India wicketkeeper-batsman Parthiv Patel had a lot of problems over the course of his cricketing career, but the 32-year-old still managed to battle the odds and achieve the 10,000 runs in the first-class cricket.
Having made his debut at the tender age of 17, Parthiv Patel had shared the dressing room with some of all time greats of Indian cricket before being dropped from the team by the age of 20. However, the Gujarat skipper continued his good work in the domestic circuit and slowly improved his game over the years.
“I am happy the way I have tackled the challenges from the time I started playing Test cricket. Then being dropped and suffering a couple of seasons with not even 250 as season’s aggregate was painful. I would be lying if I say I was not low on confidence. I began to doubt myself,” Patel told Sportster.
“I was dropped when I was 20. There are players who don’t even start first-class cricket at that age. I had the advantage of knowing things. What it takes to make a mark at the international level. I had that advantage. I was matured as a player, and that helped me make a comeback.”
“There were a few times when I thought I might not be able to catch the ball again. I was scared of catching the ball honestly. Then I decided to train with the under-16 boys to sort of regain my confidence. I just did not worry about getting dropped from any team anymore. I had to start once again enjoying my cricket. My family supported me, and my association backed me. That was critical.”
“The biggest change (in domestic cricket) is the facilities at the ground. Small centres had little facilities. Grounds were not good, and accommodation was poor. It has undergone a dramatic transformation now.”
“For me, the goal was 6000 plus runs by Mukund Parmar. It was huge for us. That was the benchmark. I knew I had the ability, but 10000 was not an obsession. The goal was to get back into the Indian side and contribute to my team’s victory at all level. I was nervous for the last ten runs and was counting my progress.”