Adithya Ashok, a Year 10 student at Mount Albert Grammar School (MAGS), has received the Bowler of the Year award from Auckland Inter-Secondary School Sports Awards (AKSS Premier Boys). The 14-year old took 14 wickets in 6 games during the Term 1 One-Day Competition. The leg spinner’s best haul was 4/41 against Rosmini College which helped MAGS win the Auckland T20 Championship.
MAGS Director of Cricket, Tony Sail commends Adithya’s game and says it is unusual for such a young player to receive an award of this calibre. The young all-rounder spoke to The Indian Weekender, his love for crickets, training and where does he aspire to reach in the next five years.
IWK: When did you start playing Cricket?
Adithya: Cricket is in my blood. I was only 7-years old when I started playing. My father was my coach, mentor and trainer from the very start. I am a right-handed batsman and a leg spin bowler. I developed my game with regular practice, and since my father had played state and district level cricket back in India, he mentored me well to improve my game.
IWK: What are the feats have you achieved so far?
Adithya: Besides bowling, for which I have just been awarded, I have received numerous awards as the best batsman from Eden Roskill Cricket Club and also the Overall Best Player for Suburbs New Lynn Cricket Club in 2014 and 2015. I was captain of the New Zealand team at the Junior Indoor World Cup U13 age group in Australia in 2015, and after that, I stopped playing indoor as it made me start to develop some indoor strokes which didn’t work in outdoor games.
IWK: How have you been managing your academics and your focus on sports?
Adithya: My father has given me a strict instruction. My academics should always be a priority and then comes cricket. So I have been balancing my studies and cricket well. I attend rigorous training sessions, coach both is school and under my personal trainer, and practice hard for my upcoming tournaments but have made sure I give adequate time to focus on my studies as well.
IWK: Do you wish to pursue cricket as your full-time career?
Adithya: Yes, I want to see myself playing for the Black Caps one day. I want to develop my game, both bowling and batting and I believe my hard work will pay off eventually. Currently, my focus is on the upcoming season, the Two-Day Competition in Term 4 and the district tournaments such as Colts tour to Hamilton in December where I hope to take lots of wickets and make heaps of runs. My next goal is to get selected for the New Zealand team in the U19 age category.
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