Sport makes for great television, and that’s well known. But when the best cricketers from across the world are in rickshaws or autos in the remotest part of Bengal, scouting talent that will then hone their skills under the tutelage of some of the best cricketers, that makes for a television show quite unlike anything done before. That’s what the HUNT is all about. The idea is to scout the best talent, who may not have the opportunity otherwise, and project them on television so that talent scouts from franchise leagues, for example, could be attracted to check some of these men and women out.
The Hunt India will be the first series in production, with filming slated for October this year. Shortly thereafter for year one, there will be ‘Hunt’ productions in the UK, the USA, the Caribbean, Australia and the UAE. Year One of The Hunt will culminate with selected ‘Hunt’ squads featuring stars between 14 and 17 years of age from each country playing off against each other in a two-week, made-for-TV tournament in the UAE called Home Grown Heroes. Sources say major networks in India have been positioning themselves to win the rights to year one of The Hunt and that process will reach its conclusion this month with the executives behind The Hunt pleased with the level of interest from global broadcasters.
And now Steve Waugh has come forward with the support of the Toyam Group, headquartered in the UAE, to launch the Hunt. A concept that has been years in planning is finally seeing the light of day. Waugh’s team, which includes Brad Hogg, will go around Australia picking talent from the most unlikely of places to form a group which will be housed at Brisbane’s Marist College, Ashgrove, and train at Valley Cricket Club.
Hogg, who is much admired in India, will be in the country soon travelling in a rickshaw, looking out for raw yet talented young cricketers across urban and rural India. Irrespective of where that talent is from and what language they speak, they will be immediately invited into the ‘Hunt bootcamp’ if Hogg and his fellow experts are suitably impressed with what they see, as they visit makeshift cricket games in India’s parks, streets and villages.
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Senior sports professionals who are working on the project mentioned to me that it has taken eight years to bring this project to fruition, the most challenging phase being working through COVID-19 restrictions.
Waugh, who has a special affection for India, is quoted as saying, “This show has got exciting potential. For sure, there’s a chance for someone to come out of nowhere who hasn’t been identified before. My dream, personally, is that someone from the outskirts of Kolkata, perhaps, who hasn’t had an opportunity, all of a sudden wins an IPL contract. Or, in Australia, gets into the Big Bash.”
Ratish Kumar, the founder and MD of promoters USC Worldwide, said in a press release that The Hunt “will be groundbreaking television with unique stories and heroes to captivate a global audience”.
And finally Mr Mohamedali Budhwani, Toyam Sports Limited CMD, who is backing the show financially, said, “Cricket is taken as a religion in India and its stars are worshiped like Gods. We at TSL are extremely excited to launch this of a first-of-a-kind cricketing talent-hunt reality show, where our icons and cricketing legends will not only handpick but groom the shining cricket stars of tomorrow. TSL is very excited to partner with USC for such a unique show.”
Now it is to be seen how the show works out for television, and if it actually unearths a star of tomorrow from the remotest corners of India. When it comes to Bengal, for example, could we see a Jhulan Goswami accompanying Steve Waugh to Chakdah? Could be a welcome and interesting sight for future talent!
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