Heartwarming battle on the fringes of World T20
CHANDIGARH: In professional boxing terms, the T20 World Cup qualifiers are like undercard bouts. Still, only Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, and to an extent Ireland, will get attention.
Cricket’s global structure too makes it tough for part-timers to make a splash, the debate on keeping fringe teams out in global events too discouraging the small teams.
That is what makes a performance like that of Chris Greaves special. The Scotland all-rounder, who was an Amazon delivery driver, inspired his team to an upset win over Bangladesh. He top-scored wtih 45 and then scalped three wickets bowling leg-spin, removing Shakib Al Hasan and Mushfiqur Rahim.
Oman’s 10-wicket win in Sunday’s other qualifier, against Papua New Guinea, is another heart-warming story of part-timers basking in the sun. The “home team”—matches are being staged in Muscat and in the UAE because hosts India had to take the tournament abroad due to the pandemic—was spurred by Jatinder Singh and Aaqib Ilyas.
Ludhiana-born Singh topscored with 73* and Sialkot-born Ilyas made 50*. Skipper Zeeshan Maqsood, 33, who took 4/20 bowling left-arm spin, is also from Pakistan.
Singh is delighted to play at Muscat in front of family and friends. Oman’s bigger win over Ireland, in the 2016 T20, came in Dharamsala. “We take a lot of pride that the matches are happening in Oman. We want to put up a great show and qualify for the Super 12 stage,” Singh said from Muscat. “Oman cricket has progressed leaps and bounds since 2016.”
Singh is a Shikhar Dhawan fan and imitates his thigh-five celebration. The 32-year-old with his mother and three siblings moved to Muscat in 2003 to join his father, Gurmail Singh, who works in the Oman police department’s carpentry section.
“My family has been involved in carpentry for generations. I am the first sportsperson in our clan. I feel so proud and privileged,” said Singh, who works in the corporate affairs department of an Oman company.
Last month, he hit a 62-ball 107 against Nepal. It is the second-fastest ODI ton by an Associate batsman. Ireland’s Kevin O’Brien holds the record for the fastest century. His 73 is the highest T20I score by an Oman batter and his 130 run stand with Ilyas is the best in a T20 World Cup for an Associate team.
The players have backed each other in the pandemic. “We are like a big family. We get together quite a lot off the field. Due to the pandemic, a few of the players lost jobs and were in distress. We stood for each other and cricket kept us going,” said Singh.
Maqsood too lost his job though he has found fresh employment now. Ilyas, whose family runs a trading company and restaurants in Muscat, helps provide people jobs.
Scotland skipper Kyle Coetzer acknowledged Greaves’ toil to play cricket. “Really proud of Greaves, he had to sacrifice a lot. He was delivering parcels for Amazon not long ago and now he’s getting Man-of-the-Match and playing against Bangladesh,” he said.