CHENNAI: Former India all-rounder Ajay Sharma was vacationing in Thailand with his family three years ago when he got a call from Mithun Manhas, ex-Delhi captain and member of Cricket Operations and Development of the sub-committee running the Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association.
Sharma had seen Manhas' growth as a cricketer in Delhi and the duo had been in regular touch. Born in Jammu, Manhas after playing and leading Delhi for a long time had returned to J&K and was given a responsibility of improving cricket in the region.
"He told me about the vacancy (coach) for the senior side as their incumbent coach Sanjeev Sharma had left the team. But honestly, I was not that interested," 61-year-old Sharma told this daily on the sidelines of the J&K match against Baroda in the Buchi Babu Invitation Tournament at the Murugappa Ground on Saturday. J&K went on to win the contest with a bonus point to qualify for the semifinals of the tournament.
Sharma, however, decided to take up the role with the J&K cricket team on his return and joined the squad in September 2022 at the start of the domestic season. Not happy with the work ethics and how they go about their training, Sharma decided to change the team culture for the better but ended up rubbing the players, especially the senior ones, the wrong way. "I wanted them to train properly and take every outing seriously. A couple of them were already playing in the IPL and were stars of the team. I wanted that star culture to end but that did not go down well with the players. They soon wrote to the sub-committee complaining about me. The letter was signed by almost all players in the squad that time," Sharma said.
The committee members spoke to Sharma on the issue and urged him to go easy on players. "The average age of players was around 24, younger than my son. So I decided to become their friends and implement my ways gradually instead of rushing them. But I knew it would not bear the fruits immediately," he said.
J&K reached the Vijay Hazare quarterfinals that season but lost to Assam to bow out of the event. "Once the season ended, I asked every player to write a feedback for me. Almost all of them were critical of me. Some termed me a dictator while others lamented my ways. I still have those letters," Sharma said with a grin.
The coach, however, started liking the team given the immense talent the players have. "They had the talent to beat any side but were reluctant to be patient, which is the first requirement for red-ball cricket. They just want to hit sixes or bowl fast. My task was cut out — teach them to play patiently."
It worked wonders as J&K entered the Ranji Trophy quarterfinals only for the third time in the 55-year of participation in the 2024-25 season. They beat domestic heavyweights like Mumbai and Baroda but lost the knockout against Kerala. The one-run first innings lead cost them dear. "It still haunts us but let the bygones be bygones. What I am happy about is the fact that I managed to win the confidence of the players. There was a time when I again asked them about me after the domestic season and they chanted, 'Hamara bhai kaisa ho Ajju bhai jaisa ho (a political slogan which loosely translates to 'our brother should be like Ajju bhai')."
With the new domestic season looming, Sharma and his wards want to achieve something the J&K team has never done. The first step is the ongoing Buchi Babu Tournament. "I recently gave away my Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) permanent membership and took up the JKCA membership. I am here to stay now and want the team script history. The players have the talent and the sub-committee comprising Brigadier Anil Gupta, Manhas and Sunil Sethi is leaving no stone unturned so it can be achieved. We've been good so far in the tournament and if we can win it, it will be a good preparation for the long domestic season," signed off Sharma.