How's this for INITIATIVE?

AAQIB JAVED

In October 1991, I was in the press box at the Sharjah Stadium watching Pakistan's Aaqib Javed decimate the Indian batting line-up in the final of the Wills Trophy.

Aaqib claimed seven wickets for 37 runs, a world record, including a hat-trick: Ravi Shastri, Azharuddin, and Sachin Tendulkar — all three given out LBW. Two of these decisions were apparently questionable, but that's not the point of this post.

Aaqib Javed was only 19 at the time. How did he even get to play for his country at such a young age and with hardly any cricketing experience?

Here's the story in Aaqib's own words:

"One day when I was in college, Wasim Raja held trials at the Gaddafi Stadium for some camp. I landed up there almost as a joke. Some of my friends were pulling my leg, doing zabardasti. It was the first time in my life that I had entered the Gaddafi Stadium. The system at that trial was that fast bowlers had to bowl two deliveries and bas, that was it. I had my turn, I bowled my two balls. I was sure that nobody was even watching. There was such a crowd, people were talking, hanging about. It was easy not to get noticed. After I finished I kept watching the trials from the sidelines. The more boys that I saw, the more I began to realise that I was actually quite good. But for some reason, I never made it to the short list.

"So I went to Wasim Raja later and told him, 'I think you weren't looking when my turn came. I think I'm not bad. Why don't you give me another chance?' He was a bit surprised, but he said, 'Okay, go ahead.' I bowled three-four balls. They were good balls, outswingers. He selected me for the camp. The camp ran for one month. And at the end of that month, he said, 'Aaqib Javed is the most talented bowler in this camp.' I think that was a huge moment in my life. It was Wasim Raja who unearthed my hidden talent; he made me aware of my potential. That's the point when I became serious about cricket."

Aaqib soon found himself leaving for Australia with the Pakistan team in 1988. And three years later, he was wreaking havoc in Sharjah, winning the final against India almost single-handedly.

None of this would have happened if Aaqib had not chosen to make things happen instead of waiting for things to happen.

Because he had confidence in his own ability — "The more boys that I saw, the more I began to realise that I was actually quite good" — he had the chutzpah to go up to the "boss" and question his non-selection.

How's that for initiative?

Many of the young people I know would be so much more successful in their lives and careers if only they had more confidence in themselves, and took the initiative and made things happen instead of waiting for things to happen. Like Aaqib Javed.

***

This fascinating insight into the rise of a modern fast bowler comes from Rahul Bhattacharya's Pundits from Pakistan, one of the best books I have read about cricket. Bhattacharya began writing on cricket in 2000; this book, which also works wonderfully as a travelogue, was written after India's tour of Pakistan in March-April 2004, which he covered for the Guardian and Wisden.