Making a name in cricket is tougher now: Virender Sehwag

More and more players are emerging from the smaller towns now unlike in the 1980s and 90s and making it big in cricket has become tougher, says former India opener Virender Sehwag. "A lot of kids today are playing and taking cricket as a professional career choice. Making a name isn't easy in this environment, it is not just about being good, but one also needs to be talented and have the ability to convert their talent to performance,? Sehwag said.

"If a youngster who has made it to the big league can continuously convert his talent to performances only then they can have a secure future and hope to play 10-12 years and earn a lot of money," the swashbuckling batsman added.

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TV channel Discovery will unravel the trials and tribulations of aspiring cricketers in a new show called 'All Access: The Contenders'.The upcoming cricketers whose journey has been covered as a part of the show include Shivam Dube (all-rounder from Mumbai), Kamlesh Nagarkoti (fast bowler from Rajasthan), Ishan Porel (medium pacer from West Bengal), Harvik Desai (wicketkeeper-batsman from Gujarat), and cousins Anmolpreet Singh (batsman) and Prabhsimran Singh (wicketkeeper-batsman) from Punjab."If you look at 80's and 90's, there were lots of players from metro cities like Delhi, Mumbai etc.

However, this seems to be changing. Now, smaller town representation in Indian team has increased," Sehwag said. The show will give young aspirants a glimpse of what coaches, franchisees and team management look at while identifying their picks. It also brings to the forefront how difficult it is to stay relevant in the ever-changing dynamics of the shorter format of the game.