He left disillusioned with the system. “Disappointed really,” he says with a heavy heart. “Would have treasured the India cap,” W.D. Balaji Rao shares his emotions. It was not to be. The leg-spinner ran into a wall, his cricket in danger of stagnation, and his future in the game uncertain.
Balaji opted to change his vocation. That was in 2001. He had represented Tamil Nadu in first class cricket and graduated to play for India ‘A', touring England and Australia. But things were not moving, he recalls.
Tough period
It was a tough period. His mother had been diagnosed with cancer. His cricket was not taking him anywhere. He really had a tough choice to make: A future as a professional cricketer or a financial consultant?
He sacrificed his cricketing ambitions when he lost his mother in 2003. The move to Canada was driven by his desire for higher education in business. “I made the right move,” says Balaji. “I am an auto consultant.” His job is to ensure accident victims get their due compensation.
But cricket lured him. “It is in my blood,” he smiles. “I would have played the last World Cup for Canada but I did not gain the qualification norms. It feels great to come and play at grounds where I pursued my dreams as a youngster.”
Mixed feelings
Balaji, who turned 32 last Friday, confessed, “I have mixed feelings really. It is great to play in a World Cup. But I am also flooded with memories of my cricket in India. I have no regrets. Canada has given me everything and I am proud to represent it.”
As a senior player, Balaji has a specific role to play. “My job is to guide and motivate the youngsters. I also share my experience with the spinners in the team.”
Balaji came for a brief while to India last year. Not for cricket. “It was cancer-related again.” He got married in Toronto just in time to fulfil his prospective mother-in-law's wishes. “She was dying of cancer.” After the wedding, Balaji visited Tirupati. “My father (based in Chennai) wanted to meet my wife because he could not attend our wedding.”
The transition from an India ‘A' player to represent Canada in ODIs was not easy. “I had to combine my studies with my cricket. You can't survive in Canada purely by playing cricket. We hardly get to play in winter and summer time too is restricted to nine hours a week,“ says Balaji, who made his ODI debut in 2008 against the West Indies.
Lack of facilities
Lack of infrastructure is the reason for Canada not being able to produce quality players. “There are not many grounds available. The weather too does not help. The government does not provide financial assistance because cricket is not an Olympic sport.”
The International Cricket Council, feels Balaji, is doing its bit.
“But countries like Canada need more. It would be great if the ICC can spot the talented youngsters and groom them by sending them to various Test playing nations for specialised training.
“There is future for cricket in Canada.”
