Ambidextrous teen spin bowler targets international career with UAE

Sharjah-based all-rounder Harsh Desai bowls with either left or right arm depending on match situation

As well as bowling left arm orthodox, Harsh Desai can do exactly the same with his right arm. Photo: Sharjah Cricket

So long is the queue of talented young left-arm spinners vying for the attention of the UAE selectors, having something extra to help stand out from the crowd is handy.

Fair to say, what Harsh Desai has to offer is unique. As well as bowling left arm orthodox, he can do exactly the same with his right arm.

The 17-year-old all-rounder from Sharjah – who is also a useful late middle-order batter - is not naturally ambidextrous, but discovered his remarkable skill by chance while messing around at nets five years ago.

“My mum used to tell me that when I was small I could write with my left hand as well, but I took to being right handed,” said Desai, who bats right handed.

“When I was at my old academy, Desert Cubs, in 2018 we were having fun at nets and I just started bowling with my left arm.

“My coach saw it and realised it was pretty good and could be something I could pursue. That is where it started, and it proved to be something big.

“Even if you are natural at something, you need to work at it a lot. I still need to continuously bowl to be in that touch with my left arm.

“I don’t count how many balls I bowl, but mostly I focus on my left arm. Let’s say if I train for an hour bowling with my left arm, counter to that will be only half an hour with my right arm.”

Such was his aptitude for his new skill, Desai took three wickets in successive deliveries when he first attempted bowling with his left arm in a match.

“Everybody on my team discovered I could do it the same time as me, that day at nets,” he said.

“The first time I did it in a match was against Zayed Academy for Desert Cubs. I actually took a hat-trick the first time I bowled in a game with my left arm. That was pretty big.

“In that game I bowled solely left arm. Gradually in matches that followed, when left handers came in to bat, I would switch to right arm.

“I still get the same reaction. At first people are surprised and can’t believe it. It takes a while for them to come to terms with it, even the striker and non-striker.

“Many seniors, even umpires, say I should focus on becoming really good with one arm, because there is nobody at international level who does this.

“But my coaches have always been supportive of me trying new things. In cricket, anything can happen.”

Desai, who was born in Gujarat in India but moved to UAE with his family 11 years ago with his dad’s job as an engineer, opts which arm to bowl with depending on the match situation.

Usually, he likes to turn the ball away from batters – so bowls with his left to right-handed batters and vice versa – but it can also be dictated by which side the longer square boundary is on.

“In matches, I will bowl to right-handers with my left arm,” said Desai, who idolises India’s left-handed all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja and English off-spinner Graeme Swann. “Because there are less left-handed batters, I practice more with my left arm.”

Desai enrolled at the academy at Sharjah Stadium two years ago, and Khalaf Bukhatir, the chief executive of Sharjah Cricket, says they are proud of the development of a unique talent.

“We came to know about Harsh’s talent two years ago when I was told by the coaches we have a miraculous boy who can bowl with both hands,” Bukhatir said.

“We kept an eye on him, focused on him, then started to give him opportunities to play in domestic circles. He was spotted, then through Sharjah Sports Council we put him through the domestic series organised by Emirates Cricket Board.

“He has been showing his talent and I am so happy for him that he has been able to represent our country. It was my dream when I first saw him to see him in that [UAE] jersey.

“If there is a situation in any game where they require a certain bowler who can change the game, they will pick Harsh for that. His senior colleagues are very confident in him.”

Desai was part of the UAE Under 19 side who were beaten to a place in the next Under 19 World Cup by Nepal earlier this year.

Having graduated from Our Own Indian High School Sharjah, he is unsure of whether he will continue his engineering studies within the UAE or in India.

But he remains hopeful of following his age-group peers Aayan Khan and Aryansh Sharma into the senior national side.

“Representing the UAE men’s team is one of my goals,” Desai said.

“If I continue my education here, that is my goal. To see many of my teammates there already is a big motivation.

“I never expected to play for the U19 team so soon. When I went to the ICC [Academy, where UAE train] there were left-arm spinners everywhere. I have so much to learn, and everyone is so different.

“Our batch is lucky. We have a pathway from U19 cricket to the senior team which was not necessarily there in the past. God willing, let’s see.”