This was published 6 months ago
Rising star’s training put rivals to the sword at World Cup
By Malcolm Conn
Australian under-19 hero Harjas Singh is unsure if his liking for “slapping” spinners is due to the strength he’s developed in his wrists from twirling swords.
Top scorer in Australia’s recent under-19 World Cup triumph against India in South Africa two weeks ago, Harjas sounds as Aussie as his teammates but has a strong Sikh upbringing which includes the martial art of Gatka.
Harjas Singh with the under-19 World Cup and wearing his winner’s medal at Cricket NSW headquarters.Credit: Edwina Pickles
“It’s sword fighting, sword spinning, heavy spears, and a lot of footwork-based stuff as well,” Harjas said. “They’re heavy, heavy spears, and it gets really tiring on your wrist and the more you do it, the stronger you get. So that’s probably got something to do with it.
“I just feel confident. I feel I’ve got better wrists than a lot of the boys over here. Maybe that’s something to do with my sub-continental heritage, I’m not sure. I think spin has got more boundary offers, being able to hit the same ball in different places. It’s similar with pace, but I don’t feel as effective against pace.”
Harjas Singh celebrates his 50 in the World Cup final against India in Benoni, South Africa, earlier this month.Credit: Getty
He talks of a spirituality which runs through the Sikh traditions that have been handed down to him, whether it is learning musical rituals as a child of being a vegetarian.
“There are two types of Sikhs. Some of them eat animals and some of them don’t,” said Harjas, who was born in Sydney to state sporting champions from the Punjab. “But Dad doesn’t eat animals, so I follow that.”
When Harjas says he stands out from his teammates, he does not mean because of his obvious Indian heritage. He means by the way he bats.
“You could say that my batting style is different from a lot of people that you’ve seen. Like, I’ve sort of got my own unique way. And that’s what works for me. That’s what I’m going keep doing,” he said. “A lot of the other boys love their cuts and pulls, but I just slap spinners. I just love doing that, and I’m going to keep doing it for as long as I can.”
Harjas claims that if he doesn’t make it beyond a teenage hero it will have nothing to do with his background.
“Everyone’s currency is the same. You’ve got to score runs to make teams,” he said. “And I’d say until now I’ve scored runs to maintain that. It’s the same for myself and the rest of the guys. If you don’t score runs you’re not going to make the team. If I don’t score runs and don’t make the team I can’t blame it on racism then can I?”
Usman Khawaja and Lisa Sthalekar launched Cricket Australia’s Multicultural Action Plan last December to encourage not only the large number of South Asian children in junior pathways to make their way to the top level, but to ensure greater diversity among coaches and officials.
Usman Khawaja launched Cricket Australia’s Multicultural Action Plan in December.Credit: Getty
The number of players in state elite pathways is now 18 per cent. This grows to 40 per cent in NSW, according to figures from CA and Cricket NSW.
According to Cricket NSW, over 13 per cent of the children who sign up to play primary school-age Cricket Blast were born overseas. Over 42 per cent of children registered this season have at least one parent born overseas with Cricket Blast parents hailing from 130 different countries. The children were born in 76 different countries.
Those who have played with and against Harjas talk about his swagger. If he’s going, he’s dangerous - as his 55 from 60 balls with three sixes in the World Cup final highlighted. And it’s not always just his bat that does the talking. He’s been known to nominate where the next ball is going.
“Sometimes when I’m going pretty well,” he agrees. “I like getting into the contest, especially with the blokes that are closest to me, like cover, midwicket, the keeper, and especially the bowler.
“I like it if I can get inside the bowlers’ head. Sometimes I don’t know what I’m going to do. I’m sort of just a ‘watch the ball and just hit the ball’ sort of guy. So if he [the bowler] doesn’t know what I’m going do ... I love getting aggressive, but sometimes it does bite you on the arse.”
Gathering at Cricket NSW’s headquarters, Cricket Central, at Sydney Olympic Park with the five other NSW players in the under-19 World Cup final, they had photos with the trophy and the opportunity to train with the NSW Blues, an early look at the next step.
There are a lot of under-19 stars who never make it past Premier cricket. Merv Hughes, a late bloomer, would regularly wind up his Victorian wicketkeeper Darren Berry about how many “peewee” Tests he played for the Australian under-19s.
Whether he makes it or not, there’s nothing peewee about Harjas.
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