Women cricketers from India motivated by a journey through history of world cricket

 By K.R. Nayar

Pathbreakers, a women's cricket team made up of players from the Indian states of Kerala, Meghalaya, Karnataka, and Uttar Pradesh are in the UAE on a ten-day tour. They began their series of six matches after taking a journey through the history of world cricket at the Shyam Bhatia cricket museum to get inspired and aim to make a mark in international cricket.

Pathbreakers women's team at the Shyam Bhaita Cricket Museum 

A bunch of young women cricketers from different parts of India have taken the initiative to fly to the UAE and gain exposure by playing a series of matches in Dubai, Sharjah, and Ajman. The team is called Pathbreakers and then their ten-day tour has been organised by Play True, a player management company based in Kerala. Pathbreakers will be playing six matches against the different academies in the UAE, and this is being organised by G Force Cricket Academy coach Gopal Jasapara.

Before they kicked off their matches, the players were motivated by a journey through the history of world cricket. After their first day’s practice, all these cricketers were given a tour of the  Shyam Bhatia cricket museum. These women cricketers hailing from Kerala, Meghalaya, Karnataka, and Uttar Pradesh were amazed by the rich history of the game displayed on the walls of the museum. They found it hard to believe that a cricket enthusiast could manage to collect so many memorabilia from the greats of the game, as well as travel around to remote parts of the world distributing cricket kits to underprivileged children.

Addressing the cricketers, Bhatia said: “Play cricket by enjoying the game. Everyone may not reach the Indian team but learn from the game as cricket teaches many things in life. Utilise those lessons in your life and become a special person.” Bhatia gifted his book ‘Portraits of the Game’ to every player for them to get motivated by reading inspiring tales of great cricketers that are described in the book.

Pathbreakers team before their net practice 

Jasapara, addressing the cricketers, said: “Never stop dreaming and you will achieve what you want. Work hard with passion and whoever has it will never fail.”

Speaking to krbuzz.blogspot.com Debasmita Dutta, skipper of the Pathfinders team, and who hails from Meghalaya, said: “This a big opportunity and huge exposure for each one of us. To play in a different country and in a different environment will take us a long way and inspire us. We have players who have represented their states like Kerala, Meghalaya, and Karnataka in the team. This will surely boost the confidence of all players including a player from Uttar Pradesh. We will try and utilize every opportunity that we get during this tour.”

Keziah Miriam Sabin does fielding drills in the sea

The story behind this tour is an interesting one. Sabin Iqbal, a journalist who used to work in Dubai, wanted his daughter Keziah Miriam Sabin to become a good cricketer. During the Covid lockdown, Iqbal connected with Jasapara who was holding virtual training sessions on staying fit and motivated. Keziah also posted videos of her left arm spin bowling to Jasapara, who is himself a left-arm spinner and has represented Saurashtra from the Indian state of Gujarat. After the lockdown was lifted, Keziah wanted to come to UAE and train at the G Force Academy. It was then that Play True, a player management company, stepped forward to organize a few more women cricketers wanting to get exposure to come and train in the UAE.

Like Keziah, who does fielding drills by diving full length in the sea, all others are also working hard and living up to the name of their team ‘Pathbreakers’ to break into the Indian team and become international cricketers.