Has anyone asked Ian Pont....

[Anonymous]

Ian please do post on ICF when you finally get in touch with Atul. We would like to know his side of the story as well..

[Malcolm Merlyn]

Mr.Pont just clarify one thing when you said that Atul was capable bowling at very high speeds,do you still stand by that claim?Is Atul capable of bowling in 150ks??Most of us are not saying Atul sharma doesn't exist or he didnt train like you said he did.Most of us are doubting whether he is capable of bowling at high speeds he is said to be capable of.If he is that good then you more than all of us know that if a bowler can bowl at such high speeds continously he is bound to get his opputunities as such bowlers are rare in the world let alone in India where they are non existent.For the sake of all of us i hope that he turns out to be evry bit the bowler you said he is. I know you are a very busy person but please kindly answer the query and many will have their doubts regarding this settled.

[Ian Pont]

Mr.Pont just clarify one thing when you said that Atul was capable bowling at very high speeds,do you still stand by that claim?Is Atul capable of bowling in 150ks??Most of us are not saying Atul sharma doesn't exist or he didnt train like you said he did.Most of us are doubting whether he is capable of bowling at high speeds he is said to be capable of.If he is that good then you more than all of us know that if a bowler can bowl at such high speeds continously he is bound to get his opputunities as such bowlers are rare in the world let alone in India where they are non existent.For the sake of all of us i hope that he turns out to be evry bit the bowler you said he is. I know you are a very busy person but please kindly answer the query and many will have their doubts regarding this settled.

All the things that were said (by me) and in Atul's own words in interview about his ability to bowl fast are certainly true. They always have been true. That has never changed. That's why I am not worried about what some people are saying all over again on the site. So let me be clear - he can do what everyone who knows him says he is capable of. I hope that is clear for the recent posters. My point NOW is that he has disappeared and no one seems to know where he is, including the IPL team he was named in. He is very secretive and doesn't like to be 'visible', which is fine. I should know as he never wanted the media to be able to contact him. However, it's not about the previous story being untrue - it's my concern he is still not bowling and is still not playing. And I don't know why. Only he can answer that.

[Ian Pont]

But you put your name on the line by promoting him. You are in this website and probably others have spread the word about him. If it was Atul sharma who came into this website or other websites and said that he can bowl fast, people would have laughed him off. But Since it was Ian Pont, people believed you. Even in your profile, you have stated that you are " Atul Sharma's bowling coach". You are probably a respected coach and as a person you may be a very honest person to the people who know you. But we don't. You said you had a great bowler in your hand and a lot of us believed you and expected him to be good because you have attached your credibility in this whole fiasco. We are just namelss, faceless forum members. All of us here love cricket and we talk about the game and its players. We ridiculed Danish kaneria when he said he has a "teesra" , we ridiculed McGrath when he was expecting a 5-0 whitewash in ashes. We critique someone when they made outrageous statements. Ofcourse, if Kaneria did invent a teesra, then we would be heralding him as a great. But he didnt, so we get on his case about his ego. You sir, are no different. I thank you for your honesty now but if you were this communicative when we were speculating about Atuls whereabouts during the IPL, our expectations wouldn't have been high and maybe that would have eased some pain.

You and others are missing my point (again). The story about him is fine, even though the media and posters hyped it all up into a frenzy. All of that still holds true. So please stop your line of commenting about the story. The story itself is all good, it always has been and no one is being ridiculed over that. The magazines and TV would not have carried it if it wasn't true. I am saying that it seems odd he is not bowling or playing 3 months after the IPL and not even the team he is supposed to be part of knows where he is. Something is clearly not right.

[Malcolm Merlyn]

All the things that were said (by me) and in Atul's own words in interview about his ability to bowl fast are certainly true. They always have been true. That has never changed. That's why I am not worried about what some people are saying all over again on the site. So let me be clear - he can do what everyone who knows him says he is capable of. I hope that is clear for the recent posters. My point NOW is that he has disappeared and no one seems to know where he is, including the IPL team he was named in. He is very secretive and doesn't like to be 'visible', which is fine. I should know as he never wanted the media to be able to contact him. However, it's not about the previous story being untrue - it's my concern he is still not bowling and is still not playing. And I don't know why. Only he can answer that.

Does this mean you are still willing to help him if he seeks it despite the fact that he owns you some debt? So not even Rajasthan Royals knows where he is?Is he so bothered with the expectations that he has left everything and gone? Where is he?What has happened to him?I guess you know where he lives in India?Has you tried to contact him?

