Ankur Roshan is back and has written about the career woes he had to face recently, with a cricketing twist. Read on people!
I just encountered the biggest dilemma of my life. What I
want to be? What's going to be the source of my livelihood? I don’t want to
brag, but I am the skipper of the Cricket Academy of Bihar, so have played a
bit of cricket, I opted for PCM in 12th from where most students are expected
to join engineering courses. Almost all my friends are either opting for B.Tech
or joining their Dad's business. I am an avid cricket fan but never thought of
it as a profession. I am good at physics, chemistry and maths too, but I never
relished learning these subjects.
One fine day, Dad came to me and asked me what I want to do?
I was just jiggling around so my obvious reply was "Engineering dad."
Dad was like "Are you sure?" I shrugged. I know it wasn't my cup of
tea. Actually tea was also not my cup of tea, I like coffee. Ok, that was a
drab PJ. Coming back to the point, the thought sent shivers down my body and
for the first time in my life I was actually feeling concerned about my future.
I took a shower and said to myself “Troll God”, you just grew up!” You just grow up to realize, life is not as
simple as sly comments and sarcasm. When you grow up you realize that there
isn't really any Santa but the monsters are still around. If only they were big
and hairy; now they're just dark and amorphous, and they're no longer afraid of
the light. Sometimes they're the guy who climbs in the window and takes your
television. And sometimes they're the guy who walks out the front door with
your heart in his hand and never comes back. And sometimes they're the job or
the bank or the wife or the boss or just that sort of dark heavy feeling that
sits between your shoulder blades like a backpack. There are always terrible
things waiting to grab you by the ankle, to pull you under, to get you with
their long horrible arms. And you lie in bed and look at the shadows on the
ceiling and feel, under the covers, just for a moment, like you're safe.
I wasn't this philosophical by birth, life made me one. My career. My life’s goal. Now, random thoughts started
to strike me. And then it was like the two parts of my mind started quarrelling. Picture one of those Angel/Devil convos if you
will. Part1- Optimist Ankur Colour-white, Part2- Pessimist Ankur Colour- Black.
The conversation goes as
Optimist Ankur- Be a cricketer. You're the captain of state
team. That’s really cool.
Pessimist Ankur- Your state doesn't even have any Ranji
team; less scope- terrible life
Optimist Ankur- Be a writer, “Bilge Master” once said,
you're good at that
Pessimist Ankur- That’s just your hobby, not passion mate!
Optimist Ankur- Be an engineer, dad, mom, and your teachers-
everyone would be happy. Go with the flow!
Pessimist Ankur- you never fell in love with these Science
subjects my friend, you don't want to
work 9-6 and comeback home with 25k-pm. do you?
Optimist Ankur- Join your dad's business.
Pessimist Ankur- Construction is not my thing, guvnor
After awhile, I got tired of this stuff and really
irritated, so I did what I love most- watch cricket.
India v England. Sehwag on strike. Gonna be fun! Graeme Swann , coming over the
stumps to the right hander. Dropped one on good length not that full, it was a
top spinner, angled on the base of off stump, which would go on and hit the top
of middle stump. As a cricketer you know when it’s a typical first day test
wicket, the best thing to do is, stretch your front leg, get behind the line of ball and without dropping your arm block it, with
still head. But Viru being Viru, left the safety of his crease and
bang! The ball sailed over the mid on, he go on to make his 1st century after
2yrs in test cricket! I sat back and said, “Whoa! Champion!”
The area of the pitch
we're supposed to land it on against Sehwag is about two millimeters by two millimeters A fraction full: expect to be driven for four. A fraction short:
expect to be punched off the back foot for four. That's Virender Sehwag for you.
Viru's instinct sweeps him away, and it is what makes him an
attacking batsman. At a basic level, he must sense that instinct is swifter and
more accurate than thought. Thought gets in the way. When batsmen are playing
well, everyone goes by instinct, but Viru had that coupled with intrinsic
fearlessness. It doesn't matter what the game situation is, who is bowling,
what the wicket is doing. He sees the ball and he hits it - for four if he can
.Isn't that, surely, a central component of a "good technique"? Yes,
Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar developed more sophisticated techniques that
could adapt to difficult pitches. And adaptability, of course, is the ultimate
gauge of the ideal all-round technique. But in terms of a technique that makes
the best possible contact with a ball flying in a straight line at 85mph, I do
not think I've seen a better one than Sehwag's. God-given talent alone - a good
eye and fast hands - will not allow you to hit that many balls for four.
The man moved me. It was a big inspiration. I thought about
my instinct, my need my passion and what
I need from my life and came up
with a career option, and now I am very determined and sure about what
I want to be- Investment Banker. See you
at Wall Street, London in 6 years time.
And just as I had come to this conclusion, in came Dad. This
is what he has to say- “Do you want to go with the flow and be ordinary like
everyone else, or do you want to take a chance and be famous?” Guess only time
will tell eh?
