KOCHI: Barely an year after Malayali youth Krishnachand was selected to the international squad of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Cricket Team, another Kerala boy got entry into the team - almost in the same manner.
Lakshman Sreekumar, who hails from a village in Kottayam, was selected to the team by UAE coach Aquib, who watched the youngster playing for the UAE team last month, against Pakistan.
Lakshman, the 28-year-old right hand batsman, started his cricketing career at the age of 17 at a ‘cricket clinic’ in Kottayam, under coach P Balachandran. After an excellent stint at the clinic, Lakshman was sent to the BPCL KRL Cricket Academy in Kochi, and he played for the district and for a leading club for more than five years. He also represented the State in the under-22 category.
Meanwhile, Lakshman got a job at Globelink Weststar Shipping Company in Dubai, but he refused to quit cricket. In a short span of time, he was able to showcase his talent through the several matches he played in Dubai, including the prestigious Dubai KPL. In addition to being an ace batsman, Lakshman also performed well as a bowler - with the most impressive bowling spell being ‘4-overs/2-maidens/6-runs/6-wickets’. A three-time man-of-the-match winner, Lakshman was also adjudged the Best Kerala player once.“Lakshman’s impressive performance helped him get entry in the UAE team,” said his friend Faisal C A, who is also a Dubai KPL player. Lakshman will play for the UAE international team against Hong Kong in the UAE in the upcoming series.