Character over cover drive

[Gambit]

Character over cover drive Posted by Sanjay Bangar If we look around, we will find many people on the street going through enormous upheavals in their personal and professional lives, but they battle it out with smiles on their faces. I have been fortunate enough to be closely associated with some such players who have stood up to hardships, both personal and professional, and have shown immense resilience in overcoming their challenges. Sachin Tendulkar’s hundred in a 1999 World Cup match after returning from his father’s funeral, and Anil Kumble’s turning out to bowl with a broken jaw in Antigua have been inspiring and well-documented. But here, I would like to elaborate on how three domestic players have displayed rare courage, and are still doing a good job for their sides. They are my team-mates: JP Yadav, Santosh Saxena and Kulamani Parida. We have all read about how Lance Armstrong won his battle against cancer before he conquered the cycling summit. But very few know that Yadav was diagnosed with a tumour in the area above his heart around the year 2000. He was referred to a cancer hospital in Mumbai by his doctors in Bhopal, where he underwent three cycles of chemotherapy. During this period he had to suffer all the after-effects and hardships of chemotherapy. He lost nearly 15 kgs, and was advised to stay away from the cricket field for one-and-a-half years even if the tumour didn’t recur. Yadav was lucky that the tumour didn’t recur, but such was his love for the game that despite medical advice he went with the Madhya Pradesh Ranji team for the Wills Trophy within 30 days of completing his third cycle of chemotherapy. He did pretty well in that tournament, and showed remarkable consistency that was rewarded with a spot in the national squad. He has been one of the top-quality allrounders on the domestic circuit having scored over 7000 runs and taken over 250 wickets. If this was a case of life-threatening disease, Parida’s is of fulfilling responsibilities of a household from a very early age. Parida’s father was, in his prime, a well-to-do fisherman, but he gradually squandered his wealth in gambling, and he could never come out of the mental and financial turmoil. Parida’s mother then did some petty jobs to support the family of four daughters and two sons. When Parida was studying in standard seven, he was already selling eatables or working as a mechanic in his colony to support the family. He started playing cricket in a local club in Cuttack’s fishermen colony as a wicketkeeper-batsman. His big offspinners were accidentally discovered by a local coach. However, it was his cousin Kusha Sahu who supported his cricketing ambitions. He got employed in the Railways as a helper, and had to walk three kms each way to oil the railway tracks and signals. Gradually he got picked for Railways Under-19 and has been an outstanding bowler, having taken well over 300 wickets and played at all levels of Indian domestic cricket. He has single-handedly funded the marriage of all his four sisters, provided for the technical education of his younger brother, and built a three-bedroom house in the same fishermen colony in Cuttack. Kulamani, as his name suggests, has been a precious mani (jewel) for his kula (family). The third case is of a boy from a similar poor background who had to deal with consecutive deaths of his dear ones, and yet never lost hope in his life. Saxena’s father passed away when he was four years old. He had four brothers, and his mother resorted to selling vegetables by the road in a hand cart. As he grew older, Saxena started helping his mother in selling vegetables after returning from school. This helped his mother to take a break and look after the cooking. As the years passed, Saxena started playing tennis-ball cricket and his talent was noticed by a club cricketer who then advised him to start practising at MB Union Cricket Club in Mumbai. He was picked by Orient Shipping Group for whom he played on contract basis for two years. He then switched clubs and started playing for New Hind Cricket Club. In one of the club matches, Sanjay Manjrekar was so impressed by his bowling that he fast-tracked him into the Mumbai Ranji side. Life seemed rosy, but that was not be. Saxena lost three of his brothers to untimely deaths in quick succession around the year 2000. He took all these blows on the chin, and performed well for Mumbai. After having taken a job with Railways, he has been a regular member of the Railways team. Today he supports the family of his deceased brothers and lives in an 850-sq ft apartment in the suburbs in Mumbai. Steve Waugh wrote in one of his books that in a cricketer he preferred character over a cover-drive. I am sure every team and every player will find similar examples who can be taken as role models in the real sense. Our ability to challenge our inherent limitations, and then overcoming those challenges through our actions define who we are. Here’s saluting the spirit of such exemplary personalities who have proved that in cricket and in life, character is all important. http://blogs.cricinfo.com/firstclass/archives/2008/02/against_all_odds.php

[umpire]

wow, thats really inspiring. JP Yadav should have played more games for India.

[beetle]

:(( I hope these players get to represent some team in the IPL. Really heart breaking but courageous stories about the three. God knows how many more there are...... :hatsoff::hatsoff::hatsoff:

[Predator_05]

This is the best column on cricinfo by a mile. Parida was quite a prospect at one stage - he was once being considered for the Pakistan tour in '04 as a replacement for Harbhajan Singh and Ganguly rated him highly.

[IndianRenegade]

WOW! And we always thought cricketers have a happy life....:((

[DomainK]

Very moving and inspiring. Those of us who complain in life have big lessons to learn.

[Cricketics]

fantastic article and a sad to see such hidden truth.. all the best to those guyz..

[Anakin]

Superb read

[chamatkar]

Just goes to show that the road to the top is a tough one and that some times people lose sight of what folks have to go through to get there. Their bats have done the talking for them.

[Bhiku Mhatre]

Very nice, I hope all this money that BCCI and IPL are throwing around , instead some portion goes to those needy cricketers and their family. Its like rich is getting richer, and they put breaks on upcoming junior crickerts.

[King]

This is the very reason why BCCI should invest in grass roots. ICL should have been recognized by the BCCI really. Lot of such players were given an opportunity to earn a bit by ICL. IPL only picks star players and they only make rich cricketers richer.

[fineleg]

Very nice' date=' I hope all this money that BCCI and IPL are throwing around , instead some portion goes to those needy cricketers and their family. Its like rich is getting richer, and they put breaks on upcoming junior crickerts.

yep! lotsa domestic guys need financial help from bcci!

[yoda]

wow!

[eternalhope]

This is the very reason why BCCI should invest in grass roots. ICL should have been recognized by the BCCI really. Lot of such players were given an opportunity to earn a bit by ICL. IPL only picks star players and they only make rich cricketers richer.

Agree 100%. I give exactly the same reason arguing with my friends about ICL. This would also give cricket as a career option for so many talented youngsters who tend to give up on the game for obvious reasons.