Kolkata: Not ruling out a return to the political crease, India all-rounder-turned-minister coach Lakshmi Ratan Shukla said that he decided to return to the cricket field as he had a lot to offer the gentleman’s game. First the love of his life.
The 42-year-old former minister of state for youth services and sports said it was “quite difficult” to quit politics, but the decision was prompted by a realization that he still had a lot to give back to the sport.
“I realized that I have a lot to offer this beautiful sport. I knew this was the right time to tap the emerging talent. Bengal And prepare them for the place in the sunshine of cricket,” Shukla told PTI during an exclusive interaction at the Kolkata office.
Shukla, who made his India debut in 1999 against Sri Lanka, scores two runs Cricket Academies – One Inch Howrah And the other in Jhargram – where coaching is given free of cost. Howrah Boy has 6217 runs and 172 wickets in first class matches.
“Baba (father) used to give coaching to me and my brother, but due to financial constraints he could not send us to cricket academies. It has always been on my mind since childhood. So when I got a chance, I opened these trainings. decided to center
“The academy does not charge anything for coaching the children. I can’t earn money by sharing my knowledge about cricket with kids. I use the BCCI pension to manage the cost,” he said.
About 960 children are enrolled in both the academies.
The former Bengal captain, however, did not rule out a return to politics in the future.
Shukla also said that he is still a member of the Trinamool Congress, the ruling party in the state, to which he joined in 2016. He resigned as minister, MLA and president of TMC’s Howrah district unit in January 2021.
He said, “People were surprised when I left politics. No doubt if I had contested, I would have easily won by at least 50,000 votes.
“I must reiterate that the decision to resign was only because I wanted to focus more on sports and training kids. My current priority is cricket and nothing else. I don’t know about the future (again in active politics). Joining) … Anything can happen anytime… All I can say is that I and ‘Didi’ (Chief Minister.) Mamata Banerjee) share a really sweet tie,” he said.
While accepting Shukla’s resignation last year, Banerjee had described him as a “good boy” and wished him well.
The 42-year-old former minister of state for youth services and sports said it was “quite difficult” to quit politics, but the decision was prompted by a realization that he still had a lot to give back to the sport.
“I realized that I have a lot to offer this beautiful sport. I knew this was the right time to tap the emerging talent. Bengal And prepare them for the place in the sunshine of cricket,” Shukla told PTI during an exclusive interaction at the Kolkata office.
Shukla, who made his India debut in 1999 against Sri Lanka, scores two runs Cricket Academies – One Inch Howrah And the other in Jhargram – where coaching is given free of cost. Howrah Boy has 6217 runs and 172 wickets in first class matches.
“Baba (father) used to give coaching to me and my brother, but due to financial constraints he could not send us to cricket academies. It has always been on my mind since childhood. So when I got a chance, I opened these trainings. decided to center
“The academy does not charge anything for coaching the children. I can’t earn money by sharing my knowledge about cricket with kids. I use the BCCI pension to manage the cost,” he said.
About 960 children are enrolled in both the academies.
The former Bengal captain, however, did not rule out a return to politics in the future.
Shukla also said that he is still a member of the Trinamool Congress, the ruling party in the state, to which he joined in 2016. He resigned as minister, MLA and president of TMC’s Howrah district unit in January 2021.
He said, “People were surprised when I left politics. No doubt if I had contested, I would have easily won by at least 50,000 votes.
“I must reiterate that the decision to resign was only because I wanted to focus more on sports and training kids. My current priority is cricket and nothing else. I don’t know about the future (again in active politics). Joining) … Anything can happen anytime… All I can say is that I and ‘Didi’ (Chief Minister.) Mamata Banerjee) share a really sweet tie,” he said.
While accepting Shukla’s resignation last year, Banerjee had described him as a “good boy” and wished him well.