Thanks To Cricket!

Cricket is more than a dream to me, dearer than my life partner. I still remember how much I have struggled to reach at the place where I am standing today. It all started ten years back, in 2005, at Thatta when I took admission in AO cricket camp Thatta.

The Cricket Stadium was few kilometers away from the city. I couldn't afford to live at any hotel at Thatta, therefore I used to live at the stadium. No electricity, no basic facility, nothing except a single room and absolute isolation. I just knew that I would become an international cricket player once this camp ended. That was the thing which made me pass all those hurdles with courage.

Every morning, when I was at the ground, I felt glad because I would get the chance to play. At the final match, Moin Khan came as our chief guest. I was the captain of my team and our team even won that match. I was awarded with the trophy by Moin Khan. But that was actually the sad moment for me. I always had a dream of meeting international players, but when that moment came, I was sad because I had realized that camp was just an ordinary training, there was nothing like becoming an international player after that.

After two months, I received a call from the head of AO Camp that he wanted me to play for Thatta team in regional under 19 tournament which was organized by PCB. I received rejection from many people there because I was not originally from Thatta, but luckily, I was selected as captain for Team Thatta at the end. In the past years, Thatta had never won a tournament; when I told my team mates that we will win this time, I literally became a laughing stock.

Well! That was the only time when Team Thatta won regional under 19 regional tournament. By then, I started growing. I played various tournaments, went through different trails. I learnt about different paths which I was suppose to choose. I will attribute my success to Mr. Syed Rahat Ali Shah, an official in PCB. He provided me different platforms to perform. Because of him, I played against under 19 international match against West Indies in which Kieron Pollard was playing. Once in Lahore, I was playing against team consisting Toufeeq Umar. I was the one to get him out. I was so overwhelmed.

I went running to the dressing room to call my friends here at Mithi that I have bowled out Toufeeq Umar. I started playing in first class cricket by 2010. Once PCB was about to replace Abdul Razzaq by me, but I wasn't getting much support. There was one time when I used to think there was no world beyond Naukot but today, I have traveled many countries. Thanks to Cricket! I still dream of becoming an international cricketer or making someone an international cricketer from Tharparkar.

I will do everything, I will make my best efforts to provide him with platforms to perform whenever I find someone capable of becoming an international cricketer.

-Lal Narwani 

        An Inspiring Personality From Thatta, Pakistan 

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