‘A Cricketer Loses Fear Of Rejection When Rejected Constantly’: PBKS’ Brar Recalls 7-year Wait, Reveals Test Dream

‘A cricketer loses fear of rejection when rejected constantly’: PBKS’ Brar recalls 7-year wait, reve (Image Source: IANS)

Gurkeerat Singh Mann: Punjab Kings spinner Harpreet Brar has opened up about the winding road that eventually led him to the IPL, recalling how he once had to choose between pursuing cricket and joining the Punjab Police, while seven years of repeated selection setbacks tested his patience. Brar, who ultimately broke through after moving to Mohali and impressing in the domestic circuit, says the journey has strengthened his belief that opportunities arrive when their time comes.

Brar was 21 and still in college in 2018 when his father, who was in the police force, encouraged him to consider following a similar career path. Instead, the youngster asked for one more year to pursue cricket.

“Definitely, I think of it many a time. In 2018, when I was in college, my father, who was in the police force, told me that his friends’ sons were in the police and that I should try too. After a lot of thinking, I told my father that I wanted to play cricket for a year,” Brar told IANS in an exclusive interaction.

That decision altered the course of his life. Brar got an opportunity at the district level, progressed to the state setup, and eventually established himself as a professional cricketer. “At that time, I was 21 years old. I got a chance to play for the district. I did well in the district. Then I did well at the state level. That's how I got selected. I say that this is the turning point of my life,” he said.

Brar acknowledges that the alternative path could also have brought happiness, but believes the decision to continue with cricket remains the defining choice of his life. “If I had been in the police force today, obviously, I would have liked that life, and it’s not like this life isn’t good because I hadn’t experienced a cricketer’s life either. But this was the turning point of my life,” he added.

The decision to pursue cricket did not immediately lead to success. Brar spent seven years playing association cricket and repeatedly appearing in selection matches without making the cut. Over time, however, repeated rejection began to affect him differently.

“When someone is rejected constantly, he loses the fear of rejection. The fear of rejection won’t disturb him when he’s rejected; he’ll be disturbed when he’s selected because it’ll be a new feeling, a new experience,” he mentioned.

Brar said that while the initial rejections hurt, they eventually became part of the routine. What kept him going was not simply the hope of selection, but the enjoyment he found in playing the game.

“When I played for the association for 7 years, I used to play selection matches, but I wasn't selected. At first, it felt different, but then it became common. I wasn't selected every year. But I used to enjoy playing cricket. “I had an interest, and it was fun to perform. It's not that I didn't perform in those 7 years. I did perform, but the circumstances were different,” Brar recalled.

A major breakthrough came when Brar encountered former India and IPL cricketer Gurkeerat Singh Mann during a tournament. Mann's suggestion that Brar try for Mohali would prove decisive.

“The district I used to play in was minor. The performance there didn't count. Then I met Gurkeerat Singh Mann paaji in a tournament. He saw my game and asked me where I lived. I told him that I lived in Mohali. Then he told me to try for Mohali,” Brar said.

Brar regards that move as another turning point in a career that has been shaped by a series of seemingly small but significant decisions. “The turning point in my career was coming to Mohali because of Mann paaji. He has played for India and also in the IPL for 10-11 years. So that was a turning point. As I said, sometimes you get what is written in your fate,” he opined.

Brar's connection with cricket goes back much further. As an 11-year-old, he happened to see a flyer for a cricket academy in the market, an encounter that eventually set him on the path towards the professional game.

He no longer has the physical flyer, but the idea of tracing an alternate life does not appeal to him. “I don’t have that flyer; I was too young, just 11 years old. I did not have a phone back then either. And it’s not like I can comment on what I would have done had I not been a cricketer.”

Instead, Brar places his journey in the context of destiny and timing. “I don’t believe in that. I believe that what is written in a person's destiny will definitely reach him. Yes, sometimes it can take some time. But if one is destined to reach there, he will sometime or the other.”

Behind that journey, Brar credits his parents, particularly his mother, whose efforts included travelling with him in the early hours and helping him navigate the practical difficulties of pursuing cricket.

Brar, however, was keen to place his own story within the larger sacrifices made by parents supporting young athletes.

“It's not just my mother. There are a lot of mothers out there who want their kids to be successful. It's every mother's dream to have her son at her feet.

“Whatever I want to do, my mother will do it for my son. My mother did the same. Obviously, I am very thankful to her. I think her hard work has helped me get to where I am today.”

For Brar, his progress cannot be separated from his family's support and prayers. “Sometimes I don't even believe that it wasn't because of me. But it was my mother's prayers that shaped my destiny this way.

“I am very thankful to her. I am blessed to have such thoughtful and supportive parents. I can only say this much. Everyone's parents are the same. I am just sharing my experience.”

Despite already establishing himself in the IPL, Brar insists he does not consider his journey complete. His conversation with childhood hero Yuvraj Singh has only reinforced the ambition that remains ahead of him.

“I met Yuvraj paaji 3 days ago only, when I was practising. There are no questions that I haven’t asked him yet. I have asked him so many questions. Whatever I feel like, I ask him.”

Asked if Yuvraj were to ask whether Brar has achieved everything he set out to achieve, the answer would be unequivocal. “If he asks me whether I have achieved everything or not, I’ll say, ‘No, I haven’t. I want to play Test cricket for my country.’”

“I met Yuvraj paaji 3 days ago only, when I was practising. There are no questions that I haven’t asked him yet. I have asked him so many questions. Whatever I feel like, I ask him.”

“I have already had a conversation with him about this. I will work hard and have a great season to achieve my dream and my goal as soon as possible,” he concluded.

Article Source: IANS