AS I went through the list of players selected for the tour to the West Indies that lies ahead, there was enough in it to leave me both a happy and a sad soul. No, Shoaib Akhtar’s exclusion had nothing to do with it. I will talk about him some other time, but what made me happy was the inclusion of Bazid Khan. He is a young man of immense talent who has reached this level through hard work and patience. On the other hand, I felt sad at not seeing Moin Khan’s name on the list after his gallant effort to register a comeback.
Let’s first have a word about Bazid, who finally got his due. In equal measure I am happy for Majid Khan, Bazid’s father, with whom I played international cricket for over a decade. He is one of the true greats to have ever donned the national colours. He must be a proud father and has every reason to feel that way.
Having observed it from close quarters, I can assure you it is not easy for sons to follow the footsteps of their illustrious fathers. All along the way, there are blatant and irritating comparisons not just at the competitive level, but also at family and community levels. If they miss out on an opportunity, everyone reminds them of the huge reputation that they have to care for. If they do well, everyone believes that they were always supposed to do this just because their respective fathers had done well! The shadow never leaves them on their own, and it becomes quite frustrating at times.
Once they reach the competitive stage, there comes into play the element of past skirmishes, and people at administrative levels often try to settle past scores by not selecting the young chaps. Like it or not, no one can deny that it does happen. Sons of illustrious fathers, believe me, have to have twice the talent than their counterparts to make it big, and Bazid’s selection is a testimony to his skills. I hope that Bazid will get a chance on this short tour, and that he would be able to make the most of whatever opportunities that come his way. We know he has the talent, but we still have to see it delivered to be sure of his match temperament.
As for Moin Khan’s exclusion from the list of players selected for the tour, it was really a sad note. He has a big heart and was able to get back into contention through sheer determination and on-the-field performance. With young Kamran Akmal doing reasonably well, it would have dampened the spirits of anyone in Moin’s place. But it is a reflection of his amazing self-belief and never-say-die approach that he decided to give it his best shot by way of scoring heavily and keeping smartly on the domestic circuit.
I wish to take nothing away from Kamran Akmal, but I guess it was his century against heavy odds on the Indian tour that saved his skin. Otherwise with the kind of inconsistent form he had shown behind the wickets — which happens to be his first claim to selection — Moin had done more than enough back at home to warrant a comeback, and would have surely found himself on the flight to the West Indies.
Moin is a great character and has everything that you look out for in an international cricketer worth his salt, and more. It would have been only fitting to acknowledge his fighting spirit when he had done so well on the domestic scene in what might well be his last real fight. But with Moin, you never know. He may well continue to strive, and if he does that, there shall be no doubt that he will have my best wishes with him.
