Exclusive: How Jason Rowles, CSA U19 Cricketer of the Year, Trained for Free with Rohit Sharma’s Coach

Seventeen-year-old Jason Rowles, recently crowned South Africa's U19 Men’s Cricketer of the Year, shares a unique connection with one of India's greatest white-ball captains, Rohit Sharma. 

Rowles, a talented batting all-rounder, credits a significant part of his rapid development to renowned Mumbai coach Dinesh Lad, who also played a crucial role in shaping Sharma’s career.

Earlier this year, Rowles spent a month in Mumbai under Lad’s guidance, a period that proved pivotal for his growth. 

The veteran, who hasn't charged a penny from youngsters in his 33 years of coaching, made a key adjustment to Rowles’ batting grip, which unlocked greater power and control in his stroke play.

Following this training, Rowles accumulated a series of Man of the Match awards and received several prestigious accolades, all of which highlighted the impact of his time in India. 

"When he came to India, we started practising at our school, Swami Vivekananda School, the alma mater of Rohit [Sharma] too. After watching him bat, I told him to change his grip a little bit. He was quite impressed with the tweak. His cricket became different after that, but I didn't really cause a massive change," Lad told SportsBoom.co.za. 

Apart from the U19 honour from Cricket South Africa, Rowles also bagged the Telkom U18 Men's Player of the Season Award at the Central Gauteng Lions Cricket Awards in May, and the Player of the Festival at the Fasken Time Cricket Festival for two centuries, an unbeaten fifty for a total of 272 runs in three outings. He also returned seven wickets with the slow left-arm orthodox bowling.

He also picked up seven wickets and scored 187 runs in the tri-nation YODI series featuring South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Bangladesh.

How Rowles met Lad

Lad had seen the videos of Rowles, and felt he didn't really need to come to India as he was batting well. The youngster was adamant and wanted to test himself in different conditions. 

"He came to me through Pratik Kadam, the strength and conditioning coach at the Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League. One of Pratik's friends from South Africa asked him if I could coach Rowles."

"We worked at our school, where Rohit used to practise, and even Shardul Thakur. I got a few spinners to bowl to him. He was pretty good at negotiating against spin, which was impressive," he added.

Work all day, but no fee

Lad's work starts around 7.30 in the morning. He goes home for a break around 12 noon, before returning to the ground at 3.30 pm. 

"Anybody who wants to come to me for training, they are welcome. I only see talent. I have been coaching people for over 30 years without charging anyone. I am not interested in money. For me, it is passion without any commercial interests."

Similarly, Rowles' training in India didn't cost him money. It was the same for Thando Ntini, the son of former Proteas speedster Makhaya Ntini, who trained with Lad in 2022. 

"Makhaya's son was here, too. One boy came from the UK, too. I haven't taken money from anybody, Indian or overseas players. I don't know how I survived without charging a fee. God is great (laughs)," he added.

Lad makes ends meet, and at times, even sponsors kids, from his savings. He had a good pay package when he was coaching the age-group cricketers under the Mumbai Cricket Association. Plus, his family, which includes his son Siddhesh Lad, a successful domestic cricketer, supports him.

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Open to working with overseas players

The seasoned coach not only provides throwdowns or insights into batting or bowling. He sets off-field rules, too. 

Two years ago, when he coached Mumbai U-14 to victory in the West Zone League tournament, he didn't allow the kids to use mobile phones during the 25-day competition. It helped them bond better.

Lad is willing to help cricketers from across the globe. 

"It's just that they have to come to Mumbai. I cannot travel outside the country." 

As of now, he has formalised his three-decade coaching skills into a cricket academy, Dinesh Lad Cricket Foundation in Mumbai, which needs financial support to provide the best facilities to young cricketers. 

"I have adopted 19 kids [both boys and girls], seven to eight years of age, from Maharashtra, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, one from Shirdi, Solapur and Sawantwadi. I am looking after all of them. Nobody is supporting me right now. I am a bit tense as I have to focus on these kids. Anyone willing to financially support my academy through grants or facilities is welcome, as I have dedicated three decades to this honorary work. I believe government support is necessary for this cause."

"I never say I am a maker of Rohit Sharma or Shardul Thakur. Cricketers make themselves, but I support players when they need a mentor," said Lad, who won the Dronacharya Lifetime award, a prestigious national sports award in India that recognises eminent coaches for their outstanding and consistent contribution to sports, two years ago.

It remains to be seen if Rowles could become the next big star in South Africa, following the trend of former U19 cricketers-turned-international players such as Tony de Zorzi, Wiaan Mulder or Gerald Coetzee to name a few in recent times.