The Club Cricket Conference Yearbook 2020

- 31 - approximately 90-100 days a year I can split away from my role at Kent CCC and work with some of the best young spinners in England. At Kent CCC now, my role is more generic so it has been really good to get back to my specialism which has always been around spin bowling and being able to impart my experience and knowledge to young u18 - u19 spinners has been a real joy. Q - Tell us about the CCC Spin Scholarship to India which you help conduct each year. Min - Yes we have been running what started as a pilot programme now for 10 years and it was about trying to give the best aspiring young spinners in the country an opportunity to be viewed by myself and other spin experts like John Emburey, Jigar Naik and the likes of Keith Medlycott. Some of these spinners have gone to play 2nd XI County Cricket and Imran Qayyum has gone on to play professionally at Kent CCC. The reality is that there are a fair amount of amateur club cricketers who probably do not get that window. who do not get an opportunity, and it does not always end up at your feet, especially if you are not involved with the National Counties programme. The Spin Scholarship programme is a fantastic showcase with the prize of an all paid for trip, spending 10 days at the Global Cricket School in Mumbai, who have been great partners of the CCC and the Spin Scholarship programme. The whole experience of cricket in Mumbai and the training facilities that are provided are exceptional and then the real challenge is to get these winners at into County Cricket: can we get them to preseason training programmes in a more elite environment to see where they really stack up? So the Spin Scholarship really allows us to measure the amateurs against the professionals and the benchmarks that need to be reached in an outdoor environment and I am proud of where the Spin Scholarship programme has taken us and of those players who have won and enjoyed the Mumbai experience and directed their cricket moving forward. It also nice for their efforts to be recognised with a presentation at the CCC annual lunch at Lord’s. Q - How did the idea of the Spin Scholarship come about? Min - Well it landed with me to help support and run and I am sure the original concept came via Sachin Bajaj from the Global Cricket School, Mumbai and initiatives he would have with the ECB and some County Cricket Clubs. For me it is an excellent programme and one that has great relevance and value. Q - What are the aims of the Spin Scholarship? Min - Ideally we are heading in the direction where we can showcase the Spin Scholarship to Counties and for their Scouts, Pathway or Academy directors to attend and see these young spinners and almost it becoming part of their annual calendar, a bit like the MCC University trials that happen at Loughborough. We certainly need to see more Counties come see these spinners but we really need to filter the talent rigorously and robustly so that the very best spinners are able to showcase their talents on the centre stage. Q - How would you describe the experience of training in India for a young budding spin bowler and do you recall your time having been born there?