As I walked into his academy early morning to catch up with him, I was welcomed by a bunch of students who were up on a Sunday morning to keep their feet going in the sandy grounds of S.V.E.S school in Vidya nagar, Hyderabad. All around were pictures of great legends along with the future legends from his academy. Not to forget a white board with a thought, that said ‘If you do not get what you like, check what you are giving.’ It shows the atmosphere created by Daniel for the launch of great missiles into the fathomless cricketing world.

His childhood was just a gully cricket tale and lacked the guiding force that could take him to meridians of world cricket. He recollects that he had spent hours together playing cricket in the streets of his colony but never found the godfather who could tell him about the wonders that he could do on a real cricket pitch. Nevertheless, the zeal in him to follow his heartbeat (sounds of cheers in a cricket stadium) drived him towards the profession of coaching younger minds and further led to the establishment of Daniel’s Cricket Academy. He mentions that his mother has always remained as a special person in his life and it was with her support that his academy has come into existence. He now runs three branches, one in Vidya nagar which is the birthplace of this glorious landmark, the other two in Uppal and Jubilee Hills.

DANIEL KANAPARTHI is a Level II certified Coach from England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB, United Kingdom) and is also an active member of England and Wales Cricket Coaches Association.

“You need proper guidance to mould yourself before it’s too late. A right mentor is a blessing; somebody who can tell you what next? What is under14? What is under16? What is under19? What league you need to play next? That’s something I missed in my life and today here I am, running an academy to provide that kind of future to others and in fact a future to Indian cricket – years down the line.” He says that in order to pursue a career in a sport, not just playing the game for long hours but efficient practice that adds value is necessary. In his words- “Practice does not make man perfect. Perfect practice makes them perfect. You need to find out who is perfect and who can make you perfect. That’s like half battle won.”

Quoting the challenges that he faces as a coach, he says that matching up to parents expectations becomes way too difficult as they fail to trust the methods of a coach. Everyone wants their kid to be the next Tendulkar but they aren’t ready to follow the thorn-filled path to the destination. They need to understand that it isn’t a cakewalk but comes only with struggles and hard work. He emphasizes that there is no shortcut to success. He brings out various examples to support his statement. “Rawalpindi Express, Shoaib Akhtar used to wake up early in the morning and jog for two hours, head to Pindi stadium on his bike which is a three hour journey. Then, he would practice there for two hours and return home. India’s most successful captain, Mahendra Singh Dhoni was a Train Ticket Examiner (TTE) at Kharagpur railway station. Wasim Jaffer’s father was a bus conductor. The Pathan brothers - their dad sold perfumes in a mosque. All these people have risen to the pinnacles of their career despite great difficulties only with their hard work. It costs complete devotion and commitment to taste success. Therefore I believe that talent is not born and can be made. It isn’t a Talent Identification Camp. We are here to make talent.”

He says a person doesn’t need luck to receive applauds but just perseverance and belief in your mentor does the trick. According to him, LUCK in cricketing terms is ‘Labor Under Correct Knowledgeable person’. He remembers a special incident in his life which taught him the impact of supporting words. It was during a match against SBI where he had to return to the pavilion after playing a bad shot. His senior and mentor walked up to him saying, “Daniel, you being the team’s best batsman, I never thought you would play such a bad shot”. He says that if he knew that he was considered a top player of the team by his mentor and had he said that to him before entering the crease it would have fuelled up his game a 100 times. He now implements this technique while training his students, that is, unleashing their potential by placing his trust upon them.

He underlines that the most significant role of a coach is training players mentally. “Most of the matches are won in the minds, not the willow, or the ball or the action in the field. It is the coach who can strongly influence the player to give his best while on the field. I make them mentally tough. Many players in India lack this skill. Along with technical skills, they need to be mental athletes. And that can only be done by parents or coach. I try to inspire them constantly by stating the chronicles of legendary players or any motivating incidents from the lives of common people which can keep their spirits high at the time of failures.” Daniel’s academy aims at maintaining quality coaching standards and contributing best cricket players to India. He looks forward to getting associated with the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) in the near future. A person whose fate did not take him to the apex of cricket due to lack of awareness, now wants to fulfill the ambition of every aspiring and cricket loving kid.

DANIEL - Dedicated, Ambitious, Noteworthy, Industrious, Enthusiastic, Lustrous - This abbreviation defines and shall continue to define his way of life.