary School for Girls, Kothibagh, Srinagar, she began to get noticed by sports experts.

In Class XI, she was selected as a bowler and she played first in inter-school matches, followed by inter-state tournaments. The coaches spotted her there and she was encouraged to participate in different competitions.

In 2004, Sakina graduated from Women’s College, Srinagar. She then joined the prestigious Netaji Subhas National Institute of Sports (NSNIS), Patiala. This proved a turning point in her sports career. She was motivated to develop and hone her keen interest in cricket.

Sakina at a practice session on the Kashmir University campus. — Photos by Amin War

Earlier, three other aspirants from the state had failed to enter the NSNIS, and her colleagues had told her about the tough trials that were held for an entry to the institute. Sakina, however, had faith in herself.

She says, "Sports activities for a girl in those days were not acceptable to society`85 there was no recognition. But now things have changed and it is really a good feeling to be able to coach boys and girls of the university."

As a child, her parents did not encourage her to play cricket with the boys. Neighbours and relatives would often complain to her father against her sports activities but now all that has changed. "Now, family, friends and people in general, are happy. Many girls come forward to learn the game," says Sakina.

"There is no need to teach them (university students) the basics but preparation for participation in the matches is required at this level," she adds. For the past four months, since she took over in June, the university grounds have been agog with activity. Regular net practice and classes have kept students on their toes. "The students feel there is something new to learn`85they are interested in new things," she says. Out of 60, a team of 20 players has been selected after different trials during the past few months.

There is hardly any day when there are not less than 30 students participating in the trials. An inter-college team has been constituted while a 22-member inter-university team would be participating in a coaching camp shortly.

More than five girls, who participated in the cricket coaching camp conducted by Sakina at Women’s College, Srinagar, in August this year, have been recently selected by the BCCI. "I am the only qualified person in the field of cricket coaching in the state and that is why I could find a place in the university," she confides. She is grateful for the encouragement she received from the Vice-Chancellor of Kashmir University, Prof Abdul Wahid Qureshi and the Director, Physical Education.

On failing to make it to the national team, Sakina decided to turn to coaching. But it took her three years to be an official coach of a men’s cricket team despite being the state’s first NSNIS graduate.