[DomainK]

Possibly Atul realized that the hype was untimely and unnecessary. Possibly he wants to stay out of digital spotlight till he has played a match. For someone with no match experience whatsoever, it was an ill conceived and ill planned campaign that only added to the pressure. Bowling fast is not enough for success at any level of competitive cricket. It takes a lot more than that. The PR campaign started prematurely and the video was an attempt at damage control. The damage however has been done and I think Atul is quite right if he wants to avoid any further publicity before he manages to play a match. Thank you Ian, however, for clarifying a few things. Some of us had started believing it was a hoax. I will take your word that it is not.

[Malcolm Merlyn]

Thank you Ian for ur time and explaination.I hope you will let us know when you find him. But just a thought.... if he never plays a match and prove his abilities, people will always think that he was a hoax and hence ran away and some of the blot will remain on your reputed career as a coach.

[Ian Pont]

Possibly Atul realized that the hype was untimely and unnecessary. Possibly he wants to stay out of digital spotlight till he has played a match. For someone with no match experience whatsoever, it was an ill conceived and ill planned campaign that only added to the pressure. Bowling fast is not enough for success at any level of competitive cricket. It takes a lot more than that. The PR campaign started prematurely and the video was an attempt at damage control. The damage however has been done and I think Atul is quite right if he wants to avoid any further publicity before he manages to play a match. Thank you Ian, however, for clarifying a few things. Some of us had started believing it was a hoax. I will take your word that it is not.

Please understand that was was no plan or campaign. Atul Sharma wanted to get awareness of what he was doing so the cricket teams could have a look at him. All of this was done way back last October...it built over months and ended with the video clip because posters on here were demanding proof it was not a hoax. So please do not imagine this was a carefully co-ordinated plan... it was not. Had it have been, it would have been far better handled.

[Ian Pont]

Thank you Ian for ur time and explaination.I hope you will let us know when you find him. But just a thought.... if he never plays a match and prove his abilities, people will always think that he was a hoax and hence ran away and some of the blot will remain on your reputed career as a coach.

It's no problem to me what he does now.... my role as coach was to get him up to a level that the IPL could look at him and sign him. So my role is complete and is also a complete success. If he was a hoax as you keep saying, how would Mr Modi name him in the IPL? Think logically my friend. I don't see how what he does now is anything to do with me. It's not about me as a coach, it's about the player as a player. I just hope for HIS sake he actually plays a game somewhere, sometime for someone so he can shake off this 'hoax' tag you keep putting on him.

[Malcolm Merlyn]

It's no problem to me what he does now.... my role as coach was to get him up to a level that the IPL could look at him and sign him. So my role is complete and is also a complete success. If he was a hoax as you keep saying, how would Mr Modi name him in the IPL? Think logically my friend. I don't see how what he does now is anything to do with me. It's not about me as a coach, it's about the player as a player. I just hope for HIS sake he actually plays a game somewhere, sometime for someone so he can shake off this 'hoax' tag you keep putting on him.

Ian i dont think he is a hoax.I am one of the firm believers of his abilities and of yours as a coach.But you will appericiate the fact that his sudden disapperance have let to so many questions.I appericiate the fact that you have made a medium pacer into a fast bowler.I accept whether he plays or not is up to him as a player but as your name is associated with him if he never turns up some some questions will linger.As you and Atul have named people like Mr.Modi,Shane Watson,Greg Chappel,Jeff Trotsky and none of them has ever refuted those claims means that this is not a hoax.You will agree with me that had you claimed that a bowler from india could spin it as much as Warne or a batsman could hit it as good as Tendulkar there would not have been so may questions,it is because you have said an indian bowler could bowl at upwards of 150ks which we dont see in india has such questions have arisen. Anyways i sincerely thank you for ur indulgence in answering our queries.I also hope that Atul plays a match some where for some one and sooner rather than later. On a different topic i have utmost respect for you as a coach and never doubt your intentions,it were Atul's abilities which were so rare that led to questions,If i may ask you i have heard that Shaun Tait and Mitchel Johnson also had stints with you.and of course the premier fast bowler from SA Dale Steyn is also said to have had trained with you.So there is ofcourse no doubt on your abilities or ur integrity.It was doubts on Atul's abilities and his disapperance. Once again very sincere thanks for your answers and apologies if my line of query had been offensive.

[DomainK]

Please understand that was was no plan or campaign. Atul Sharma wanted to get awareness of what he was doing so the cricket teams could have a look at him. All of this was done way back last October...it built over months and ended with the video clip because posters on here were demanding proof it was not a hoax. So please do not imagine this was a carefully co-ordinated plan... it was not.Had it have been, it would have been far better handled.

