Archie, Australia’s mascot for Boxing Day Test
NEW DELHI: At the age of seven most kids make first peer group in school, become competitive, and throw tantrums. Australia’s Archie Schiller is different. He has had to deal with three open-heart surgeries at this tender age.
The Adelaide kid’s brave battle for survival has earned the respect of the Australia cricket team. As a great gesture, Schiller has been anointed ‘co-captain’ of the Baggy Greens in the Boxing Day Test against India at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, courtesy the Make-a-wish Australia initiative.
Schiller was told of his notional leadership role by skipper Tim Paine on Saturday, his seventh birthday. “Obviously Arch has been through a really tough period, and his family,” Paine said. “When his dad asked him what he wanted to do, he said ‘I want to captain Australia’. I think it’s been picked up along the way and we’re rapt to have someone like that around. He adds a bit of perspective I think.
“Sometimes we live a life, it’s very good, but you can be consumed in your own life at times, so to have someone like that around is actually really inspiring for our group. It’s great to have him around and we look forward to his debut on Boxing Day.”
Schiller had a training session with the Australia team at Adelaide Oval earlier this month. He had eagerly waited for the day since coach Justin Langer broke the news to him via a phone call, when the national team was in the UAE for their series against Pakistan, about his inclusion.
“I have been watching a few highlights of your cricket and I am really pleased to tell you. You have been picked for the squad of the Boxing Day Test match. I am not sure at this stage if you will be in the playing XI but you are definitely in the squad,” Langer told Schiller.
“I will get Virat Kohli, ya,” was the response of Schiller, who declares he is a leg-spinner.
These are happy times for the Schillers, who didn’t know last December whether their boy could survive the third heart surgery.