Be loyal to your clubs, ex-India batter Amre tells players

Pravin Amre at Wankhede yesterday. Pic/Shadab Khan

Former India batsman Pravin Amre has stressed on the importance of club loyalty among cricketers and wants to see them walk the talk with this aspect to help their respective teams win the prestigious Dr HD Kanga Cricket League. "I had only one club on my MCA card, which was Shivaji Park Gymkhana (SPG), who gave me an opportunity to play in the ‘A' Division when I was an U-19 cricketer. This was a big thing for me.

"Everyone wants to play for Mumbai, but if you are loyal to your club, you will get the opportunity to perform and help your club win," Amre said while addressing cricketers as chief guest of the Kanga League prize distribution function at the Wankhede Stadium on Monday. MIG Cricket Club, who emerged ‘A' Division champions in 2018-19 and 2023-24, received their pending rewards. Parkophene Cricketers (2017-18) and PJ Hindu Gymkhana (2019-20) were also handed their premier division champions trophies on Monday.

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Amre, who scored a century on his Test debut against South Africa at Durban in 1992, showed signs of emotion while giving away the trophies to the champion teams across various divisions. "It's a big honour for me to give away awards to the players, [awards] which I had received while playing. "My only suggestion is to finish Kanga League by October 15. If Kanga League games are played on good pitches, they will create different records. So Kanga League should be like a Kanga League only, which needs to start by July-end," Amre added, while admitting playing the League helped him to play at the highest level without feeling the pressure.