Precisely my point, Ian. You are not calling it a campaign because you did not mean it to be. But whether you and Atul knew it or not, it was an initial branding campaign and should have been handled with professional advice. It was not bad, but the misfortune of Atul getting injured made it bad. A professionally planned campaign would have plans ready for such a situation. You posted the video to reassure people about Atul which is exactly what damage control is.

[dial_100]

Ian, Thanks for clarifying few things. We are sincerely happy to have to here on the forum and give us some updates. One question though... How do you rate him temperament wise?? What kind of person he is? Thanks in advance.

[Guest Hiten.]

Ian, could you please clarify how exactly did Atul pick up his injury that is keeping him away from cricket ? Isn't it ironic for him to get injured in his very first practice match itself ? Did he emphasize on buffing up his body or was it you who suggested him to undergo "300(movie)" type training ? IMO, he could have rather played with some lower division clubs (of course with your help he could have picked some contract in country cricket's lower division)...which would have helped you to fine tune his skills progressively. Not that I am degrading your and his hard work, but it is rather atrocious of him to ignore match practice in a bid to buffing his body. I am no one to remind you that bowling in the nets and clocking 160's is a different ball game than delivering it in an actual cricket game where his fitness would have been tested fully. I sure hope Atul gets back in touch with you and repays your hard work that you put behind him.

[Ian Pont]

Ian, could you please clarify how exactly did Atul pick up his injury that is keeping him away from cricket ? Isn't it ironic for him to get injured in his very first practice match itself ? Did he emphasize on buffing up his body or was it you who suggested him to undergo "300(movie)" type training ? IMO, he could have rather played with some lower division clubs (of course with your help he could have picked some contract in country cricket's lower division)...which would have helped you to fine tune his skills progressively. Not that I am degrading your and his hard work, but it is rather atrocious of him to ignore match practice in a bid to buffing his body. I am no one to remind you that bowling in the nets and clocking 160's is a different ball game than delivering it in an actual cricket game where his fitness would have been tested fully. I sure hope Atul gets back in touch with you and repays your hard work that you put behind him.

I always told Atul he must play in some matches. He never wanted to. He was offered some games in SA when he was training there but never wanted to. I think he wanted to 'reveal' himself in the flesh on the big stage to create the impact, and I can understand that to a point. But from a cricketing point of view it made no sense to continually hide away. He told me he injured himself in a practice session when he was fielding. I wasn't there. I have to take his word for that. Atul is his own man and makes his own decisions. I am merely a coach who's there to help - I am not his father or his agent/manager. I agree that playing matches - however low a standard - would have been preferred. I have never worked with a player who is just training all the time. For what? Much of what is said on here I agree with. And now, like most of you, I am baffled where he is, what he's going to do and whether he actually plays a match.

[Deleted_User_1]

I always told Atul he must play in some matches. He never wanted to. He was offered some games in SA when he was training there but never wanted to. I think he wanted to 'reveal' himself in the flesh on the big stage to create the impact, and I can understand that to a point. But from a cricketing point of view it made no sense to continually hide away. He told me he injured himself in a practice session when he was fielding. I wasn't there. I have to take his word for that. Atul is his own man and makes his own decisions. I am merely a coach who's there to help - I am not his father or his agent/manager. I agree that playing matches - however low a standard - would have been preferred. I have never worked with a player who is just training all the time. For what? Much of what is said on here I agree with. And now, like most of you, I am baffled where he is, what he's going to do and whether he actually plays a match.

If what you are saying is true, then I think it might be a mental hurdle. He has never played a game and is scared about joining the stage for the fear of failure. So he is cooking up stories like I want to play on the big stage first, I have an injury, etc. to avoid playing. At least that is my theory. This fear is not uncommon and he certainly not a coward because of it, but I feel that unless he gets professional counseling, he will never play a game. Again, this is my theory of course.

[THX_1138]

Guys is it not possible that Atul is intimidated by the spotlight that has suddenly been shone on him? Maybe he is bidding his time so that he might finally debut as just another debutant: fresh and not burdened with a million expectations? Or possibly he is developing his skills further? There are a million and one possible explanations! Yet it seemed, that some individuals here have taken upon themselves to ridicule, insult and humiliate both Atul Sharma and Ian Pont. It might very well be that Atul's capabilities are overrated, but consider this: simply because he tried to pip himself up with a few bombastic statements, is he now entitled to be a the victim of a ridicule campaign? Has no one here ever engaged in a little hyperbole? Either in self promotion or simply to impress others? Atul, like you and I is human! Give him a little time!