Stuart Binny has come out of his illustrious father's shadow and is trying his best to carve a place for himself in Indian cricket. Being the son of 1983 World Cup winner Roger Binny was never easy to handle for Stuart. Especially, when the passion (and now profession) is the same – playing cricket.
Under pressure
However, Stuart, with experience, has learnt to find his own path. “It was a lot harder in junior cricket where you tend to get away with anything. It was tough as a kid (to cope with the special status). I was always under pressure,” says a frank Stuart. “I used it to my advantage. After all, I had his (father) genes,” he adds.
Stuart, who has lost nine kilos in about six months to get fitter, is enjoying his stint with the Karnataka team in Ranji Trophy and knows what it takes to earn one's place in the side. A cricketer who made his Ranji debut way back in 2003, he has gone through several ups and downs to play 27 first class games so far. Slowly, he is proving his worth and is evolving as an all-rounder. His three hundreds in about one year speaks about his improvement.
His shift to the rebel Indian Cricket League (ICL) may have deprived him of several first class matches, yet Stuart prefers to look at the positives. “ICL opened my mind as a cricketer. I had never played with international cricketers. Spending time with top players like Inzamam-ul-Haq, Abdul Razzaq and Chris Harris was a good experience for young players like me. I learnt how to enjoy my cricket.” For one who belongs to a well-off family, Stuart does not have any airs about himself. Mention ‘class' to him and he shares a personal experience. “There is an off-spinner, K. Gowtham, who has joined our team recently. We call him ‘Bhajji.' Sometime back I hardly knew him. But now I share very good relationship with him. It is an inspiration to know how he rose from a humble background and tough past.”
Stuart, who spends 10 months in a year playing cricket, loves to go on a holiday and meet new people in spare time. “By meeting new people, you learn lots of things in life,” he says. However, the most comfortable place on earth for this 27-year-old roaming cricketer is his home city Bangalore. “Every time we are away, I cannot wait to go back to Bangalore…And I love to spend time with my family. My dad treats me like a friend. He takes us out for fishing and we hardly speak about cricket,” he says. The best thing about ‘Stuey' is his cool approach towards life with a tinge of seriousness. “My dad has told me to be prepared for the worst,” he says. Maybe that has helped Stuart look at the brighter side of life!
