‘Sixty overs in a weekend’: The parent trap causing burnout in cricket’s generation next

Eight years ago Melbourne’s western region — including a swathe of new suburbs, had 160 junior cricket teams — now it has 420.

The sport in Australia is booming as children of Indian and South Asian heritage play at record levels.

They are passionate but keeping bats and balls in their hands faces another challenge.

Burnout.

Some kids are having private lessons and some are bowling 60 overs in a weekend by playing in multiple teams.

The pressure to be the next Tendulkar or Khawaja can be immense.

At the boom’s epicentre cricket organisers say boys as young as 11 are already playing too much cricket by competing in multiple matches every weekend.

“That is becoming a really big issue,” Western Region Junior Cricket Association (WRJCA) vice president Vanessa Pereira told 7.30.

“So it is a concern, we’re going to look at a policy to try and educate — I guess it’s the parents — that sometimes quality is better.”

Burnout is common in many major sports for various reasons, including overzealous parents and poor coaching, which diminishes enjoyment.

“That’s the greatest challenge for us, is to educate parents that that’s the most important aspect of anything you do in life, realistically, and if you’re not having fun … how long is the longevity of your career?” Ms Pereira said.

“Will you burn out at the age of 14, 15? My husband played till he was 54. Where is that player coming from? We want to see kids playing going through junior cricket, senior cricket and go into playing with their kids and playing with their grandkids.

“We all do it for fun, we all want these kids to have fun and enjoy the game. And I think even if you talk to the Test cricketers and those generational special talents that come through — the first thing they’ll say is that if it’s not fun, I’m not doing it.”

‘Petri dish of junior cricket’

Local councils are running out of grounds and competition organisers are running out of match days in the week.

“In the Melton area we’ve run out of grounds and council are telling us it will be about another 18 months before their next lot of grounds and new estates come on board,” WRJCA president Chris Hatzistavrou says.

“The breadth of talent out there at a very young age is amazing.”

Representative player Prathan Chaudhary, 12, wants to wear the green and gold of Australia.

“When I hear the word cricket, of course I get really excited,” he says. 

His father Manish played semi-professionally in India before moving to Australia for study, work, and to raise a family.

Now he is a coach.

“They are very keen,” he says, as he watches his son compete. 

“They like the sport. They want to be out there, so the pressure is not there because most of the time I see they’re enjoying their cricket.”

Asked whether he had to remind himself to not put pressure on his son, he replies: “Yes, so, like, he just got out now, I didn’t say anything, I didn’t even have a chat to him. Because I’ve got out on a golden duck. It’s a part of the process.”

Evolution of young cricketers

Mr Chaudhary says junior cricket is vastly different to the game he played in India as a boy.

“It’s changing in the sense that kids only 11 years old or 12 years old have got cricketing brains,” he explains. 

“They are doing these analyses, where I remember when I was 11, all I wanted to do was swing my bat. Now [the modern children are] wearing a helmet, wearing gloves and talking technique.

“It’s really amazing.”

Cricket was not the first choice of sport for 12-year-old Arjun Mullapudi.

“My favourite sport was soccer,” he says. “Soccer was the love of my life until the 2021/22 cricket season and my dad has always loved cricket … he really wanted me to try it.”

Now his father is also his club coach.

Sri Mullapudi is rapt his talented son is now playing his beloved sport.

“Cricket’s probably as close to the heart as anything else,” Mr Mullapudi tells 7.30.

“I did practically beg him (Arjun) and had to drag him out to play cricket and I promised to coach him for the first few years so I’ve continued coaching him since then.

“It is nerve-wracking but it’s equally exciting I think. Just watching him play, grow, and how much he’s improved.”

How pressure can drain the joy

Australian Under 19 captain Hasrat Gill has benefited from her parents’ help without them putting excess pressure on her to perform.

“My parents were great,” she says. 

“My dad will support me no matter what, my mum will support me no matter what, to play the game. 

“They’ve never been, like, ‘you have to play.’ As long as I’m happy and I’m doing what I want to do, they’re happy as well.

“I have seen it from my own personal experience with other people that I’ve played with who don’t play anymore probably because of that reason (burnout).

“They might be told they’re amazing when they’re young. They’re a ‘prodigy’ and then all of a sudden they’re not playing anymore.

Australia T20 bowler Tanveer Sangha, 22, was never in danger of burning out as a junior player.

His talent to play at a higher level was spotted and nurtured at age 15 and his parents happily supported his rise through the ranks.

“They just wanted me to play sport, like soccer in the winter and cricket in the summer,” Sangha says.

Sangha’s advice to all cricketing parents is to live in the moment.

“Just let the kids play,” he says. 

“They’re really focused on him being the absolute best and they put so much pressure on the kid that it almost makes the passion come out of the kid and he doesn’t want to play cricket anymore. Or it can be the other way, where he’s all about studies and just focuses on studies and don’t worry about cricket.

“I think just let the kid decide.”

Education is another pressure on talented cricketers, particularly during their senior years at high school.

Gill finished her secondary schooling last year and deferred the first year of her university course in architecture.

“I know some people who would … stop playing cricket for a period of time to focus on their studies,” she says. “It’s a hard balance but that’s where I think the support is so important. I’ve been very lucky, I’ve had support from both school and cricket.”

Sangha also understands the training-studies balancing act for South Asian families with talented athletes.

“As soon as the HSC came around I think the numbers dropped a little bit cause they wanted to focus more on studies, but I think they’re getting a bit better at that now and balancing it out and prioritising cricket as well,” Sangha says.

“My dad’s always been real keen on sport, but my mum still wanted me to focus on studies and do really well there because anything can happen, so you want to be safe and have a plan B.

“They were a little more relaxed which is helpful and didn’t put a lot of pressure on to do hard subjects, so I think they gave me the right balance.

“There’s plenty of time for study and do well in HSC and there’s also plenty of time to train and do well in cricket as well.”

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