That’s Cricket…

Manama: Sachin Tendulkar, the greatest batsman of all time, once said: ‘Before you lay a foundation on the cricket field, there should be a solid foundation in your heart and you start building on that. After that as you start playing more and more matches, you learn how to score runs and how to take wickets.’

 That said,  Mukunda Warrier, recipient of the International Cricket Council (ICC) Award (Spirit of Cricket) for promoting the game of cricket in Bahrain, has already laid a solid foundation for the growth of cricket in the spacious grounds of the  Indian School Bahrain. Now his children are winning laurels for the school in cricket tournaments. The latest was the CBA-BOC School Cricket Championship for the third consecutive time in U16 age group.   Apart from the championship, Indian School students also won 6 special awards (best batsman, 2 hat tricks, man of the match in the final, player of the series and the only 5 wickets haul).

ISB is keeping a winning streak in cricket fields thanks to Physical Education teacher Mukunda Warrier’s inspirational coaching. Mr Warrier is Bahrain Schools and Youth Cricket head, who has contributed much to the cricket. ‘Organizing the national and international   events is a passion for me’, says Mr Warrier. I have organized many sports coaching, sports clinics and interaction programmes with the International players in the school to promote the games and also to provide an opportunity to the students to interact with International players almost every year’, he told DT News.

The recent victory has made him and the school proud. He says: It was a spectacular performance of The Indian School Bahrain. Our students stunned everyone in the final. Star-studded Indian School once again played like champions right from the beginning and emerged victorious in the CBA-BOC School Cricket Championship.

One of the parents wrote on Facebook Page:  ‘We all thank you again for successful conducting of U-16 tournament and it's a moment of pride your wards won the title in an emphatic fashion.  Amazing to hear about future plans for cricket in Bahrain. Also how concerned you are about children's studies and academics. It shows your love and  care for them. Hope all your students follow your footstep to success.’ 

 Mr Warrier, who is from Mavelikkara  in the Indian state of Kerala, now settled in Chennai,  has been working in the Indian school for the past 13 years.  He has made enough contribution to Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) as well. It was Mr Warrier who initiated and started CBSE Cluster Sports in Bahrain.   He organized three CBSE Gulf Zone Championships and Six Bahrain Cluster Sports meets in a short span of 6 years from 2003 to 2009. The International Cricket Council (ICC) honoured him with Spirit of Cricket award  for his volunteer services for promoting the game of cricket amongst the school students and the youth of Bahrain in 2009.

ISB students will be having another good tournament in May for Under 19 Boys as soon as the exams are over and also an International Tour of Under 19 Bahrain National team, Mr Warrier said.