Cricket Wellington’s recent U16 tour of India was a wonderful opportunity for the spinners in the team to receive something that few New Zealand spinners do. As well as playing several matches against St John’s Sports Coaching Foundation and an Indian Boost cup side, five of the Wellington U16 tourists were especially fortunate in receiving extra coaching from one of the local Hyderabad heroes, when they came under the wing of former Indian Test player Venkatapathy Raju.

Raju, a former Indian spin whiz who played 28 Tests and 53 One-Day Internationals for India between 1990 and 2001, was enthusiastic in offering his expert tutelage to the five spinners in Wellington’s touring squad.

The five Wellington spinners - Ben McNamara, Nick Zivkovic, Bounty Semadheera, Rakitha Weerasundara and Brett Johnson - initially worked with Raju at the Hyderabad Gymkana Cricket Grounds where the Hyderabad first-class team was training.   

The fairytale continued for the budding spinners when Raju hosted a further coaching session for them on a subsequent day at the impressive Rajeev International Stadium.

This coaching session was a practical one in which the former left arm attacking spinner took the time to demonstrate his various techniques and wares, also watched by the keen eyes of Wellington team manager Gavin Larsen and coach Rhys Morgan.