Match-fit at 81 for a game of serious cricket? Yes, yes, you heard that right!

The UAE’s veteran cricketer Freddy Sidhwa, at 81, plays at Lord’s under Kevin Pietersen’s captaincy

By K.R. Nayar (From the UAE)

The UAE’s veteran cricketer and octogenarian Freddy Sidhwa is a phenomenon. Writing about this cricketer, who remains young at 81, is inspiring. Defying age, he continues to amaze me with his exceptional determination to keep playing the game. That makes one wonder if it is Freddy who has kept cricket young or vice versa. Whatever the case may be, one cannot deny that Freddy has repeatedly proven that age is no barrier to playing this game.

Recently, Freddy accomplished something that most budding cricketers dream to achieve in their careers. Imagine playing under the captaincy of a legendary cricketer, especially at the Lord’s Cricket Ground. Freddy achieved this at the age of 81!

He proved that dreams have no expiry date if one loves the game sincerely. Freddy is also an embodiment of the saying “Never let go of your dreams”. His philosophy is that dreams could be delayed but they never die.

Freddy played under the captaincy of none other than the legendary England cricketer Kevin Pietersen for the Madison Avenue team.

The JP Morgan International Cricket Cup is a tournament that has been regularly held at Lord’s for over a decade, and Freddy has been playing in it since its inception. He has displayed his skills as a miserly and accurate left-arm spinner, even claiming the wickets of legendary cricketers.

Age is not an obstacle

Freddy has never seen his age as an obstacle to playing the game. He makes it a point to play every weekend, amazing everyone with his accuracy, quick singles, and racing to the ball anywhere on the field without showing any signs of tiring. Freddy’s son Shavir too has played in this tournament regularly.

Among the international stars who played in this edition were Jos Butler, Colin Munro and former England women’s cricket star Katherine Sciver-Brunt.

Once when I had asked him whether it was fitness or sheer enthusiasm for the game that gets him to do things that people half his age struggle to accomplish. His answer was as quick as his singles: “When I play cricket, I feel like a 24-year-old boy. Cricket is one game I cannot resist playing.”

In 2016, while representing the Madison Avenue team under the captaincy of Andrew Strauss in this tournament, Freddy pocketed the prized wicket of New Zealand’s Brendon McCullum. He forced McCullum to edge the ball to the wicketkeeper. At that time, Freddy, who never believes in the term “old”, was 74 years young.

Brendon McCullum’s wicket

McCullum was unbeaten in his first two matches and had arrived as a legend who had captained New Zealand in all three forms of the game, recorded the fastest Test century, and was also the leading scorer in Twenty20 International cricket. For Freddy, getting Mc Cullum’s wicket was a dream moment.

Year after year, Freddy continues to impress legendary cricketers, who watch him in awe. In 2018, at the age of 76, Freddy created a bigger sensation becoming perhaps the oldest cricketer in the history of the game to receive the Man of the Final award. Representing former England spinner Graeme Swann’s Dover House team, Freddy struck twice in succession to sink South African pacer Dale Steyn’s Princess Gate team in the final and ensured his team’s victory.

Steyn, awe-struck by Freddy’s age-defying display on the field, presented him a bat inscribed with the words: “You are the definition of the spirit of cricket.” This cherished memento occupies a place of pride among the many Man of the Match and Player of the Final awards won while playing in UAE domestic tournaments. It is often said that when Freddy participates in the UAE’s domestic tournaments, he sportingly requests the organizers to give his Man of the Match award to the second-best performer.

There are some invaluable lessons to learn from Freddy. When he was asked about the numerous honours he has piled up, he said: “One should never play with the intention of receiving awards. I believe that if you give your hundred per cent to the game, awards will come naturally.”

Unwavering motivation

When asked about his unwavering motivation and ability to withstand the scorching conditions, he replied, “I think if you have passion for the game, then age isn’t a factor at all because you are doing something you enjoy.”

On June 25, 2022, Freddy had the honour of playing alongside England’s World Cup-winning captain, Eoin Morgan in the same tournament. Three days after this tournament, Morgan announced his retirement from international cricket, making the match with Freddy his last as an international cricketer. Morgan, like Freddy, is known for his longevity as a cricketer who has played top-class cricket.

Freddy firmly believes that cricket rewards those who play the game with devotion and passion. After all, who in their seventies or eighties could ever play at the Lord’s alongside the legends of the game? His extraordinary journey is a reminder to all that age is only a number, and dreams can always be fulfilled.

(K.R. Nayar is a senior sports journalist and actor/Story and pictures courtesy of krbuzz.blogspot.com)