AT surface level, you would find few similarities between the gentleman’s game of cricket and the combat sports of boxing and kickboxing.
For a fast bowler like Tauseef Kataria, however, focusing on controlled aggression comes in handy when you hit the crease.
The 19-year-old from Nottingham has enjoyed his first visit to Australia as Coomealla Wentworth’s import, claiming 16 wickets across all Sunraysia Cricket Association competitions at an average of 11.56 in seven innings.
Aiming to gain valuable experience Down Under as he chases a professional contract as a county cricketer, Kataria also wants to help the sixth-placed Blues in the finals.
“I think we’ll surprise a few people and turn a few heads with how we’ll perform,” he said.
“We spoke about where we need to improve on and the lads are working hard on their skill sets and as long as we keep putting in that effort, the results will come.
“Hopefully, I go back as a new person with some new skills, and I can impress the right people so I can hopefully get the contract.”
Kataria initially trained in combat sports from the age of nine, following in the footsteps of his uncle who was a semi-professional boxer.
As he got older, his family encouraged him to move into a different pursuit.
“Being Pakinstani, my family loves cricket so that was really the path I went down,” he said.
“My granddad took me to meet one of his good mates, Andrew Jackman, who is a well-renowned cricketer at home after coming from the West Indies, especially as a coach.
“I went and enjoyed it and I really took hold of it, especially bowling.”
After some country trials at Nottingham, Kataria joined Derbyshire’s county Under 18 side, where he played alongside another talented youngster in Nafis Shaikh, who was last season’s import for Coomealla Wentworth.
After discussions with his teammate, family and coaches, it was decided at least one season in Australia could help the athletic all-rounder’s development.
“One of the key reasons I’m out here is that a lot of key people that we spoke to said if you want to improve your cricket, Australia is the place to go… a lot of people come back a different player, much better.
“Before coming here, Nafis and I had a bit of a chat about it and I asked him how it was, how are people and how is the standard and he gave all positives.
“In the community, everyone has been really kind, everyone has been kind and supportive.”
Kataria says he enjoys displaying aggression towards batsmen, but added it’s a different thought process to boxing or kickboxing.
“Bowling a couple of quick bouncers here and there, scaring a couple of batsmen, brings a bit of a glimmer to your eyes and bit more of a kick to your step,” he said.
“If a batsman annoys me, then I challenge that with aggression and trying to bowl quicker, but with cricket it’s a bit different to boxing and kickboxing where you have to have a bit more of a settled mind.
“If you go a bit more beyond that and go charging in to take the batsman’s head off every ball, you lose control of yourself.”
Kataria and Coomealla Wentworth face Mildura East in their first game back on Saturday, January 6.
