‘Don’t try to change it’: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, 81-year-old cricket legend warned

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (X-Cricbuzz) Praise has been pouring in for Vaibhav Sooryavanshi from some of cricket’s biggest names, with the latest endorsement coming from legendary former West Indies captain Clive Lloyd, who believes the teenage sensation has the qualities needed for a bright future at the top level.Lloyd, one of the most revered figures in cricket history and the man who captained West Indies to World Cup triumphs in 1975 and 1979, was recently asked how a 15-year-old Indian batsman would cope with the fearsome pace attack that dominated world cricket in his era.The 81-year-old led a team with some of the most intimidating fast bowlers, including Michael Holding, Joel Garner, Andy Roberts and Colin Croft. As Lloyd contemplated a hypothetical duel between Sooryavanshi and those legendary speedsters, Lloyd felt it would be a fascinating battle.“Well, he’d have a very good test (laughs) and we’d test his character, his skills and stuff. He’s got good vision. He’s a good hitter of the ball. Yeah, so it would be a good test for him and a good test for our pitchers. The bottom line about the pitchers we had, why it was hard to decipher what they were doing because they’d all do a different test,” Lloyd said in an interview with RevSportz.While Lloyd praised the youngster’s talent, he also offered some important advice regarding his development. The former West Indies great believes Sooryavanshi’s natural approach should be retained rather than altered as he progresses through the ranks.“I think the guy’s got the ability and I’m sure if he continues to play the way he’s playing and he doesn’t try to change, you know, his style of play, I think we’ve got a young man that we’re going to be watching for a long time,” he added.Lloyd’s comments come shortly after another outstanding performance from the teenager. Representing India A in the tri-series final against Sri Lanka A in Dambulla on Sunday, Sooryavanshi produced a breathtaking innings that rewrote the record books.The left-hander smashed the fastest fifty in the history of List A cricket, reaching the milestone in just 11 deliveries. He looked on course for an equally remarkable century and could have scored the fastest hundred in List A cricket, but his innings ended on 94 from just 29 balls. A six off the last delivery he faced would take him to the landmark.After his exploits in Sri Lanka, Sooryavanshi is set to travel to Ireland later this month for the upcoming two-match T20I series in India. With an international debut widely expected during the tour, the teenager’s rapid rise continues to gather momentum and Lloyd’s vote of confidence only adds to the growing excitement surrounding one of cricket’s most talked-about young talents.