Suhail Bhat
Srinagar, Aug 24: Physical disability was not strong enough to shatter the willpower of two talented players from Kashmir who made headlines after being selected for the national cricket squad.
Feroz Ahmad Ganie of Anantnag and Nayeem Ahmad Malla of Budgam have been selected for the Indian cricket squad by the Board of Disabled Cricket Association (BDCA). Both players were called to a trial in Hyderabad, where they were selected for the Indian Specially-abled Cricket Team, which took place from August 4 to 8. In the forthcoming Bangladesh tour, they will represent India in all three formats.
Feroz has competed in seven Nationals so far and served as the captain for all of Jammu and Kashmir’s competitions. He had a passion for cricket since he was a child and want to play on a bigger stage. He however, had an accident in 2014, which left him with broken feet and dashed his dreams.
Feroz was confined to bed for over two years, but he never gave up and eventually returned to cricket. “At first, I was pessimistic, believing that I could never carry out my everyday responsibilities, let alone play cricket. But I walked up to the stage and kept playing,” he explained.
He stated he received full support from his family and that he worked extremely hard to get here. “Disabled cricketers in Kashmir do not have their own tournaments or leagues. As a result, I used to just take part in regular cricket events at the district and club levels,” he explained.
Because of his determination and hard work, Feroz maintained that his disability has never hampered his success. In 2016, he made his J&K debut in a Jharkhand “disabled cricket competition,” where he amazed everyone with his bat and ball.
Feroz was named captain, and the team did exceptionally well under his leadership. Since then, he has not looked back. “I am confident and optimistic that I will do well in the bilateral series versus”, he told Excelsior.
Feroz also thanked his sponsor, United International Sports, for helping him achieve his goal. “Because the sports association did not support me, I used to take my fellow cricketers out of the J&K to play at my expense. But, without a doubt, my sponsor has always and will continue to support me,” he says.
24- years old, Nayeem told Excelsior that he did not expect to be called up for the Bangladesh series. “When I received an official letter from the Board of Disabled Cricket Association (BDCA), I was overjoyed. I first told my family about my decision.” Malla said.
Nayeem Ahmad Malla’s family lost hope when he was physically crippled after two separate accidents throughout his childhood. Nayeem got wedged between a tractor and a walnut tree while helping his cousins cut down trees. He had a serious back ailment. He injured his hand three years later in Class 7 while assisting a man whose vehicle had been stuck.
Authorities issued him a disability certificate after he lost one of his right hand’s fingers. “When I got crippled in 2007, I believed that I could never do anything in my life,” he said. He considered becoming a doctor so that he could provide free medical care to low-income families. “However, I lost interest in academics because I was not able to cope up with the teachers homework”, he said.
The duo want to help the handicap community to grow more cricketers. “We will guide the next generation cricketers so that they do not suffer the obstacles that we did in getting here. More cricketers will be produced if more attention is given to disability cricket,” they said.
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