Dubai: India’s indoor team participating at the ongoing Word Indoor Cricket Federation World Cup being held at Insportz is being backed by a coach who carried his experience and knowledge about the game from UAE.
Taher Ali Khan, whom all the Indian players look for guidance as their coach, is familiar with the venue like the back of his hand.
Speaking to Gulf News after a training session of the Indian team, Taher said: “I worked with Insportz as a coach for many years and it is the experience that I have gained from Insportz that I carried to India. It is the experience from here that also gave me the opportunity to work in India in the same field. In fact, it is all the experience that I have learnt from here is that what I am executing now.”
Taher is also the deputy general manager, Technical and New Business, at the XLR8 indoor Sports Arena in Bengaluru, which is the home of India’s indoor cricket too. In 1997, when Insportz was established, Taher was also one among the many who convinced people to try out indoor cricket.
When asked how it feels to be the coach of a cricket-mad nation like India, Taher said: “It is a big achievement because at end of the day I am an Indian who adores the blue coloured jersey. Seeing fans waving the tri-colour Indian flag during any format of cricket is a proud moment for any Indian. So like any Indian, I feel very priveleged.”
Taher believes that if India can go on to win the World Cup, then indoor cricket can get popular in India, like it happened in Twenty20 cricket.
“A world cup triumph for India can take the sport a long way. When the Insportz facility got opened in 1997, [up until] 2000, we were convincing people to come and play in indoor and many did. But in India it is very difficult to convince people to pay and play [indoor] cricket. [Outdoor] cricket as a sport is most popular but indoor cricket needs a boost like Petromnann [Event Management] has given us this time. The sport needs marketing like Petromann has [done] this time. India has played in two [indoor] World Cups but nobody knows about it. For this World Cup, because of Petromann’s marketing, many heard about it and came and asked us if there is a World Cup for indoor cricket and whether we are going for it.”
Taher wanted outdoor cricket’s international cricketers to back indoor cricket.
“Sandeep Patil coming on board as ambassador of the team has given a big boost. If a player like Sachin Tendulkar too can step in to back us, we will never have to look back,” said Taher.
Queried on whether indoor cricket also needs a player of the calibre of Tendulkar who can be called an indoor legend, Taher said: “Yes we need it, there are now a lot of promising players. Khizer Ahmad had played for Danube for almost three years, vice-captain Dhanush Bhaskar and captain Girish Kyatanahalli Gopal are experienced players.”
Asked what he felt was needed for India to keep wining, Taher said: “We have the confidence and the only thing we need is patience.”