Freddy Sidhwa reaffirms that age is no barrier and plays alongside James Anderson who is lauded for his longevity as a pacer

By K.R. Nayar
From Sir Viv Richards Stadium, Antigua 

Every World Cup highlights the oldest cricketer playing in that edition. This time, it is Frank Nsubuga, the 43-year-old Ugandan off-spinner, who took two wickets in their exciting three-wicket win over Papua New Guinea. The passion in many to continue playing always amazes me, especially when you look at UAE-based cricketer Freddy Sidhwa, who at 82, plays the game with the same enthusiasm as a teenager.

 

Freddy Sidhwa with James Anderson at the Lord's Cricket ground  

Nsubuga confirmed Sidhwa’s firm belief that with passion and devotion, one can achieve unbelievable things in cricket. Through a spell of 4-2-4-2 against Papua New Guinea, he gave Uganda their first win in the T20 World Cup, and also bowled back-to-back wicket maidens.

While this was happening in the World Cup, Sidhwa's passion for cricket led him to play at the historic Lord’s ground in London alongside James Anderson, the pacer renowned for his longevity, during the JP Morgan International Cricket Cup annual tournament.

 

Freddy Sidhwa with Cheteshwar Pujara

What pleased Freddy the most was playing at the same venue where Anderson will be retiring next month. Freddy played alongside Stuart Broad, Cheteshwar Pujara, Marnus Labuschagne, Shan Masood, and Heather Knight, who were the professionals for their respective teams. He never misses the JP Morgan International Cricket Cup annual tournament and has been participating for the past 11 years. 

 

Freddy Sidhwa with Stuart Broad 

It’s not that Freddie plays without any preparation. He plays regularly and even wins the Man of the Match awards in some of the local tournaments. So it is no surprise that he had once dismissed Brendon McCullum and earned praise from top international cricketers for his accurate left-arm spin. Dale Steyn, impressed by his ability to keep playing and showcase his skills, once presented him with a bat on which was inscribed, “You are the definition of the spirit of cricket.” Sidhwa also claimed Steyn’s wicket while playing for the Dover House team under the captaincy of Graeme Swann in 2018.

 

Dale Steyn acknowledges the spirit of cricket in Freddy Sidhwa  

“It is always my dream to play alongside the great heroes of the game. I not only play this great game but also follow every international match. Even if the matches are early morning or late at night, I make sure to watch them. So, when I play with them, I often feel transported to their heroic moments in world cricket,” said Sidhwa.

This year’s edition was affected by rain, and many legends who usually play in this tournament were not playing. Legends like Gavaskar, Steyn, Wasim Akram, and Graeme Smith are all at the T20 World Cup as commentators.

 

When Freddy Sidhwa bagged the wicket of former New Zealand skipper Brendon McCullum in 2016 

Like age, rain too seems to pause for Sidhwa. His wait to play in this tournament was duly rewarded. “My team was lucky to play the inaugural match before the heavy rain began. I played for Madison Avenue, captained by Stuart Broad, against Dover House, led by Pujara.”

 

Freddy Sidhwa with Marnus Labuschagne 

Freddy, who often requests local tournament organizers in the UAE to give his Man of the Match award to the second-best performer, was not disappointed that his team lost the game with only two balls to spare. As far as he is concerned, playing and enjoying the game is most important. “Being able to continuously play this great game is what I value,” he said.

Freddy’s team lost because of Pujara’s unbeaten 30. “It was an eight-over-per-side game this time. We managed to post only 58 runs but we made them fight till 7.4 overs. On the brighter side, because of the rain, I got to spend more time with cricketers who have left a huge mark in the game.”

 

Freddy Sidhwa with top scorer Cheteshwar Pujara

Every year brings Freddy an unforgettable memory while playing at Lord’s. This time, it was being with Anderson, who is set to retire from the game after the Test match against the West Indies from July 10-14. What pleases Freddy is the fact that Anderson, at 41, continues to play at such a high level. With 700 Test wickets, Anderson holds the honor of having bowled the most deliveries in international Test cricket as a pace bowler, and is the first batsman to remain unbeaten over 100 times.

 

Freddy Sidhwa being applauded by international stars for his accurate bowling 

All these experiences confirm Freddy’s belief that anyone who keeps playing can do amazing things. Like Nsubuga turning into a match-winner at 43 in this World Cup, and Anderson walking off with his head held high at 41 with 700 Test wickets next month, Freddy demonstrates that age is never a barrier for a passionate cricketer.