What should children get out of sport — a professional career, or something more fundamental? Former South Africa cricketer Jonty Rhodes challenges the pressure to treat sport as an investment, arguing that a healthy, active child is already a meaningful return.On Bombay Sport Exchange, host K. Shriniwas Rao speaks with Rhodes about sporting culture in India and South Africa, the role of parents in a child’s development, and the habits that help athletes succeed. Drawing on his experience as an international cricketer and his work in franchise cricket, Rhodes explains why children benefit from playing multiple sports, why young talent should not be written off too early, and why being willing to learn can matter as much as early promise.The conversation also explores the mental and physical demands of elite cricket, how players such as Virat Kohli and Sachin Tendulkar respond differently to pressure, and why South Africa’s World Cup record is more complicated than the familiar “choking” label suggests.
