The Indian Express (Delhi Edition)
From Mohali to Dublin, tracing the journey of Ireland’s Simaranjit
WHEN HE first came to Ireland eleven years ago,asastudenttopursuehotelmanagement, Simaranjit Singh would pay five euros to play at the Malahide Cricket Club in Dublin. This weekwhentheirelandcricketteamopentheir campaign against Bangladesh in a tri-nation series, also involving New Zealand, Simaranjit will step onto the ground as a matter of right.
The 30-year-old all-rounder has been named in the Ireland squad for the series. Simaranjithadmovedtoirelandafterhiscricketing dreams had failed to take off back home in Mohali. “I had enrolled for a hotel management course but would play cricket on the weekend by paying five euros per game. I worked at a grocery store so that I could afford to pay to play cricket. To be part of the Ireland team and to play at the same venue where I started off and being able to wear the national jersey is a dream come true,” Simaranjit told THE INDIAN EXPRESS on Wednesday.
A year after moving to Dublin, he had earned his stripes and joined the Malahide CC as a professional. Getting a foothold in cricket away from home was key for Simaranjit.
Asabuddingcricketerinmohali,simaranjit showed early promise. He says he was named the ‘best player’ at the National School Games heldinvijayawadain1999.afewyearslater,he kept the selectors interested when he scored 725 runs in the Punjab inter-district Under-17 tournament.buthisworldwouldcomecrashingdownwhenhefailedtomakethecutatthe U-19level. Frustratedthathiscareerhadhita roadblock, he cajoled his father Amarjit Singh into sending him to the American College in Dublin.aformerteammateofhis,gaurav,who had already moved to Dublin, convinced Simaranjit that an opportunity existed to pursue cricket and academics in Ireland.
He did return to India to try and get back to cricket. The first edition of the IPL was around the corner, and he came down to appear for selectiontrialsofkingsxipunjab.buthisname wasn’tincludedamongthosewhowereshortlisted by the IPL team.
Aworkvisafromoldbalverydaleccwould mean that Singh returned to Dublin in 2009 andplayedfortheclubforthenextthreeyears before joining YMCA Cricket Club in 2012. Singh, who started off-spin bowling in Ireland after seeing the videos of Saqlain Mushtaq, would pick up 56 wickets for the club apart from scoring 786 runs in the club’s title win in theleinsterseniorcup-afirstdivisiontournament in Ireland in 2013.
He remained one of the more consistent playersandscoredatotalof1608runsandtook 67 wickets in 45 matches over two years - between 2015 and ‘16. His approach to the game changed when he joined the provincial team Leinster Lightning and rubbed shoulders with the likes of Kevin O’brien, John Anderson and George Dockrell - all Ireland capped players.
“I have been playing for the Leinster Lighting team since 2015 and spending time with players like Kevin O’brien has helped my game. Earlier I used to play bit slow but he told metogoforattackingcricket,”simaranjitsays.
At 30, he knows that he has got a late callup for the national team but he hopes to make the most of the opportunity. Looking back he recalls the days when he used to play against Viratkohliandishantsharmainleaguecricket matches in Delhi. He also did play with MS Dhoni and Zaheer Khan during the JP Atray Cricket Tournament in Chandigarh.
His father recalls how Simaranjit was determined to play internatiional cricket. “When he left for Dublin, he also took his cricket kit along. I remember him saying ‘International cricket khelna hi hai ek din’,” Amarjit says.