Star (2)

A Star that could have been .. A Star that is! (2)

In the year 1984, my father joined the very bank he presently works in, as a professional cricketer and continued playing first class and domestic cricket from then on till 1998. During this time he got married to my mother as well.

Khalique Imran - United Kingdom

He got his very first visit to the United Kingdom in year 1987 where he played for Derbyshire as a professional Cricketer.

L: Evening Telegraph (1998) R: Derby Telegraph (1988)

He took his next trip the United Kingdom for the second time as a professional cricketer in year 1992. By this time he was a father to three children. 

English Season (1988)

R : Khalique Imran - United kingdom

From having an opportunity to play at International cricket platforms to being featured in International and National news fronts, he had it all. Initially the dots seemed to be connecting to a blooming cricket career.
Today, 25 years after his last International Cricket trip to United Kingdom, he works as an Assistant Vice President for a bank.

L : Khalique Imran featured on the same page with R : Imran Khan
in a National newspaper

Cricket never left him just like that. I vividly remember it being a slow process where a 9 to 5 job slowly and steadily replaced regular evening cricket practice sessions in a nearby cricket ground. Even today just a hint of a cricket match happening anywhere excites him like a little child. One can imagine his level of enthusiasm if he gets a chance to play. 


Was it a necessity to give up on your passion? Do you regret not building a career out of it? Was it a choice? Was it a decision that responsibilities made you take? All those questions keep running in my head and I ask him. He takes a calm long breathe while placing the newspaper that he was reading on a side, 'I do not regret anything at all. Choosing my family over my passion always seemed the right choice to me. Family was about you all, passion was just about me. Choosing family gave me countless irreplaceable moments with my wife and children. From dropping you all to school, taking you for bike rides, ice cream, listening to your talks, advising you three while you grew up. All that can never equal any trophy in the world.'

Does following passion make one selfish and choosing what others want from you, selfless, or are they merely perceptions?
I believe time teaches us to take solace in the experiences that life brings us. My father could have been a star to people but he chose to be a star to his family.

Star

A Star that could have been .. A Star that is! (1)

They say it is not healthy to live life with the 'could haves' attached to your everyday thoughts because if those 'could haves' had to be they would have been. I, happen to hold a different belief with a perspective regarding that theory which shall be discussed in our next piece of writing. 

For now let me introduce you to one of the stars in my family, my father. He has been a passionate cricketer for as long as I can remember, that includes memories of seeing him ball in the cricket ground in his white cricket uniform while I sat in my pram ..Yes! but his cricket journey started way before that and today I will share that journey with you along with the newspaper clippings he has kept safe with his name underlined in blue in every news article.  :)

Khalique Imran

Like many of us would do, to add seriousness to his passion, he became a member of his school cricket team and later got selected as the captain of his college cricket team. After college cricket, he played club cricket for Islamabad GymKhana as a captain from 1981 till 1995, place that gave him ample opportunity to take his game ahead. 

In 1981, he played for Quaid e Azam trophy and gave an astounding performance. In 1982, he got nominated to play for All Pakistan Cricket and later got elected as the very first team captain of Federal Board Cricket Team.

 'Daily Muslim' and 'Pakistan Time' 

1983 gave him a chance to enjoy cricket at various fronts. It started off with being selected in Patron's Eleven Pindi Division Cricket team that chose him to play against India for Patron's Eleven Under 19 in Rawalpindi. Later, he got selected for touring Australia as part of the Under 19 cricket team. 

Under 19 team named 'Daily Muslim' and 'Pakistan Times'
     

Khalique Imran (right) - Australia

The same year blessed him and he scored his very first century in 1st class cricket against Quetta cricket team in Karachi while playing for Patron's trophy, Rawalpindi Division. 

'Pakistan Times' and 'Daily Muslim' praise him for scoring a century

Next step for my Dad was to join Pakistan Army Cricket team as a professional cricket player ..

                          

                                                                                                                     

  (to be cont'd)