Competence gets acknowledged - finally
People may believe in different religions and may speak different languages, but they have one thing in common. They have a common religion too. Cricket. Yes, the game of cricket has reached that altar. All communities and all people in India, irrespective of their cultural and political differences, find a common fun and relaxing time zone, playing/watching game of cricket.
Cricketing language, and live examples from the field of Cricket, are very well understood by all cricket frenzy Indians.
Let's start with few examples, and no other better example than our one and only one super star, M.S. Dhoni (MSD).
Do you know, that during the era when M.S Dhoni (MSD) was quite well established in domestic cricket circuit, and was available for national selection, the surprised package of diminutive Parthiv Patel got to don the gloves in Indian cricket team in August 2002, two years ahead of 'to be legendary' M S Dhoni (MSD).
Not only that, even Dinesh Karthik too got selected in the Indian Cricket team , ahead of MSD, in Sept 2004, ahead of M.S Dhoni, who got his ODI debut on 23/12/2004, and Test debut a full year afterwards in Dec 2005.
The flamboyant rock star, and our 'go to man' Yuvraj Singh also got to don Indian cap ODI Debut in Oct 2000, and Test Debut in Oct 2003, four years well ahead of MSD.
So, our coolest cool MSD, the one who had to create multiple records/history in international cricket , and later on in IPL too; the one who is internationally accredited with the 'coolest captain' honour, had to wait for the right time when his stars were to shine the brightest, and his talents were to be reckoned.
In run up to his selection in the Indian Cricket team, MSD never threw his weight around unnecessarily and never blamed his luck when he didn't get picked up and others got selected ahead of him.. He just didn't surrender his HOPE, stayed positive, held on to his faith, kept working on his game, and when he entered right time zone (zodiac), he got his chance finally. Though he failed in initial 4-5 games, and his patience got tested, but then that one inning of 148 in Vizag, against our arch rivals Pakistan in April 2005, established his credentials, and he went on to cement his place in the team. Eventually, he got his chance when he was called upon to lead Indian Team in the first ever international T20 hosted by South Africa in 2007, and went on to lift the Trophy for India, again beating their arch rivals and bete noire, Pakistan.
MSD again played a vital role to lift 50 over ODI in 2011 in a majestic style. Of course, through his shrewd captaincy, he has lot many other success stories too, and no cricketing library can be complete without having more than couple of dozens of enviable victories, where he and he alone showed the way in the end.
Internationally, MSD is credited to be the best ever Captain, and that is acknowledged by present and ex-Captains of all Cricket playing countries and legendary players over the years, and has become a cricketing legend.
Look at our new super star Surya Kumar Yadav (SKY). Someone as special as AB de Villiers (ABD), the greatest versatile batsman, not only saying what a special talent SKY is, but went on to admit that even he needs to learn few ropes from him. Born in Sept 1990, he started his cricketing career at the age of 21, and had to bear ignominy of repeated rejections, for years, till through IPL, and that too in 6th year of his career in IPL, he finally showed his class to the world, at the age of 31 yrs, and the likes of world's evergreen and the greatest batsmen sat down to watch in awe the kind of cricketing genius he has turned out to be.
Practically, SKY established his place in Indian cricket team at the age of 31 years - an age by which many players in fact retire.
There could be no better example than that of Sri Lankan ex-Captain Marvan Atapattu. He overcame a torturous start to his international career, which included five ducks in his first six Test innings, and six single-digit scores in his first seven ODIs, was in and out of Sri Lankan cricket squad couple of times, spread over first six years of his career, and finally he started scoring runs in the 7th year of his career. Over the next 9 years of his career, he scored 16 centuries, six double-hundreds, captained Sri Lankan team, and amassed 14,000 runs in his international career.
Look at his grit, perseverance, self belief, determination, and his readiness to continue to wait and be there till he is able to show to the world his caliber, and etch his name in golden letters in Sri Lankan cricket history.
Likewise, Bollywood too have many examples, when some of very well known today's stars, started their journey with a 2 minute innocuous kind of role long times back, and with sheer patience, in an industry famous for nepotism, have carved a niche for themselves, and have become a most sought after artist in any story/film.
So, if you have the talent and competence, and if you do not get dejected with failure, and instead keep working on your competence, hold on to your faith, keep hope alive, and give God some time, your day of reckoning is not far off, and you surely are in queue for a date with your destiny.
Don't quit. Just be there on the crease, and you don't know when you have lady luck's smiling on you, sooner or later.