Tags:
Journalism of Courage
8220;Pitch the ball just outside the off-stump line and it turns in, that8217;s off-spin. Next, roll your fingers over right over the ball, it pitches and goes straight, that8217;s the doosra, you see. Bhajji taught me all this,8221; the frail-looking youngster was explaining to mediapersons with matter-of-factness. Clad in the Team India training shirt, 17-year-old Dharamvir Pal Singh is on a trip of its own.
Squatting on the Eden Gardens boundary, every now and then crawling over to fetch a stray cricket ball rolling down towards him, young Dharamvir is not exactly the kind of travelling cheerleader you would like to be. For, if you see a lanky, crouching figure hanging around with the Indian team during practice, it8217;s that of the captain of Madhya Pradesh8217;s handicapped cricket team.
8220;My best friends in the Indian team are Yuvraj Singh and Sreesanth. They always come up to me and chat with me,8221; Dharamvir said, quickly adding: 8220;The others in the team are very good friends too. Sachin Tendulkar and Greg Chappell also talk to me a lot.8221;
The youngster, who is the son of a farmer, and currently studies in standard XI with a local school in his hometown Morena, has been travelling to watch India8217;s matches at various grounds in the country since 2003. It was at Nagpur a little over a month back when things turned around. After the chirpy youngster steadily began developing a rapport with the players and coach Chappell, some of the players decided to make Dharamvir the travelling cheerleader.
8220;This is my 31st one-dayer,8221; the physically-challenged kid proudly recounts, then pointing out at the blue Team India shirt on him: 8220;And this was gifted to me by Robin Uthappa. And you these maroon shorts? Do you know who gave them to me? Brian Lara.8221; There was no missing the twinkle in his eyes.
What makes Dharamvir special is that he is an acclaimed performer with the MP handicapped outfit for which he plays regularly. 8220;I am an opening batsman and an off-spinner. Now you know why I know so much about Harbhajan8217;s Singh bowling,8221; he explained, recalling his interactions with Lara.
8220;He8217;s a great captain. And I am the captain of my team. So, there8217;s lots for us to talk,8221; he quips.
Tendulkar has promised to sponsor Dharamvir8217;s trip to the West Indies for the World Cup starting on March 13. 8220;I want to go to the World Cup and watch the team in action. But there were problems. Sachin then one day asked me if I had a passport. I said no, and he took up my case. Now, he has promised that I will go to the World Cup,8221; he excitedly said.
Just as the crowd around him began growing, he quickly dashed off, on all fours, helping out Ian Frazer and Gregory King giving catching practice to MS Dhoni.
