When former Australia Under-19 cricketer John James returned to his roots in Kerala, it was not just to connect with his family, but also to solve cricket’s most difficult puzzle: mastering spin on sub-continental wickets.
He contacted the renowned cricket coach Biju George through a family friend and arranged for a week-long training stint to reshape his game. “To train on subcontinent wickets was on my bucket list for a while. So, when I finally decided to visit Kerala after three years I also packed my cricket kit. Biju sir was kind enough to take time off his busy schedule to help me fine-tune my game, especially against spin bowling,” said James whose parents migrated to Australia when he was two months old.
For James, the net sessions at The Sports Village Cricket Academy were an eye opener and a massive departure from the predictable fare he is used to back home in Sydney. “I don’t get many opportunities to face spinners in Australia. Here I faced a massive variety of them, including a mystery spinner and a leg spinner who bowled from a medium pacer’s runup. It was an incredibly enriching experience. Biju sir fine-tuned my technique, especially my front foot movement against spin. He pointed out that my head was falling back which prevented me from connecting the ball cleanly,’’ said James.
“We were working on his finishing game,” said Biju George who was quick to praise the teenager’s adaptability. “Since he has to face spinners in the middle order, we focussed entirely on that. He is a fast learner and very promising cricketer,” he added.
James’ cricketing journey has already featured brushes with the modern greats. He has faced Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazelwood and Pat Cummins in the nets and during the Border Gavaskar Trophy he was selected to run the drinks, allowing him to watch his idols from close quarters. “Those were probably the three best days of my life, I was able to observe them closely and learn how they thought and executed their plans,” he said.
The all-rounder has now set his sights on winning a rookie contract with New South Wales for the upcoming season. “I am closer to getting a contract with NSW. To do that, I need to perform well in the Sydney Premier League for my club Parramatta District Cricket Club,” he concluded.
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Published on Jul 25, 2026