Cricket fans need no hints to guess the next guest on the Female Cricket Podcast. She has been the mainstay of the Indian spin attack. Generally, one would think of spinners to dominate on the Indian turf but she went through batting line-ups in a manner that was unseen and unheard.
Vishal Yadav from Female Cricket caught up with Poonam Yadav for the 3rd Episode of Female Cricket Podcast. As the world is locked inside their doors, Poonam can be the best motivation for anyone and everyone indeed. She wanted to play in school but saw no hope. She mentions that there were no thoughts of having a cricket game for girls. Things, however, opened up when she went to Gujarat. She saw an elder guy bowling pace and the premium Indian spinner got herself into quicks.
Her dad was in the army and shifting was regular. To the fortune of Indian cricket, she was now in Agra. She saw Hemlatha Kala, former India cricketer practicing in the ground of Agra. She realized that there are places to reach for a female cricketer. She recalls convincing her friends to play cricket at her school. Indeed, her journey started when she went to the stadium (Eklavya Cricket Stadium) for the first time. Interestingly, the kids didn’t knew that she was a girl in the Gully Cricket. It was tennis for the starters but Eklavya stadium got her into the league of the bests.
In her training days, she used to have only a single white kit and washed them many times to wear at her practice sessions as the coach demanded discipline from the players. The initial days of the training for Poonam were influenced by the guidance of Afghan sir. She gives the credit of her work and passion to the late coach who, as she recalls, was very particular with the game. There was a single room in the house when she was a kid. Now she lives in a fancy house.
Poonam, with an inclination towards the game, wasn’t good at studying. She reveals that her brother played cricket too but never thought that one member would be playing for the nation. Her Mom used to scold her for playing boyish games and Poonam just managed to pass in studies and got all her focus in the game. She was in the 8th grade when she opted for cricket. She admits that she never wanted shortcuts and wrongdoings in her life. She had a cycle throughout her training span of years and got her career away on that.
She even went to the job on that for a while. The cycle had her and the Kitbag in those early days. In her days, she reveals of practicing thrice a day. Firstly, before the school, after school and nets again after resting. Her passion for the game was and still is unmatchable. From humble roots, she has grown into a figure that inspires millions and tells people that dreams can come true.
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