As a child I was fascinated with the game of cricket, its lush green out fields, gentlemen with hats on and enthusiastic spectators cheering all the while. I still remember those days when I scrambled to listen about cricket. Tales of bodyline were heard and how English cricket team specifically plotted to trap the extraordinary batting skill of Sir Don Bradman. I would be counting days and waitin
g anxiously for India’s game to resume. Radio was one of the medium where I got glued for updates; and very often I glanced through the sports page in the News paper. That’s how I associate with the game; the game of courage, passion and determination. Cricket today has reached an iconic status in India. With globalization and its exploding impact, India has emerged as one of economic nerve centre in the universe. 21st century has seen metamorphic changes that are quit vivid in nature and one of the key elements of change is compression. Compression of ideas, compression of time and compression of space. With compression of time we saw a new format of the game emerged, 20-20 matches that capture the imaginations of current generation. Moreover with the invention of IPL, tremendous traction and force being created where business, entertainment and cricket converged. Once white men’s game has turned into a kaleidoscope where it emits colorful reflections and resonate ripples of emotions to billions of heartbeats across boundaries. The biggest achievements in life of achievers are born out of their realized dream. Passion is the fuel that keeps the desire burning, and desire to achieve goals translates into victory, and victory leads to realization of dreams. There is abundant raw talent around us, some go unnoticed, some go untapped, some go untrained & while others fade away. To succeed in the world of cricket one need to be show persistence, apply many of the skills as one would need to succeed in any other discipline. One need to plan for success, target performance, measure effectiveness and evaluate game and make certain sacrifices, hard work goes unsaid. It is my immense love for cricket that has burgeon the idea of Ajmal Sanai Cricket and Sports Foundation. Afzal J.
