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| Surinder feels ignored as cricketer Mithun gets state award | | | Sanjeev Sharma
Jammu | Jan 29
History creator from Jammu and Kashmir, the only international cricketer of the state, Surinder Singh Bagal has felt ignored in the hands of those at the helm of affairs for not being considered for this state sports award.
Straight forward in his views expressed with Sports & Allied News, Surinder while appreciating the government for considering major game of cricket for the state’s top honour said that those deciding the names for prestigious awards must go through the achievements of everyone in the game ascertaining the conditions in which a player has excelled.
“I’m happy that someone from cricket has been felicitated but at the same time feel neglected for not being considered for the honour, the reason being my unmatched attainments. Whatever I have achieved is for J&K whereas one who has been given the state award, though born in Jammu, has never played first class cricket from the state,” a down in the mouth Surinder said.
Practiced cricket at Jammu by covering a daily to and fro distance of 40 kilometers, the achievements of this left-hander pacer from Raya Suchani in Vijaypur cannot be matched. Playing for a state which is undoubtedly backward in sports and then representing an Association (JKCA) which is disorganized and plagued with disputes, what Surinder has done is extraordinary for a cricketer from Jammu and Kashmir.
On the other hand, this year’s state sports awardee, Mithun Manhas, who left Jammu as a junior cricketer in 1995 for Delhi to strive for better prospects, has equally good achievements. He captained Delhi for number of times and except for representing India, played almost every top competition of the Board for Control of Cricket in India (BCCI).
But back home, Surinder, who has 39 first class games to his credit in his five-year stint as an opening bowler from 1998-2003, is the only cricketer from Jammu and Kashmir to play against Australia and England.
“In 2001-2002, representing Board President XI, I played against world champion, Australia besides England. As also I was part of the Rest of India team which played against Ranji Champions, Baroda in Irani Trophy in the year 2002,” justifying his claim, Surinder explained.
But the politics back home cut short Surinder’s career as a bowler when he was dropped from the team without any justified reason in 2003 by the Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA).
The only pacer from the state next to Surinder’s achievements is Abid Nabi, who was called for India camp once. Abid has joined the BCCI’s revel group, Indian Cricket League (ICL) along with another promising cricketer, Dhruv Mahajan.
“I express my concern because I feel those who have finalized the name for state award might have got misguided. What I mean to say is that they (selection committee) should have consulted the JKCA or for that matter other veteran cricketers before finalizing a name,” rued Surinder. |
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