Former national team all-rounder Lakshmi Ratan Shukla has said that after a brief stint as a politician, he wants to take to the cricketing greens to give something back to the game.
“I have realised that I have so much to offer to this beautiful sport. It was the right time to harness the budding talents of Bengal and prepare them for the future,” Shukla told PTI.
Shukla, who made his debut in India colours against Sri Lanka in 1999, now runs two cricket academies — one in Howrah and the other in Jhargram — where coaching is provided free of cost. Around 960 children are enrolled in the two academies.
"Baba (father) used to coach me and my brother, but he could not send us to cricket academies due to financial constraints. This has always been on my mind since childhood. So, when I got an opportunity, I decided to open these training centres,” Shukla said.
“My academies don't charge anything for coaching children. I cannot earn money by sharing my knowledge of cricket with children. I make use of the BCCI pension to manage the costs,” he also said.
