Making a name in cricket is tougher now: 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,

New Delhi: With more and more players from smaller towns appearing in international cricket scene unlike the 1980s and 90s, former India opener Virender Sehwag said making it big in cricket has become tougher than before.

"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 at the event of Discovery channel.

"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.

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.