Image Credit- ICC
Naman Tiwari, a seamer for India Under-19, aspires to
bowl the fastest ball in history. Talking with Jasprit Bumrah and viewing films
of the game’s legends served as motivation.
The left-arm fast bowler Tiwari, who is making waves
in South Africa at the current Under-19 World Cup, believes that the advice
Bumrah gave him at the NCA in Bengaluru is working like magic.
Naman Tiwari, a seamer for India Under-19, aspires to
bowl the fastest ball in history. Talking with Jasprit Bumrah and viewing films
of the game’s legends served as motivation.
The left-arm fast bowler Tiwari, who is making waves
in South Africa at the current Under-19 World Cup, has discovered that the
advice he got from Bumrah at the NCA in Bengaluru was working magic.
“Bumrah is a source of inspiration for us,”
Tiwari told PTI Bhasha on the sidelines of a practice session at Willowmoore
Park Stadium. “I watch his bowling videos a lot. I have met him several
times at the NCA and talked to him a lot about the mentality and skills of a
bowler.
“He explained a lot [of things to me], which have
been useful. He told me how to bowl accurate yorkers, and I have worked a lot
[on that aspect] following his advice. I have to work hard to bring more
aggression in my bowling.
“I try to learn something from every bowler I
like. I try to understand and learn by watching his [Bumrah’s] videos. I like
Shoaib Akhtar’s speed, Dale Steyn’s swing and Mitchell Starc’s aggression very
much.”
Tiwari originally wanted to become a batter but fewer
opportunities turned him to bowling.
“I started playing cricket as a batsman but I was
not getting many chances,” he said. “That’s why I started bowling at
an academy in Lucknow. Since I am left-handed, I became a left-arm fast
bowler.”
His father is an LIC agent and the pressure to focus
on academics was immense given his middle-class background. But his heart was
in cricket.
“Papa always told me to focus on my studies. I
was in seventh standard and wanted to play cricket. I asked my father to give
me three years’ time to prove myself in cricket. My family is very happy with
my success today.
“Papa calls me every evening. Seeing them
[family] happy makes me feel very good that I did not disappoint them.”