All in the family
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First there was Lala and then came his two sons — Surinder and Mohinder — to etch their surname, Amarnath, forever in the chronicles of Indian cricket.
It is an open secret that unlike the other two, Surinder, who was given harsh treatment by a few uninformed selectors, did not go on to play for India as much as he should have.
At present, a third generation willow-wielding Amarnath — Surinder’s son Digvijay — is slugging it out earnestly to make it count.
The 22-year-old, who moved to Baroda from Ahmedabad three years ago, is at the MRF Pace Foundation in the city for a couple of months and is keen to play in the TNCA senior division league this year.
“For now, it is all about doing the hard yards and not to think about anything else. But of course, I am keen to play in the competitive TNCA league,” said Digvijay.
Adding to his son’s point, Surinder said: “The TNCA is one of the strongest run leagues in the country and it is second to none when it comes to professionalism.
Digvijay, no doubt, stands to gain a lot of exposure if he plays at this level. Back there (Baroda and Ahmedabad), the cricketing structure is anything but encouraging.”
Digvijay is currently playing for Mohinder Lal Amarnath Cricket Academy in the Zaveri League (Baroda).
The stylish left-hander started playing cricket as a five-year old and just like his father, straightaway gripped the bat with his right palm first before getting into the stance.
“My dad has had a huge impact in my progress. It’s a great feeling to be a part of the Amarnath family. I hope to carry forward the legacy of my grandfather, father and uncle.
It’s a long and tough road ahead but I am ready to do the hard work in order to reach my goal of playing for India in the future,” said Digvijay.
When asked to weigh up his son as a cricketer, Surinder was quick to respond: “The one thing I like about Digvijay is that he carries a positive attitude.
He is never scared of fast bowling. The wickets here at the MRF are pretty good (fast). This experience will help him immensely in the future,” said Surinder.
“Whenever Jimmy (Mohinder) gets time he talks to Digvijay about how to go about facing the pace bowlers. Digvijay enjoys discussing cricketing matters for endless hours.”
When asked about the raw deal given by the national selectors that derailed a flourishing international career, Surinder, who played for India in 10 Tests and 3 ODIs, replied: “Everyone knows what the truth is; I was a victim of selection politics. In the 1978 Pakistan tour, I scored a duck before scoring 38 and 62 in the following two ODI’s.
Ironically, that tour was my last. I was only improving after each outing when I was abruptly stopped in my tracks.
I would have loved to play a lot more of limited-overs cricket as it best suited my attacking approach. Anyways, that was destiny and I have to accept it. I am confident Digvijay will go on to play at the highest level.”
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