Castrol launches Asian Cricket awards

Coaching was important to groom future cricketers from Asian countries but experience and instinctive learning also played a major role, former India skipper Rahul Dravid said on Thursday.
"I am all for an instinctive way of learning. Players in Asia have a lot of skill and platforms for their development in the form of wickets, stadiums and facilities," Dravid said at a function to announce the launch of the Castrol Asian Cricket Awards.
Players should not have to undergo excessive coaching and should be allowed to obtain varied experiences which would help them learn more, he said.
"The coach creates the environment for the youth to explore their skills but it is one's experiences that teach you. Players may initially need a mentor or guide and need to have a platform for their growth," Dravid said.
Former Pakistani captain and pace bowler Wasim Akram said that cricketers from Asia were more raw as compared to their counterparts from Australia or England.
"Our batsmen are more wristy players, play aggressive and do not listen to their coach," he said. In his own career he had learnt a lot from his peers like Imran Khan and Waqar Younis, he said.
The Pakistani fast bowler, who has taken 414 wickets in Tests and 502 in ODIs, endorsed the introduction of youth into national teams irrespective of their age.
"I have always been of the opinion that if someone is good enough he should be in the side. If for example a player enters the national squad at age 18 then by the time he is 22 he has had four years of valuable experience," Akram said.
However, Sri Lankan batsman Sanath Jayasuriya said young players should be given a chance to play in the national second team and other sides before being drafted into the national team, to help them learn how to deal with the pressure of international cricket.
"We have a lot of talent in Asia in India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka but need to be shown the right direction," Jayasuriya said at the same function.
The Castrol Asian Cricket Awards will be held for the first time in Karachi on June 27 which will felicitate the best cricketers from Asia on a biennial basis for their performance in Tests, ODIs and Twenty20 internationals.
Cricketers will be rated on the basis of the Castrol Performance Index and the best bowler and batsman from all three formats of the game will receive the awards. There will also be a Asian Fielder of the Year award.