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| Sunday, 9 May 2004 |
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Observer-Bata star Farveez Maharoof - Good prospect for the future by SRIAN OBEYESEKERE "Farveez dotes over Wasim Akram and like Akram he goes for variety including the yorker which has fetched him wickets," says papa Hassan Mohammed Mahroof (56) of his cricketing son who is doing duty for Sri Lanka in Zimbabwe. Indeed, at a time one hardly hears of latent talent walking into the Sri Lankan cricket team in his teens, young Farveez Maharoof must certainly be the exception. Breaking a long drought since the days when youngsters like Anura Ranasinghe, Arjuna Ranatunga, Rumesh Ratnayake, Duleep Mendis and Roy Dias emerged ripe hot on the blocks straight from school, strikingly he is 2003 'Observer-Bata Schoolboy' cricketer of the year. At age 19, Maharoof has caught the imagination of the cricketing world having broken into big time cricket in both forms of the game. While the youngster made an impressive debut in the one-day form against Zimbabwe, his entry into the Test firmament could not have been better than claiming the first Zimbabwean wicket in his third over in the first Test. Above all, happily for Lankan cricket Maharoof comes as an allround investment. The lad also packs a bat quite ably for his age, and when allrounders look so hard to come by, Maharoof looks ideal grooming material for the 2007 World Cup. The extravaganza for which much build-up theming has been done, but which like former World Cup winning captain, Arjuna Ranatunga recently raised concern has not really got going. Of course, much of the credit for Farveez's emergence is attributed to former Sri Lankan Test captain Bandula Warnapura by the elder Maharoof. "It was Bandula as the First XI coach at Wesley College who first spotted Farveez's talent as a batsman at a practice session and drafted my son into the college team. Bandu (Warnapura) said, "He has the potential. He has to look after himself and develop and I can see the youngster play for Sri Lanka," recalled Hassan who said that it was a kid's delight in playing softball cricket in his front yard at the Maligawatte flats that saw 'Farveez taking to under-13 cricket at Wesley.' "He was 10 years old then in 1989 and got a chance to play for the under-13 XI. He made it as a wicket-keeper-batsman after having to graduate from a second grade u-13 team to the main XI under coach Kodithuwakku from Kandy. But as he grew taller at age 14 for the u-15 XI coached by Russel Harmer, he gave up wicket-keeping because of his height and decided to twirl his arm with the ball," reminisced Hassan who says that as a junior Farveez thumped two centuries in 1991. Since then, a career which saw Farveez captain the u-13, u-15, u-17 and u-19 XIs at Wesley, culminated with 6 tons including an unbeaten 243 against Richmond in 2001. A career which had blossomed with national recognition as vice captain of the Lankan u-15 XI, and captain of the u-17 and u-19 XIs. But unforgettable of all for Hassan is when Warnapura was coach seeing his son score 36 runs against Nalanda to which were tucked two "massive sixes against Nalanda College which was Warnapura's 'alma mater at Campbell Place.' The year 2003 when he was crowned the 'Observer-Bata Schoolboy Cricketer' saw Farveez cut his teeth at that level, captaining the Sri Lankan u-19 XI including the team to the Youth World Cup where he had a rich haul of 14 wickets from 4 matches and scored two half centuries against India and Pakistan in the pre-quarter finals. He upfronted leading his country to home series ODI wins against India and Pakistan the same year. But it was his elevation to the Lankan 'A' XI this year when he impressed with both bat and ball that opened the doors into the main team. Farveez took 4 wickets for 30 runs in the away ODI final against India before a sell out 60,000 crowd at Calcutta in Sri Lanka's triumph to earn the 'Man of the Match' award. "It won the day for the team and had T.V. commentator Rameez Raja talking highly of the boy," said Hassan for whom it has been a father's dream come true having been the 'livewire' behind his son's cricketing career in which, 'I saw there was potential to develop as a kid playing softball cricket.' "My wife Nazeema is also cricket crazy giving Farveez all the backing." He believes his son would have benefitted immensely from a 4-month scholarship to England in 2003 where he played league cricket for Stanmore C.C. "The good thing to come out of that scholarship was that Farveez, recommended by a highly taken up Middlesex coach. Bob Johns, went on to turn out for the Middlesex Second XI county for whom he thumped four centuries and claimed 8 wickets including a 5-wicket haul against Minor Counties. Hassan to this day is grateful to Warnapura, who also was manager of the Lankan team to the Junior World Cup in 2000 of which Farveez was a member. "I consider Bandu's guidance went a long way," said Hassan. Farveez, who has an elder brother, Arshad who turned out for Wesley in badminton, is interestingly a keen spectator of rugger matches. "He loves rugby and in fact plays a session or two with his teammates." Yet to step into a vocation, Farveez, his father said, has been called up by the Hatton National Bank employment. |
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