Australian cricket’s newest rising star: Tanveer Sangha on the pressure to be the next Warney
Worried about the future of Australia’s spin stocks? You shouldn’t be. The cavalry is arriving quickly – and the first cab off the rank could be a 17-year-old Campbelltown prodigy.
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After so many false dawns of wondering where the next Shane Warne might emerge from, Australia’s spinning cavalry is set to arrive in the form of a new generation of stars.
And the first cab off the rank could be a 17-year-old prodigy from Campbelltown who has just completed his HSC – after schooling first grade cricketers all summer.
While they’re not ready to fill the boots of Nathan Lyon should anything happen to the ironman of Australia’s bowling stocks, the future Australian spin king looks ready to emerge.
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Legendary figure Shane Warne has expressed concern about the depth of Australia’s spin stocks, saying had become a “real issue” for the game in this country.
Worry no more, Warney – the future is right around the corner, according to fellow former Test tweaker Kerry O’Keeffe.
And leading the revolution is Tanveer Sangha, only a week removed from completing his HSC exams but who already has his eyes on a baggy green.
Sangha grew up as a pace bowler before making the transition to spin in his early teens, and says he’s done his homework on the world’s best spinners – picking apart the actions of Warne and Anil Kumble as well as the newest kids on the block, Rashid Khan and Adam Zampa, to perfect his own style.
“I just did my own thing and analysed their actions, and worked out what information I could get from their leg spin and tried to experiment with my own thing,” Sangha told The Daily Telegraph.
“And whatever worked for me, I kept with me. Whatever didn’t, I just let it go.”
Still a fortnight shy of his 18th birthday, Sangha this week inked his first senior contract which ties him to the Sydney Thunder – who he joined as a development player last year.
The promising talent was at school when he found out about the deal from his manager.
“I was so shocked. I couldn’t believe it when I got told,” said Sangha, who is no relation to Thunder teammate Jason.
“It’s pretty amazing, them believing in my potential and them believing in me.
“I would love to make my BBL debut but just being in the squad and learning from some amazing players about what it was like when they debuted, and what they did to manage their nerves, learning those things is going to be useful.
“Playing my first game would be an unreal experience, learning from it and finding out what professional, televised cricket is all about.”
Sangha has been making waves in Sydney grade cricket, taking an ultra-impressive 6-33 against UNSW in just his second first grade game.
He backed up by taking 5-70 against a Sutherland outfit boasting Sydney Sixers’ Ben Dwarshuis and fellow rising leg-spinner Daniel Fallins to announce himself as a genuine star on the rise in the eyes of O’Keeffe.
“He’s in the Australian under-19s, he fizzes it, bowls it into the shoebox five or six out of six and he’s temperamentally strong,” O’Keeffe told The Daily Telegraph.
“Batsmen, former first class players, have told me he’s the best spinner in club cricket.
“I don’t want to burden a 17-year-old. We’ve been waiting for a long time and there’s been a few false dawns – and I’m not saying that this won’t be – but I’ve watched Tanveer bowl and I think he’s the real deal.”
Highlighting just how raw Sangha is, the youngster has balanced training and school for the past 12 months - and still made enormous strides in his career.
And while he’s over the moon to have the HSC no longer hanging over his head, he won’t be able to follow the tried-and-true path of other Year 12 students and let his hair down at schoolies.
Instead, he’s got bigger things in mind. And that’s no problem for the humble teenager.
“I won’t be able to have that much fun - but I love playing cricket anyway, the passion and stuff. So it’s not too much of a sacrifice,” Sangha said.
Fortunately for Australia, there’s no end in sight for 31-year-old Lyon – who taken 363 wickets since his debut in 2011.
“Nobody is rushing (Lyon) out the door because he’s been such a fantastic performer. But of course if he was to go down injured, people will ask ‘what do we do?’” O’Keeffe said.
“You need depth. And these guys aren’t ready yet (for Test cricket) but they’re developing fast. People who think the cupboard is bare… well, no it’s not!”
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