Hundreds of Mumbai’s current and future cricketers may have been charged up and motivated when they returned to their homes on Friday night after hearing former India head coach Ravi Shastri speak at the Mumbai Cricket Association’s annual prize distribution function.

Shastri, 60, who started his Test career against New Zealand at Wellington in 1981 while batting at No 10 before becoming a successful opener, stressed that there are no shortcuts to attain certain goals. He also stressed on work ethics, a khadoos attitude and advised youngsters not to skip a single day of net practice. Shastri was MCA’s best junior cricketer for the 1977-78 season for which he was honoured with the Shantibhai Seth Trophy while the Justice Tendolkar Trophy came his way as MCA’s best senior cricketer for 1984-85.